Philadelphia Film Festival highlights local filmmakers with ‘Filmadelphia’ programming

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The Philadelphia Film Festival is back for its 33rd season, running from Oct. 17 until Oct. 25.

During one week, the Philadelphia Film Society will host more than 160 screenings across its three theaters: the Philadelphia Film Center, the PFS Bourse and the PFS East. Showings this year range from documentaries to animated shorts, highlighting creative voices from the city of Philadelphia to Shanghai, China.

“The Film Society works so hard to deliver a festival that is indeed made for Philadelphia,” said Philadelphia Film Society CEO and Executive Director J. Andrew Greenblatt. “Of course, we bring as many of the year’s most anticipated and exciting films from around the world home for their Philadelphia premieres. But we also curate films made in and around Philly or made by Philadelphia filmmakers.”

This year, the festival is screening six films highlighting Philadelphia stories under the “Filmadelphia” category. These feature films showcase the city’s prominent figures such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities Co-Founder Dr. Audrey Evans, while spotlighting events such as the infamous Wing Bowl competition.

One of the six productions in the category is “The Philly Sound…Heard ‘Round the World.” It is directed by Bill Nicoletti and executive produced by University of Pennsylvania alumnus John Legend.

The documentary follows the vibrant history of Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios, one of the most prominent studios of the “Philly soul” movement. Artists that emerged from the genre include The O’Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, The Delfonics and later, acts like Hall & Oates and David Bowie.

“There have been a countless number of films on Motown, The Beatles, Elvis Prestley, Taylor Swift and many others but never has there been a film on Philadelphia music and its rich eclectic history,” Nicoletti said. “The cast of major artists, producers, characters and personalities that jump off the screen is as real and true to Philadelphia as you can get.”

Nicoletti is eager to screen the film for Philadelphians, who he believes will share the same zeal for Philly soul as the cast and crew. The festival will also serve as a springboard for the documentary, he said.

According to the director, the rights to “The Philly Sound…Heard ‘Round the World” were originally bought by NBC Universal in 2022, with the documentary to stream as a Peacock original. However, the deal fell through, leaving the film without a major studio backing it.

With new eyes on the project at the film festival, the director hopes to drum up local interest in the documentary, potentially attracting new investors. To Nicoletti, the film is intrinsically linked with the people of the city; without Philadelphia audiences, there would be no “Philly sound.”

“Showcasing our film at The Philadelphia Film Center on a Friday night in Center City comes as close…we will ever get [to] the feeling of leading off for the Phillies,” Nicoletti said.

Other films featured in the Filmadelphia category include “Audrey’s Children,” “Citizen George,” “Dreaming of You” and “No One Died: The Wing Bowl Story.”

Beyond Philadelphia-based productions, this year’s roster has more than 160 films, including upcoming releases from acclaimed directors such as Sean Baker, Andrea Arnold, Pedro Almodovar, and Mike Leigh.

“The festival is full with a plethora of expected awards contenders alongside some of the most original, creative, impactful new works from across the globe,” Greenblatt said. “And of course, we’re also thrilled to welcome so many filmmakers and industry guests to Philly to be part of our juries.”

The Philadelphia Film Festival opens Oct. 17 with Tim Fehlbaum’s “September 5” and closes on Oct. 25 with Steve McQueen’s upcoming film “Blitz.”  The Philadelphia Film Society is hosting a free Programmer’s Panel on Oct. 8 in which attendees will have the opportunity to learn about upcoming screenings from festival curators.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now. For more information, visit the Philadelphia Film Society website.