More Than 140 Films from 50 Countries
Will Screen During 12-Day Event
Wednesday, October 20 – Sunday, October 31, 2021

The Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) is proud to announce the full line-up for the 30th Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF), spanning from October 20 – October 31. This year’s Festival will offer in-person screenings at all PFS venues (Philadelphia Film Center, PFS Bourse Theater, and the PFS Drive-In at the Navy Yard) along with a selection of virtual screenings.

The 30th anniversary line-up features a multitude of remarkable films from a wide range of genres. In total, the Festival will showcase more than 130 feature length and short films. The line-up includes the North American premieres of 3 films and the United States premieres of 10 films. The Festival line-up is curated by the PFF programming team who carefully selects each film from multiple international festivals throughout the year.

This year’s line-up includes two new categories plus the return of Sight & Soundtrack. In honor of the Philadelphia Film Society’s inaugural year producing the Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival, there will be a new environmental category, Green Screen – from animal welfare to the effects of climate change, these thought-provoking films address urgent environmental issues. The “Visions of” category this year highlights Iran, which houses one of the world’s most vibrant and daring contemporary film scenes. These categories expand upon the Festival’s goal of presenting films that are both timely and thought provoking in their relevance.

Tickets will go on-sale for Philadelphia Film Society members on Friday, October 8th and to the general public beginning Monday, October 11th.

Screenings for the 30th Philadelphia Film Festival will take place at the below venues, with a limited number of titles also available for virtual screenings on Watch.Filmadelphia.org:

  • Philadelphia Film Center (1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102)
  • PFS Bourse Theater (400 Ranstead Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106)
  • PFS Drive-In at the Navy Yard (Admiral Peary Way & League Island Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19112)

30th Philadelphia Film Festival Full Lineup

Centerpiece Screenings: 
BELFAST | Director Kenneth Branagh | 2021 | UK
C’MON C’MON | Director Mike Mills | 2021 | USA
THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN | Director Will Sharpe | 2021 | UK
ENCOUNTER | Director Michael Pearce | 2021 | UK, USA
THE FRENCH DISPATCH | Director Wes Anderson | 2021 | USA, Germany
KING RICHARD | Director Reinaldo Marcus Green | 2021 | USA
THE SAME STORM | Director Peter Hedges | 2021 | USA
SPENCER | Director Pablo Lorraín | 2021 | UK, Germany
SECRET SCREENING | Director ??? | 2021 | ???

 

Special Events:
CLERK
| Director Malcolm Ingram | 2021 | USA, CANADA

 

Masters of Cinema: The latest films by a new generation of acclaimed auteurs and established directors who continue to reshape the cinematic landscape.
DRIVE MY CAR | Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi | 2021 | Japan (Opening Night Film)
A HERO | Director Asghar Farhadi | 2021 | Iran, France
HUDA’S SALON | Director Hany Abu-Assad | 2021 | Palestine, Egypt, Netherlands, Qatar*
MEMORIA | Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul | 2021 | Colombia, Thailand, UK, Mexico, France
ONE SECOND | Director Zhang Yimou | 2020 | China
PARIS, 13TH DISTRICT | Director Jacques Audiard | 2021, France*
PETITE MAMAN | Director Céline Sciamma | 2021 | France
RED ROCKET | Director Sean Baker | 2021| USA
THE SOUVENIR PART II | Director Joanna Hogg | 2021 | UK
VORTEX | Director Gaspar Noé | 2021 | France
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD | Director Joachim Trier | 2021 | Norway

 

Spotlights: This year’s highly anticipated titles featuring some of the biggest names in front of and behind the camera.
ANTLERS | Director Scott Cooper | 2021 | USA, Mexico, Canada
CLAYDREAM | Director Marq Evans | 2021 | USA
THE FIRST STEP | Director Brandon Kramer | 2021 | USA*
THE HUMANS | Director Stephen Karam | 2021 | USA
JULIA | Director Julie Cohen, Betsy West | 2021 | USA
MAYOR PETE | Director Jesse Moss | 2021 | USA
PAPER & GLUE | Director JR | 2021 | France, USA, Mexico, Brazil

 

