Education

The Philadelphia Film Society is committed to engaging audiences of all ages through educational screenings, discussion, and relevant curricula. For more information regarding student field trips during the Philadelphia Film Festival, visit our Field Trips page.

Albert M. Greenfield Student Screening Program

Your classes are now able to experience outstanding and engaging film year-round through the Albert M. Greenfield Student Screening Program. Field trips to the PFS Roxy Theater include a film screening, accompanied by a detailed curriculum packet for each film that provides pre and post-viewing activities, discussion prompts, and connections to Pennsylvania learning standards. Field trips are best suited for grades 6 – 12.

Field trips can be booked Mondays – Thursdays with a 10:00 AM film start time. The Roxy can accommodate 77 audience members, including both students and chaperones. We require one chaperone for every 10 students.

There is no admission fee to attend a film. Transportation and any costs associated are up to each school to cover. Through generous support from the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation, we are able to offer bus reimbursements of up to $100.00 for qualifying schools. Please indicate if you would like to be considered in the application form.

Applications must be submitted at least two weeks prior to your desired trip. If you would like to reserve your trip, please fill out our reservation form here.

No field trips will take place before Monday, March 6, 2017.

Films Spring/Fall 2017

LANDFILL HARMONIC

Brad Allgood, Graham Townsley | USA | 2015 | 84 min
This inspiring documentary follows a unique youth orchestra from Cateura, Paraguay, and chronicles their success under trying circumstances. Their musical instruments are constructed out of recycled garbage, proving to be both a challenge and a fact that sets them apart. The orchestra, under the musical direction of Favio Chavez, exists because of the resourcefulness of people living in difficult conditions, and proves that music is a tool that has the power to transform communities.

STARFISH THROWERS

Jesse Roesler | USA | 2014 | 83 min
This film seeks to prove to its viewers that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a huge impact. STARFISH THROWERS follows three individuals from around the world – a talented chef, a sixth-grade gardener, and a retired school teacher – who work tirelessly to make a difference in the communities in which they live.

WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS

Beth Murphy | USA | 2015 | 77 min
Following the Zabuli Education Center, the first all girls’ school in a small Afghan village, WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS brings to the forefront human perseverance. Telling the stories of the school’s founder, as well as following the lives of some of its very first students, this documentary paints a portrait of what it’s like to be a girl in modern-day Afghanistan.