Philadelphians will have access to 35 local, national, and international independent features this weekend, with the FirstGlance Film Festival making its return to the Film Society Bourse.
Taking over the weekend (May 16-18), the event features screenings, Q&A’s, afterparties, and a closing night live awards ceremony, hosted by award-winning director/filmmaker and FirstGlance alum Raphael Sbarge (who some may recognize from the TV series ‘Once Upon a Time‘).
Single tickets ($20) are available for any screening event, with set times peppered throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. One with a local connection features ‘Watching Walter’ by Mitch Yapko.
The film, starring Stephen Tobolowsky, pays tribute to the life of Wladyslaw “Walter” Wojnas, and is set in both 1995 Philadelphia and World War II Nazi-occupied Poland, touching on several key moments from Wojnas’ life. After the war ended, Wojnas came to America and settled in Manayunk, where he had a watch repair shop. After becoming a citizen, he then moved his shop to the famous Jewelry District in Center City, and lived in Philly until he died in 2009 at age 85.
“Walter’s story is a bittersweet one, filled with hope, loss, fortitude, love, and ultimately a message of tenacity and forgiveness in the face of insurmountable devastation,” said Yapko. “It will hopefully serve as an aspirational reminder that we can do better, be better, and there’s no better time than now to remind the world.”
Other features with a local tie throughout the Festival includes ‘No One Died: The Wing Bowl Story,’ by Pat Taggart; ‘Jamey and the Blues,’ by Jill Frechie and John Ricciutti; ‘Goldfish,’ by Tony Lawton; ‘Viaticum,’ by Derek Frey; ‘Futures Without Guns,’ by Kyra Knox; ‘Disrupted: Injustice, Trauma, and Healing,’ by John Pace; ‘Butterfly Project,’ by Shaun Piccinino; ‘HomePlanet,’ by Andrew Pritzker; ‘Silent Key,’ by Deron Albright; ‘The Crit(ique),’ by Zoey Hudson; ‘Buried,’ by Nicole Agostino; ‘The Philadelphia Project,’ by Jesse R, Torres; ‘Meet Me Under the Bleachers,’ by Sophie Aguila; ‘Crag,’ by Logan Desris; ‘Upcycle,’ by Jordan Fox; and ‘The Cafone,’ by Thomas Bentey.
Philadelphians can also opt for an all-access pass ($150) to gain access to all the films on the docket. All screenings will take place at the Film Society Bourse, 400 Ranstead St. A full schedule of showings and correlating events (panels, talkbacks etc.) can be found online.
“Our Festival celebrates everything indie. With projects from first-time student directors to directors with Netflix features, projects at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Tim Burton Productions, and Comedy Central, we exhibit films from indie filmmakers at all levels of their careers,” explains Founder and Festival Director Bill Ostroff.
“Our screening committee has selected films of various genres including thrillers, comedies, sci-fi, horror, and more, and with a broad range of themes from coming-of-age and good vs. evil to self-acceptance and perseverance, offering something for anyone who loves to go to the movies. We invite all to come out for our programs, parties, and awards to experience festival culture.”
The Festival has an official red carpet event set for Friday, May 16, from 3 to 7 p.m., late night happy hours at the official event hotel (Society Hill Hotel, 301 Chestnut St.), plus an awards ceremony and official after-party at Plough & the Stars (123 Chestnut St.) with 20% off food and drink beginning at 10 p.m. for filmmakers and fans.
To view trailers, purchase tickets, or for more information, visit firstglancefilms.com