World View: Works that demonstrate the diversity and vitality of contemporary international cinema from some of the globe’s most exciting filmmakers.
A CHIARA | Director Jonas Carpignano | 2021 | Italy
AMIRA | Director Mohamed Diab| 2021 | Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia
BAD LUCKY BANGING OR LOONY PORN | Director Radu Jude | 2021 | Romania, Luxembourg, Croatia, Czech Republic
-Includes Short Film PLASTIC SEMIOTIC | Director Radu Jude
A BALANCE | Director Yujiro Harumoto | 2021 | Japan
BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES | Director Junta Yamaguchi | 2021 | Japan*
BROTHER’S KEEPER | Director Ferit Karahan | 2021 | Turkey, Romania*
CAPTAIN VOLKONOGOV ESCAPED | Director Aleksey Chupov, Natasha Merkulova | 2021 | Russia, France, Estonia
CLARA SOLA | Director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén | 2021| Sweden, Costa Rica, Belgium
COPILOT | Director Anne Zohra Berrached | 2021 | Germany, France, Lebanon
DRUNKEN BIRDS | Director Ivan Grbovic | 2021 | Canada
GREAT FREEDOM | Director Sebastian Meise | 2021 | Austria, Germany
LAST FILM SHOW | Director Pan Nalin | 2021 | India
LET IT BE MORNING | Director Eran Kolirin| 2021
LINGUI, THE SACRED BONDS | Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | 2021 | France, Germany, Belgium, Chad
LUZZU | Director Alex Camilleri | 2021 | Malta*
MEDUSA | Director Anita Rocha da Silveira | 2021 | Brazil*
NIGHT RAIDERS | Director Danis Goulet | 2021 | Canada, New Zealand
NINJABABY | Director Yngvild Sve Flikke | 2021 | Norway*
PERFUME DE GARDENIAS | Director Macha Colón | 2021 | Puerto Rico, Colombia
PERSIAN LESSONS | Director Vadim Perelman | 2021 | Russia, Germany, Belarus
TERRORIZERS | Director Ho Wi Ding | 2021 | Taiwan
UNCLENCHING THE FISTS | Director Kira Kovalenko | 2021 | Russia (Opening Night Film)
YUNI | Director Kamila Andini | 2021 | Singapore, France, Indonesia, Australia*

 

Non/Fiction: Compelling and provocative, these contemporary docs encourage viewers to see the world through a different lens.
ALIEN ON STAGE | Director Lucy Harvey, Danielle Kummer |2021 | UK*
THE FIRST WAVE | Director Matthew Heineman. 2021, USA*
FLEE | Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen | 2021 | Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway
MR. BACHMANN AND HIS CLASS | Director Maria Speth | 2021 | Germany*
PRESIDENT | Director Camilla Nielsson | 2021 | Denmark, USA, Norway*
SEARCHERS |  Director Pacho Velez | 2021 | USA*
PROCESSION | Director Robert Greene | 2021 | USA
STORM LAKE | Director Beth Levison, Jerry Risius | 2021 | USA (Opening Night Film)*
TELEVISION EVENT | Director Jeff Daniels | 2021 | USA, Australia*
THREE MINUTES – A LENGTHENING | Director Bianca Stigter | 2021 | Netherlands, UK
TRY HARDER! | Director Debbie Lum | 2021 | USA*
WHO WE ARE: A CHRONICLE OF RACISM IN AMERICA | Director Emily Kunstler, Sarah Kunstler | 2021 | USA

 

After Hours: Bringing together the odd, eerie, thrilling, and downright weird, this is the home of cult classics in the making.
GOOD MADAM | Director Jenna Cato Bass | 2021 | South Africa
THE INNOCENTS | Director Eskil Vogt | 2021 | Norway, Sweden, Denmark, UK
LIMBO | Director Cheang Soi | 2021 | Hong Kong
MOTHER SCHMUCKERS | Director Harpo Guit, Lenny Guit | 2021 | Belgium*
OFFSEASON | Director Mickey Keating | 2021 | USA
THE SADNESS | Director Rob Jabbaz | 2021 | Taiwan
SALOUM | Director Jean Luc Herbulot | 2021 | Senegal (Opening Night Film)

 

From the Vaults: Film classics come alive as they were meant to be seen – on the big screen!
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 | Director John Carpenter | 1976 | USA
-Presented in Restored 4K
DEAD AGAIN | Director Kenneth Branagh | 1991 | USA
-Presented on 35MM
HEAT | Director Michael Mann| 1995 | USA
-Presented in Restored 4K
HESTER STREET | Director Joan Micklin Silver | 1975 | USA
-Presented in Restored 4K
A NEW LEAF | Director Elaine May | 1971 | USA
-Presented on 35MM
RATCATCHER | Director Lynne Ramsay | 1999 | USA
THE SOUVENIR | Director Joanna Hogg | 2019 | UK

 

Filmadelphia: Showcasing the most dynamic and talented voices from the Greater Philadelphia area.
ALL ABOUT MY SISTERS | Director Wang Qiong | 2021 | USA*
THE AUTOMAT | Director Lisa Hurwitz | 2021 | USA
BILL MAULDIN: IF IT’S BIG, HIT IT | Director Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce | 2021 | USA*
KRIMES | Director Alysa Nahmias | 2021 | USA (Opening Night Film)*
OUR AMERICAN FAMILY | Director Hallee Adelman, Sean King O’Grady | 2021 | USA

 

Made in USA: Lo-fi gems and new indie classics that offer a fresh perspective on today’s America.
AGNES | Director Mickey Reece | 2021 | USA
AS OF YET | Director Taylor Garron, Chanel James. 2021, USA
CATCH THE FAIR ONE | Director Josef Kubota Wladyka | 2021 | USA*
THE END OF US | Director Steven Kanter, Henry Loevner | 2021 | USA
JOCKEY | Director Clint Bentley | 2021 | USA
THE NOVICE | Director Lauren Hadaway | 2021 | USA*

 

