How to prepare for the Philadelphia Film Festival
Last year, the three films with the most nominations at the 89th Academy Awards were “La La Land,” “Arrival” and “Moonlight,” with the last of these winning the coveted Best Picture prize. But their shared supremacy in Oscar nominations is not the only element these films have in common: all three were also featured prominently at the 2016 Philadelphia Film Festival.
The Philadelphia Film Festival is a yearly event held each October by the Philadelphia Film Society. The 26th annual festival is scheduled to open on Oct. 19, and run until Oct. 29. This year, the screening slate features cinema of all kinds, from local dramas to documentaries to award season contenders. This year’s festival will open on Oct. 19 with the Tonya Harding biopic “I, Tonya,” starring Margot Robbie and Sebastian Stan, and closes with “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” featuring Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson, on Oct. 27.
As a film lover myself, I signed up last year to work as a box office volunteer, and as it was my first time at the festival, I learned quite a bit along the way. If you find yourself interested in the world of cinema, here are a few things I discovered last year to help you navigate this year’s festival.
Buy tickets ahead of time.
With the films on the festival slate including the Gary Oldman-starring “Darkest Hour,” indie favorite Richard Linklater’s “Last Flag Flying” and the critical darling “The Florida Project,” it would be beneficial to purchase tickets ahead of time on the official film festival site. The average ticket is $8, but tickets for large-scale events like opening and closing night films are priced at $50, which includes attendance to after parties each night. Philadelphia Film Society members can receive discounts on tickets, and those interested in joining can register either online or at theaters when they attend movies.
Know where you’re going.
The Film Festival is so massive that it spans three theaters: the Ritz East Theater on East 2nd Street, the Ritz Five Theater on Walnut Street, and the Prince Theater on Chestnut Street. All three are easily accessible by SEPTA Regional Rail, each being a 20 minute or less walk from Jefferson Station near City Hall. If all else fails, an Uber or Lyft will work just fine.
Sold out? No problem.
Popular screenings are often sold out in a matter of days, but there’s one last chance to grab a ticket for anyone who didn’t make it in time. Rush tickets can be bought for the price of a regular ticket by standing outside just before a screening. Additionally, students can buy rush tickets for the discounted price of $7.
Resting between screenings?
If you are 21 or older and have some time to spare before, after or in between your showings, stop by the Film Festival Lounge, located at 33 South 3rd Street. This centrally located area has free drinks and bites for ticket holders, and sometimes audience members find themselves chatting with those who made the films they just saw. For those who are underage, the festival’s locations in Center City make for perfect places to explore cheap eats before catching a screening.
Check back next week for a Critic’s Notebook from the first weekend of the Festival, where I’ll report back on the big news and hidden gems of the festival’s first weekend.
