This year's Philadelphia Film Festival has seen an increase in patronage from last year at the five local theaters being used to showcase nearly 275 domestic and international films.
Andrew Preis, the director of media relations for the Philadelphia Film Society -- which is putting on the festival -- said that this year's festival was going "extremely well."
"Ticket sales are ahead of last year," Preis said. "We are having more sell-outs than we've had in the past."
Patrick Brogan, the managing director of the festival, said that he has personally seen "a dramatic increase" in the number of people attending the festival.
"We're packing theaters and selling out houses in the middle of the afternoon," Brogan said. He went on to say that ticket sales skyrocket during the annual festival compared to the rest of the year.
This year's festival features 28 more films than last year's festival.
The University is holding five events -- called the Cine Cafe series -- on campus designed to bring together scholars and movie-lovers.
Yesterday's Cine Cafe entitled, "Hollywood? National and International Film" attracted over 25 people to the 12 Lounge at the Bridge: Cinema de Lux, including native Philadelphian James Fiumara, who enjoyed the discussion panel.
"I actually liked the diversity of the panel," Fiumara said. "We got perspectives from people who are experts in a variety of national cinemas instead of just American cinema."
Fiumara, who works for the University's linguistic program, said that he was planning to go to at least one movie this weekend.
The fifth and final Cine Cafe event, "Film and Our Culture," will take place on Monday. The Festival itself ends April 20.
The Bridge theater in University City is being used as part of the Festival for the second year.
"We knew there was a market" at the Bridge, said Preis. "The Bridge was interested in working with us and we were interested in working with them."
