Coming up in Philly film: Festival kickoffs, cats and dogs, and more

Fall weather is finally (mostly) here, and as those weekends down the shore come to an end, Philly’s film scene comes back into full swing with a couple of major film-industry parties, a two-week retrospective of Czech animator Jiří Trnka, two weekends of dog and cat films, and the 2018 Philadelphia Film Festival.

First up, as director of the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (coming up in November), I’m excited to reveal our full lineup on Thursday, October 4, at our 2018 Preview Party. There’ll be screenings of select feature-film trailers, accompanied by personalized video greetings to the Philly audience from their respective filmmakers. It’s happening 6:30 to 9pm at Saigon Maxim (612 Washington Ave), and a $20 ticket includes complimentary wine/beer and appetizers, along with the one-night-only chance to buy All-Access Festival Badges and tickets at 20 percent off the list price.

Filmmakers party

Then, on Saturday, October 6, don’t miss the Greater Philadelphia Film Office’s Annual Production Party, hosted at Nu Millennium Studios in Clifton Heights from 7 to 11pm. One of the city’s best networking parties for filmmakers, musicians, and other creatives, this year’s event features an open bar stocked by the likes of Philadelphia Distilling and Yards with catering by Rouge, Di Bruno Bros, and many other local restaurants. A bargain for only $15 per ticket, the event will also include live performances from several of the artists signed to GPFO’s affiliated music sync agency, Billy Penn Music.

Trnka tips

October 4 through 13, Lightbox Film Center is presenting a complete retrospective of Czech animator Jiří Trnka, whose works in this program include 18 short and six feature-length animated films spanning from 1945 to 1965. Primarily using stop-motion cinematography to capture the movements of puppet characters against the backdrop of his intricately detailed background sets, Trnka’s style incorporates a variety of then-cutting-edge animation techniques to capture hitherto unparalleled realism of movement in his beautifully surreal stories. His pioneering animations continue to influence filmmakers in his native Czech Republic and elsewhere around the globe.

While all of these works are worth watching, a few of the screenings stick out as highlights in this incredible program. Thursday, October 4, at 7pm, check out The Czech Year (1947), Trnka’s debut feature that established his world renown after winning the International Prize for Animated Picture at the Venice Film Festival. This film depicts life in a traditional Czech village in six vignettes. Then on Thursday, October 11, at 7pm, watch Trnka’s 1959 adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, screened off of a 35mm print. Lastly on Saturday, October 13, at 8pm, catch Shorts Program 3: Mature Mastery, a curated program of short animations from the late period of Trnka’s work, during which his themes became increasingly dark and dystopian as the puppet master navigated growing censorship in his Soviet puppet-state. Tickets range from $8 to $10 and are free for Lightbox members.

For animal lovers

If watching cute, funny animal videos on YouTube is more your speed, Bryn Mawr Film Institute has just the program for you. On Saturday, October 13, the NY Dog Film Festival brings its touring program to Bryn Mawr with two blocks of dog-centric short films: Outdoor Adventures with Dogs at 11am and Who Rescued Whom? at 1pm. Benefitting local shelter Main Line Animal Rescue with a portion of the proceeds, tickets to each program cost $8. For those who prefer pets of the feline persuasion, come back the following Saturday (October 20) for the kitty clapback, NY Cat Film Festival. Featuring two shorts programs, Nobody Owns a Cat at 11am and Little Works of Art at 1pm, partial proceeds from the $8 tickets will benefit the WINN Feline Foundation.

Getting ready for the Philly fest

Last but certainly not least, Philadelphia Film Festival returns with its 2018 festival, scheduled October 18 through 28. The details of their program were just announced on October 2, and the festival’s sponsoring entity, Philadelphia Film Society, promises a groundbreaking lineup of films, parties, and more. Stay tuned for our WNWN look later this month.