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Ten Movies We’re Stoked to See at This Year’s Philadelphia Film Festival

By Marisa Magnatta

The line-up of films for the 31st Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF) has been revealed! The festival will be offering in-person screenings for over 130 films at three Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) venues – the Philadelphia Film Center, the PFS Bourse Theater, and PFS East – from October 19th to October 30th. PFS East is a venue recently acquired by the PFS, formerly serving as the Ritz East Theater.

The line-up includes feature-length and short films from a wide array of genres. These films are all sorted into categories, one of which is “Filmadelphia.” It emphasizes the Philadelphia Film Society’s commitment to film in the greater Philadelphia area by featuring works from local filmmakers.

We have included the premises, casts, and trailers for ten of the films set to be screened at the upcoming festival, with two local entries from the “Filmadelphia” category. Highly awaited sequels, world premieres, and international releases have also made this list. Visit filmadelphia.org for tickets.

  • Rittenhouse Square

    Rittenhouse Square – Directed by Brandon Eric Kamin 

    “A young street singer and a homeless veteran, both on the path of self-destruction, remedy dark times through friendship and music.” 

    Making its world premiere as part of “Filmadelphia,” Rittenhouse Square stars Nick Nolte and Dharon Jones. 

  • The Banshees of Inisherin

    The Banshees of Inisherin – Directed by Martin McDonagh

    “Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.” 

    This “Opening Night Film” for the festival stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan. 

  • Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

    Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Rian Johnson

    “Tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc is put on the case.” 

    A standalone sequel to Johnson’s hit murder mystery Knives Out, the film will be one of the festival’s “Centerpiece” screenings. Glass Onion’s star-studded cast includes Daniel Craig returning as Blanc, Edward Norton, Ethan Hawke, and Kate Hudson. 

  • RRR

    RRR – Directed by S. S. Rajamouli

    “A fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries of India’s British Raj era and their journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in the 1920s.” 

    One of the festival’s three “Special Event” screenings, RRR is spoken in the Indian language Telugu and stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan. 

  • Not for Nothing

    Not for Nothing – Directed by Tim Dowlin and Frank Tartaglia 

    “A man searches for answers after his girlfriend dies, with the aid of his fellow South Philly barflies, only to ignite a dangerous street war with a mysterious drug dealer.” 

    Making its world premiere as part of “Filmadelphia,” Not for Nothing stars Al Sapienza, Lauren LaVera, Mike Bash, Michael McFadden. 

  • Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

    Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Directed by Eric Appel

    “Rebellious and unconventional singer ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic becomes famous for changing the words to world-renowned songs. However, his excessive lifestyle and infamous romance nearly destroy him.” 

    Featured as one of the festival’s “Spotlight” films, the biopic stars Daniel Radcliffe as Yankovic, along with Evan Rachel Wood and Rainn Wilson. 

  • The Whale

    The Whale – Directed by Darren Aronofsky 

    “A reclusive English teacher living with severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.” 

    This “Centerpiece” film stars Brendan Fraser and Sadie Sink. 

  • Rebel

    Rebel – Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah

    “A 13-year-old Moroccan teenager searches for his identity after his father’s death while his mother tries to keep him away from becoming a gangster.” 

     Featured as part of the festival’s “Sight & Soundtrack” category, Rebel is making its U.S. premiere. The film stars Aboubakr Bensaihi and Lubna Azabal.  

  • White Noise

    White Noise – Directed by Noah Baumbach

    “College professor Jack Gladney and his family’s comfortable suburban life is upended when a nearby chemical leak causes ‘The Airborne Toxic Event,’ releasing a noxious black cloud over the region that forces them to evacuate.” 

    This “Centerpiece” film stars Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Don Cheadle. 

  • All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

    All the Beauty and the Bloodshed – Directed by Laura Poitras

    “The documentary follows the life of artist Nan Goldin and the downfall of the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who was greatly responsible for the opioid crisis.” 

    The “Closing Night Film” for the festival features Goldin. 

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