‘Honey Honey,’ Mural Art Crawl, and picks for the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival

A Covid-responsive, community film project from Ninth Planet arrives, a self-guided tour of the city’s mural art to get you inching outside, and the tenth annual Philadelphia Latino Film Festival kicks off this weekend. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.

Did you catch our thoughts on our coverage of in-person events? If not, give it a read. With events and venues (rapidly) reopening, this means we’ll be considering indoor events for coverage, including in weekend roundups—but only events that we think are set up to keep people safe. While this week’s roundup is still mostly digital, there is the Mural Art Crawl, which is something you don’t have to do with anyone else around!

The holiday weekend brings us film offerings from Ninth Planet and the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, too.

Have a good one, and be safe!

Honey Honey Community Film Project

Ninth Planet premieres its original community film project Honey Honey on Friday, May 28 at 7pm. The Covid-responsive film is a collage of poetry, dialogue, movement, and abstract visuals curated from community submissions to tell the story of three young queer people whose lives converge in a small town. The project received over 38 submissions to create one film and features the likes of artists/creators Jackie Soro, Paloma Irizarry, Emily Johnson, Anthony Martinez-Briggs, Jacqueline Constance, Rachel Sumi Ishikawa, and Kira Rodriguez. The film was directed by Nia Benjamin and Sam Tower. The premiere arrives virtually on YouTube and is available on-demand to stream anytime.

Mural Art Crawl

Itching to do something outside but not ready to jump into any crowds yet? The new, self-guided Philadelphia Mural Art Crawl debuts on Friday, May 28 through July 5. Folks can join in on the “scavenger hunt” with Let’s Roam, a free app, and locate murals on the app’s map. With challenges and prizes at hand, the experience is gamified, too (if you want it to be).

Philadelphia Latino Film Festival

The 10th annual Philadelphia Latino Film Festival arrives digitally on Sunday, May 30 through June 6. The festival has a robust selection of films from all genres. Check out the full roster online.

I’ve got a handful of picks for you, too!

Nuevo Rico

A brother and sister stumble upon a celestial secret that changes their lives forever and propels them into reggaetón stardom, but they soon discover that their newfound fame comes at a deep price.

Instrucciones Para Convertirse En Pez (How To Become A Fish)

A metaphysical movie follows a young girl as she reflects on her life after the disappearance of her father, who she imagines the only explanation is that he’s turned into a fish.

Foreign Puzzle

Foreign Puzzle captures the journey of a Mexican American dancer as she communicates the impermanence of life through dance, raises a 6-year-old, struggles through a divorce, and fights breast cancer.

Elena

Elena chronicles the story of the tens of thousands of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent that were exterminated by the Dominican army in 1937—and fast-forwards to 2013 when the Dominican Republic’s Supreme Court stripped the citizenship of 200,000 people with Haitian parents. The film is told through the eyes of Elena and her family as they stand to lose their residency in the Dominican Republic and remain in a country built on the labor of her father and forefathers.

Soy Un Vampiro (I'm A Vampire)

Eight-year-old Jackie believes she’s turning into a vampire, and her suspicions are reinforced by her parents’ bewildering behavior. In the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown, Jackie creates her own plan to survive her confinement and confusion.

Avanzaré Tan Despacio (Moving So Slowly)

This non-fiction film follows the fate of different characters who wait in queues in the Department of Immigration in Costa Rica, with each one of them waiting through procedures that will put their jobs, families, and livelihoods at stake. The film bills itself as a Kafkaesque story.

Image Description: A young girl in a blue dress with her back to the camera stands before a river or creek that is tinted a neon yellow-green color. Trees line up along the frame.