Street Movies! Norris Square

Saturday, August 29 @ 7:30 PM

Cost

Free, Registration Requested

TO REGISTER

Join us outdoors at Las Parcelas for a curated night of local, international, and award-winning short films, plus discussion and live performance! This event is presented in partnership with the Norris Square Neighborhood Project.

Live performance by Little Afrika and the Rumba Brothers, 7:30-8:00pm.

Film Program

Reflexiones de KCAPA (USA / 2025 / 6 MIN) 
Dir. Conrad Burgos and Jasir Jones
Kensington CAPA Digital Media students take their instructor on a short journey thru Latinx identity in Kensington, and beyond.

KCAPA MAGAZINE: Around Town (Episodes 1-2) (USA / 2026 / 6 MIN) 
Dir. Conrad Burgos and Jasir Jones
Kensington CAPA students document life in their neighborhood’s community. Episode 1 is a visit to Garden Colobo to discuss the preservation of African and Puerto Rican traditions with founder and elder Iris Brown. Episode 2 is unveiling Vanessa Vega's contribution to a mural on Susqeuhanna celebrating Tainia identity in Philadelphia, at a community event hosted by CAICU and Mural Arts.

scapeG.O.A.T. (USA / 2025 / 22 MIN)
Dir. Erika Lobati
When an anxious overachiever takes the fall for a school-wide cyber scandal, her best friends must decide to either exonerate her academic record or allow the tensions in their friend group to take hold. This high school comedy captures teen awkwardness, loyal friendship, and coming-of-age growth through a fresh perspective of children of diaspora.    

Portraits of Philly Rumba: Tony (USA / 2026 / 4 MIN)
Dir: Melissa Beatriz    
"Portraits of Philly Rumba" is a short portrait series that features African American and Latin American percussionists and cultural keepers who have played a role in preserving the culture of rumba percussion in the Philadelphia region.

The World Cup in Recife (Brazil / 2014 / 15 MIN) 
Dir. Kleber Mendoniça Filho 
A major figure in international cinema documents what happens when the World Cup arrives in his hometown. Alternating between interviews with locals and tourists, as well as his own commentary on the hubbub that takes over Recife once soccer teams start arriving, Filho’s film offers a mosaic-like look at how the World Cup upturns local customs and infrastructure. This becomes evident in his decision to foreground the eviction of activists protesting the event and the use of government funds to sponsor the construction of new highways instead of public transport.

Lo Chan Lo Bassin (The chant of the waterway) (France / 2025 / 15 MIN) 
Dir. Célia Berby Maillot
Ondine returns to Reunion Island after a long absence, as her Grand-Pa is dying. While preparing to say goodbye, she has a strange encounter in a waterway. This moment draws her into the memory of her island, scarred by slavery and the wounds of the past.

Street Movies! Germantown

Thursday, August 20 @ 7:30 PM

Cost

Free, Registration Requested

TO REGISTER

Join us outdoors in Vernon Park for a curated night of local, international, and award-winning short films, plus discussion and live performance! This event is presented in partnership with the Friends of Vernon Park and Germantown Info Hub.

Gather(in) Memory: Archiving Hyperlocal History in Germantown (USA / 2026 / 16 MIN) 
Dir. Hosaena Tilahun
This documentary, made with community partners at Germantown InfoHub and the Joseph E. Coleman Library, explores how local Philadelphians engage in community archival practices and memory work. The short film explores how these efforts provide a personal and neighborhood-level understanding of history, countering top-down, state-led 250th anniversary celebrations.

Wholesome (USA / 2024 / 18 MIN) 
Dir. Saladin Whie II
“whole·some" is a conceptual hybrid narrative and documentary film that tells the story of Love. Black Love. While working on a documentary, Cory discovers new truths about his girlfriend and partner, Nyla.

Portraits of Philly Rumba: Imperfect Gallery (USA / 2026 / 4 MIN)
Dir. Melissa Beatriz
“Portraits of Philly Rumba" is a short portrait series that features African American and Latin American percussionists and cultural keepers who have played a role in preserving the culture of rumba percussion in the Philadelphia region.

Underneath The Concrete (Sous Le Béton) (France / 2025 / 27 MIN)
Dir. Gabriel Naghmouchi
In the corridors of the biggest underground station of Paris, on the worn tiles of public squares, the weathered forecourt of a nightclub, and in the forgotten corners of shopping malls, gestures resurface. The voices of dancers speak of the history inscribed in these places. Bodies of today awaken those of the past, revealing the buried layers of a danced memory. Beneath the concrete, the footsteps that came before us still resonate through the corridors.