Cinema de France: Sharing a language with some of cinema’s most revered classics and legendary auteurs, these new films have that certain je ne sais quoi.
THE BRAVES | Director Anaïs Volpé | 2021 | France*
GAGARINE | Director Fanny Liatard | 2020 | France
MADELEINE COLLINS | Director Antoine Barraud | 2021 | France, Belgium, Switzerland
SKIES OF LEBANON | Director Chloé Mazlo | 2021 | France
A TALE OF LOVE AND DESIRE | Director Leyla Bouzid | 2021 | France
THE WORLD AFTER US | Director Louda Ben Salah-Cazanas | 2021 | France*
ZERO FUCKS GIVEN | Director Julie Lecoustre, Emmanuel Marre | 2021 | Belgium, France

 

Green Screen: In Honor of the Philadelphia Film Society’s inaugural year producing the Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival, introducing Green Screen. From animal welfare to the effects of climate change, these thought-provoking films address urgent environmental issues.
BECOMING COUSTEAU | Director Liz Garbus | 2021 | USA
COSTA BRAVA, LEBANON | Director Mounia Akl | 2021 | Lebanon, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Qatar
COW | Director Andrea Arnold | 2021 | UK
WHETHER THE WEATHER IS FINE | Director Carlo Francisco Manatad | 2021 | Philippines, France, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, Qatar

 

Visions of Iran: Consistently producing some of the most exciting cinema of our times, Iran’s film industry is showcased in this diverse set of daring and often subversive voices.
THE ABSENT DIRECTOR | Director Arvand Dashtaray | 2021 | Iran
BALLAD OF A WHITE COW | Director Behtash Sanaeeha, Maryam Moghaddam | 2021 | Iran, France (Opening Night Film)*
HIT THE ROAD | Director Panah Panahi | 2021 | Iran*
ZALAVA | Director Arsalan Amiri | 2021 | Iran

 

Sight & Soundtrack: Featuring rockumentaries, musician biopics, and films centered on the unifying power of music.
BERNSTEIN’S WALL | Director Douglas Tirola | 2021 | USA
LA TRAVIATA, MY BROTHERS AND I | Director Yohan Manca | 2021 | France
LISTENING TO KENNY G | Director Penny Lane | 2021 | USA
SOUL KIDS | Director Hugo Sobelman | 2021 | France
TRIUMPH: ROCK & ROLL MACHINE | Director Sam Dunn, Marc Ricciardelli | 2021 | Canada

 

Shorts Programs: This year’s most enjoyable, surprising, and memorable short films from around the world.
Animated Shorts
EASTER EGGS | Director Nicolas Keppens
THE EXPECTED | Director Carolina Sandvik
GHOST DOGS | Director Joe Cappa
GNT | Director Sara Hirner, Rosemary Vasquez-Brown
KKU | Director Kang Min Kim
LITTLE MISS FATE | Director Joder von Rotz
NORMAL | Director Julie Caty
SOUVENIR SOUVENIR | Director Bastien Dubois

Documentary Shorts
DON’T GO TELLIN’ YOUR MOMMA | Director Topaz Jones
JOE BUFFALO | Director Amar Chebib
LAND OF THE FREE: IN THE SHADOWS | Director James Ganiere
THE RIFLEMAN | Director Sierra Pettengill
SENIOR PROM | Director Luisa Conlon
TRADE CENTER | Director Adam Baran

Filmadelphia Shorts
CITY CREATURES | Director Michael A. Johnston
THE CONTRACT MUSICAL | Director Chris Cole
THE FIELD TRIP | Director Mike Attie, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Meghan O’Hara
KIM | Director Maria Vattimo
LIGHT YEARS APART | Director Mariia Osanova
NO DYE | Director Yoni Azulay
SEE US IN THE WILDFIRE | Director Jason Chen
SISTERS OF THE SOIL | Director Raishad M. Hardnett, Aidan M. Un
SNOWY | Director Kaitlyn Schwalje, Alex Wolf Lewis

Live Action Shorts
THE AFFECTED | Director Rikke Gregersen
BJ’S MOBILE GIFT SHOP | Director Jason Park
THE CRIMINALS | Director Serhat Karaaslan
FLEX | Director Josefin Malmén, David Strindberg
IN THE AIR TONIGHT | Director Andrew Norman Wilson
LEARNING TAGALOG WITH KAYLA | Director Kayla Abuda Galang
THE RIGHT WORDS | Director Adrian Moyse Dullin

* Available via the Online Virtual Screening Platform
ᐩ Part of the PFS on Us Complimentary Tickets Initiative


Tickets may be purchased through the Festival website, www.filmadelphia.org/festival, in-person at the Box Offices at the Philadelphia Film Center and PFS Bourse Theater, or over the phone at 215-422-4588.

Individual tickets to titles available on the the PFS Digital Streaming Platform will be $15, $10 for PFS Members. Individual tickets to Centerpiece films exclusively at the PFS Drive-In at the Navy Yard will be $50 a car, $45 a car for PFS Members.

PFF30 Virtual Programmers Panel will take place on Tuesday, October 12th. Join the Philadelphia Film Society and the Festival Programming Team for an inside look at the 30th Philadelphia Film Festival lineup. This is a free event but attendees must reserve a ticket.