Festival Programming

Don't Miss a Thing

Featuring over 100 films from around the world, with categories that include American Independents, Documentary, Graveyard Shift (late-night, genre films), Greater Filmadelphia (local films), Sight & Soundtrack (music-related films), Sports in Motion (sport-related films), and World Narratives (foreign films), you won't want to miss a single moment of the 2012 PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL.

Festival Categories include:

• American Independents – Featuring powerful new voices in American cinema, these fresh, gritty films explore a variety of subjects through the filmmaker’s uncompromising vision. (Recent films have included Martha Marcy May Marlene and Tiny Furniture)
• Documentary Showcase – Comprising the best in documentary filmmaking, these compelling films feature everything from stirring character studies to fascinating looks at current global issues. (Recent films have included Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey and Bully)
• From the Vaults – Film history comes alive as it was meant to be seen - on the big screen. Come see old favorites bigger than life once again. (Recent films have included Barton Finkand Naked Lunch)
• Graveyard Shift – Horror, action, suspense, and the downright weird, these films will keep you awake during the graveyard shift. (Recent films have included Headhunters and Kill List)
• Greater Filmadelphia – Featuring work from some of our finest homegrown filmmakers, this category brings our city and its talent to the big screen. (Recent films have included Lebanon, PA and Race to the Bottom of the Earth)
• Masters of Cinema – These new films exemplify the masterful work of world-renowned filmmakers as they continue to thrill and inspire audiences with cutting-edge features. (Recent films have included A Dangerous Method and Melancholia)
• New French Films – The birthplace of cinema, France continues to produce some of the best movies in the world with films that are funny, daring, sexy and uniquely French. (Recent films have included Copacabana and The Princess of Montpensier)
• Sight and Soundtrack – Featuring rockumentaries, musician biopics and films that are centered on the unifying power of music. (Recent films have included LennoNYC and The Swell Season)
• Spanish-Language Cinema – Offering gripping stories and unique perspectives, these Spanish-language films explore a multitude of subjects ranging from the culturally specific to the universal (Recent films have included Miss Bala and Amador)
• Sports in Motion – Enthralling stories and intense competition are hallmarks of these sports-related films that include documentaries and narratives about athletes on and off the field. (Recent films have included Goon and Oscar-winner Undefeated)
• Spotlights – Highly–anticipated movies from some of the biggest names in the industry, these films shine a spotlight on top talent from around the world. (Recent films have included Conviction and Fair Game)
• World Narratives – Explore the world through film with this diverse selection of international cinema that features distinct perspectives and images from around the globe. (Recent films have included Miss Bala and Tyrannosaur)

See your name in lights! Sponsor one of the above Film Festival categories and enjoy access to a targeted audience, and recognition at a variety of exclusive events. Learn more about Film Category Sponsorship.

Meet Our Programming Staff

Michael Lerman: Artistic Director

Michael Lerman is a veteran curator of film festivals, currently serving as the Artistic Director for the Philadelphia Film Festival and as a programmer for Fantastic Fest. Mr. Lerman is also an Acquisitions Consultant for The Film Sales Company, as well as frequent contributor to several acclaimed independent film publications, including IndieWIRE, Spout, and Hammer to Nail. Coming from a diverse film industry background, Mr. Lerman is also the co-founder of the production company Tiger Industry Films, where he has produced such projects as Surrogate Valentine, White on Rice and Natural Causes, which he also co-wrote and co-directed.

Tom Quinn is the co-president of Radius, The Weinstein Company’s new cross platform film releasing label. He is responsible for acquisitions, productions, and distribution of label content and is developing content and distribution strategies that move beyond the on-demand model. Before that he has been and Magnolia for the last 8 years, where he was SVP. He acquired over 100 films including Ong Bak, Man on Wire, The Host, Jesus Camp, and Let the Right One In. His recent acquisitions include: Page One, Melancholia, and 13 Assassins. His productions include: Outrage, Cocaine Cowboys 2, Splinter, ABC’s of Death. Quinn is also a programmer having worked for Atlanta, Woodstock, and Actionfest. Prior to joining Magnolia he was at Samuel Goldwyn for 7 years, eventually becoming VP of Acquisitions. Quinn’s first industry job was working in domestic film publicity for Nancy Willen at Dennis Davidson Associates.

Ryan Werner is the Senior Vice President of Marketing at IFC Entertainment, where he oversees all marketing and publicity for the company’s theatrical and home video releases. At IFC Films, he has worked on campaigns for films such as the recently released Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, In the Loop, Gomorrah, Summer Hours, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Ché, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days. He’s also worked with established filmmakers such as Gus Van Sant, Michael Winterbottom, Todd Solondz, Spike Lee, Arnaud Desplechin, Hou Hsiao Hsien and new talent like Joe Swanberg, Barry Jenkins, Mia Hansen-Love, and Aaron Katz. Prior to IFC, Werner was Head of Theatrical Distribution at Wellspring and Palm Pictures. He also worked at Magnolia Pictures, Shooting Gallery, Sundance Channel, and IFP. For the past 5 years, Werner was a programmer at the Woodstock Film Festival. In 2006, he received The Hollywood Reporter’s Next. Gen. Award.

Born and raised in Los Angeles California, Dilcia graduated from UCLA with a degree in Spanish/Portugiese Film and Literature. While at UCLA, she interned for the Sundance Film Festival’s Programming Department in the Beverly Hills office. Since then she has work with various programming teams including Outfest Film Festival, LALIFF, and the Los Angeles Film Festival. Aside from working for PFF, she currently programs for AFI FEST and screens submissions for the Sundance Documentary Fund.

Jesse Trussel: Associate Director of Programming

Jesse Trussel grew up in rural Texas before moving to Austin to study film at the University of Texas, graduating with a degree in Radio-Television-Film with an emphasis in Film Studies. Since then he has programmed for festivals in Austin as well as working for the innovative film distributor/ technology company B-Side Entertainment. He now curates current and reparatory film at the Paramount and Stateside Theaters in Austin and programs for several festivals across the country.