With Juneteenth on the horizon, the City of Philadelphia is getting prepared to commemorate the occasion with a slew of different activations, including the United We Heal Film Festival.
For the first time, the multi-day social justice short festival will open at Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) with an evening dubbed “The Pre-Game.” This event will feature performances from BRTHWRK (comprised of Ivy Sole, Kingsley Ibeneche and Lee Clarke, alongside Quelle Chris) and a pop-up wine tasting with Cyrenity Sips, including the debut of the new United We Heal Àṣẹ Rosé (available online now.)
Otherwise, United We Heal will be chock full of talent with films by selected filmmakers of color, all of which will be screened on June 20 (beginning at 6 p.m.) The showings will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers, and there will be three prizes for the winning creatives—including a jury-selected award and an audience-selected award.
Highlighted media includes the ‘1.9.22 DOCUMENTARY’ by Louis Marx, ‘Flesh & Spirit’ by Tiffany Lupien, ‘Futures Without Guns’ by Kyra Knox, ‘Searching for God’ by Chemlahyah Yisrael, ‘The Village it Took’ by Victoria Wilcox, ‘Swerve · Eli’ directed by Raphael Xavier and Gary Dourdan of ‘CSI’ and more. A full schedule of screenings (also taking place at Underground Arts) can be found online.
And for those who aren’t able to make “The Pre-Game,” attendees can also enjoy that wine collaboration launch with Cyrenity Sips (a Black-owned small-batch winery in Hatboro, Pennsylvania) while viewing the films as well.
The night will then finish off with a closing party at 10 p.m., hosted by DJ Zach Fox. Tickets to the June 18 Pre-Game and June 20 Film Festival are available now online.
“As we enter our fourth year, the United We Heal Film Festival continues to be a beacon for some of the strongest Black/Brown filmmakers around the world — many of which are Philly bred,” said Ebony Roberts, Creator and Director of the Festival. “My goal in directing ‘United We Heal,’ the short film, was to share the Black experience in this country. I’m immensely grateful to be able to build on that film and grow it into a festival that provides a stage for Black/Brown filmmakers worldwide. My goal is as important today as it was four years ago, and I’m proud to continue expanding the festival to further achieve that goal.”
For more information on the 2025 United We Heal Film Festival, visit unitedwehealshort.com