Street Movies! Mifflin Square

Wednesday, August 12th at 7:30 PM

Cost

Free, Registration Requested

TO REGISTER

Join us outdoors in Mifflin Square Park for a curated night of local, international, and award-winning short films, plus discussion, and live music! This event is presented in partnership with the Friends of Mifflin Square Park and El Comité de Trabajadorxs de Restaurante.

Film Program

Mazapán (USA / 2025 / 5 MIN)
Dir. Neil M. Wilson
Dedicated to generational joy, this short centers on the fragile ritual of eating the beloved Mexican candy, mazapán—hands slowing, crumbs falling, each attempt to keep it whole on the verge of collapse. Nostalgic and political, the film connects the misunderstood candy to who we are as immigrants, using it to counter the racist rhetoric of people who refuse to see the beauty in such simple moments of crumbles.

La Lucha Sigue (The Fight Continues) (USA / 2026 / 21 MIN)
Dir. Melissa Beatriz
La Lucha Sigue (The Fight Continues) is a short animated documentary that centers three immigrant rights leaders who work to shut down the Berks Detention Center in Pennsylvania, one of three prisons nationwide that had detained immigrant children and families.

Taking Root: Rebuilding Home (Episode 3) (USA / 2023 / 15 MIN) 
Dir. Oanh-Nhi Nguyen, Produced by Lan Dinh and Oanh-Nhi Nguyen
Ever wonder how the SEA market or Ba Le started? This episode highlights Southeast Asians rebuilt home in Philadelphia including Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park, Washington Ave business corridor, Wat Lao Temple, and Resilient Roots garden. In the midst of a failed refugee resettlement, communities came together to create sites of reclamation and self-determination.

Imaginary Lines (USA / 2025 / 9 MIN)
Dir. Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib
In this animated short film, a young woman prepares to leave Mexico and journey north after a quiet omen—a visit from La Mariposa Negra—signals that her ailing, blind brother’s life is in danger. Set against the migration of monarch butterflies, her departure mirrors their instinctive movement across borders, driven by survival and return. Grounded in memories of home, food, and family, she undertakes the journey not out of desire, but necessity. The film traces the emotional cost of migration, where love and sacrifice propel her into the unknown.

The World Cup in Recife (Brazil / 2014 / 15 MIN) 
Dir. Kleber Mendoniça Filho 
A major figure in international cinema documents what happens when the World Cup arrives in his hometown. Alternating between interviews with locals and tourists, as well as his own commentary on the hubbub that takes over Recife once soccer teams start arriving, Filho’s film offers a mosaic-like look at how the World Cup upturns local customs and infrastructure. This becomes evident in his decision to foreground the eviction of activists protesting the event and the use of government funds to sponsor the construction of new highways instead of public transport.

Crew, friends, family, supporters, please join us in celebrating the release of three incredible films at this year’s 15th BlackStar Film Festival: West Side Familia, Philly Rumba, and The Seeds We Carry.

Music by the Philly-based jazzy funky Philly-soul band Omar’s Hat, with a featured performance by a quartet of rumba drummers presented by Timbalona.

Food and drinks available for purchase (burgers, sandwiches, salads and cocktails type menu). Tell anyone you’d like to catch up with!

Philly Filmmaker Showcase

Thursday, June 11, 2026 4:00 PM EDT
PhillyCAM

Philly Filmmaker Showcase

Thursday, June 11, 2026 4:00 PM EDT
PhillyCAM

Pop-Up Budget Interviews

In partnership with the People’s Budget Office at LOVE Park

Co-create a History of Philly’s Budget Activism

Budget advocacy and organizing is a key part of the budget process. Join seasoned advocates including Erme Maula from Friends of the Free Library, Nikki Grant from Treatment not Trauma, and Kimmy Cook from the Alliance for a Just Philadelphia, alongside moderator Sam Rise to hear about past budget wins and how we can organize for the future.

Event moved to Thursday, May 28 due to weather! We hope you can join on the new date.

Hola familia!
Join us on Friday October 22 for a celebration of Philly rumba, featuring musical guests and media.
As per the City’s guidelines on indoor events during the ongoing pandemic, masks will be required. In order to safely celebrate, we’re also requesting that any guests show either proof of vaccination or a negative test (taken within 72 hours). We thank you in advance for your cooperation, as we try to protect children and those most at risk.
This event is generously supported by @thevelocityfund and @creativephl.