City film festival returns to the Bridge for second year

The 14th annual Philadelphia Film Festival is showcasing nearly 275 films from 40 countries, including films from Korea and the Muslim world, until April 20.

The festival, originally held at International House at 3701 Chestnut St., now also takes place at the Ritz East and Ritz at the Bourse in Old City, the Prince Music Theater in Center City and, for the second straight year, at the Bridge: Cinema de Lux.

"The last two years have been part of an effort to bring more of the festival to West Philadelphia," said Timothy Corrigan, director of Cinema Studies at Penn. "It broadens the audience base for it, gives it a broader feeling in general."

Corrigan said that the University has been eager to include itself in the festival because it brings people to University City.

"From my point of view as a professor, it is an opportunity to do what most universities cannot," Corrigan said. "You really get a two-week snapshot of the perspectives of other cultures."

The University is holding five free programs relating to, but independent of, the festival called the Cine Cafe series in an effort to bring together students and other film lovers for discussion of cinema.

The "Business of Film" program, held on Friday at the Bridge's 12 Lounge, featured Jeffrey Berg, the chairman and CEO of International Creative Management, Inc. The event filled the lounge with around 75 people.

"It is my experience that Penn students want to know what's going on," Corrigan said. "It's a lot of fun to hang out and see different movies and argue about them and comment on them."

Other Cine Cafe events will include a presentation regarding women in film and another about how film figures in popular culture.

College junior Cristina Alberto said she is excited for this year's festival.

"I'm planning to go this week as much as I can," Alberto said. "Last year I only saw three films, so this year I really want to try to go to more of those."

Alberto, a visual studies major from Argentina, said she enjoys the international films offered at the festival.

"I really like foreign films," She said. "I can see the completely different mentality of a country. It's just a different way of thinking that I don't see in the States."

Some students, however, had not heard of the Philadelphia Film Festival.

College junior Te-Lang Brian Wu said that he wasn't aware of the film festival, but that even if he had known, he probably would not attend.

"I have MCATs," Wu said, referring to the Medical College Admission Test. "I don't really have time to go to movies."

Corrigan said he hopes that future festivals will also include Penn.

"We're hoping it is something we can develop, and we're hoping to do good things for the festival in the future."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.