Learning + Ideas

Celebrating Philly Summer Film Festivals

June 19, 2025

a mixed media collage of Philadelphia summertime

It’s summertime in Philadelphia—and alongside cookouts and block parties, it’s also film festival season. Events like the Philadelphia Latino Film and Arts Festival, BlackStar Film Festival, and Big Picture Alliance Film Fest may come around for the season, but their impact on our communities is felt year-round.

These festivals serve as critical infrastructure in Philadelphia’s media ecosystem—especially for underrepresented filmmakers. They act as a bridge for local filmmakers to engage new audiences, allowing them to showcase stories that highlight the complexity and diversity of the human experience. Sharing these stories also helps challenge dominant harmful narratives about underrepresented communities by providing a platform for voices that have been historically excluded from mainstream media.

Beyond showcasing films, each festival helps cultivate connection. For example, the festivals feature kickoff celebrations and panel conversations where filmmakers, community partners, and other industry professionals can build relationships, discuss their craft, and engage in cross-cultural dialogue—essential for a healthy, resilient film community.

Each film festival promotes cultural equity and narrative power while strengthening the region's creative economy. BlackStar Film Festival, for example, alongside its film screenings hosts a small market that spotlights local independent artisans selling art, apparel, accessories, décor, and more.

Overall, the festivals offer local storytellers opportunities to grow, reach audiences, and explore new possibilities. That’s year-round impact—wrapped in a few unforgettable days.

At IPMF, we’re excited for another season of film festivals and to celebrate the works of local filmmakers as they foster joy, belonging, and resilience through storytelling.

Here are some festivals to check out this season:

Philadelphia Latino Film and Arts Festival

two people pose in front of a backdrop that reads: PHL Latino Film Festival

The 2025 Philadelphia Latino Film & Arts Festival kicked off on May 29 and runs until July 6. The festival will feature both virtual and in-person programming, showcasing over 180 films. This includes 26 world premieres and 68 debut films by emerging Latino filmmakers. Click here for the film festival programming schedule and to register.

BlackStar Film Festival

The 2025 BlackStar Film Festival will be held from July 31 to August 3, 2025. The festival will feature a total of 92 films representing 35 countries, including 20 World, 13 North American, 4 United States, 7 East Coast, and 46 Philadelphia premieres. The films will explore a wide range of ideas and issues from independent filmmakers. Topics include the use of music as a tool for resistance, pathways to thriving amidst political repression and environmental crises, and stories that highlight the importance of long-term, sustainable community building. Click here for the film festival programming schedule and to register.

Big Picture Alliance Film Fest 2025

The 2025 Big Picture Film Fest is a one-day showcase of new films created by young Philadelphia filmmakers. The event is on June 20 at 6pm and aims to unite young creatives, industry professionals, and community leaders to amplify marginalized voices and celebrate the next generation of storytellers. It will feature a mixer, a live performance, film screenings, and an awards ceremony. Please note that this event has sold out.

Honorable Mention: Scribe Video Center

Check out Scribe Video Center’s Resistance and Joy Screening Tour on June 20 at 6:30pm. This bold new initiative will feature a powerful slate of twelve short documentaries, all directed by filmmakers of color. These films explore urgent and deeply personal themes, from LGBTQ+ rights and intergenerational healing to advocacy, cultural preservation, and the resilience of communities reclaiming spaces. Click here to discover more and register.

people watching a screen at street film festivals

Also, Scribe’s 28th annual Street Movies kicks off on August 2 at 8pm! This film screening and performance series will tour outdoor community spaces across Philadelphia throughout the month. It features a selection of independent short films from local, national, and international filmmakers, curated in collaboration with neighborhood-based organizations. All events are free, family-friendly, and open to the public. Click here for this year's Street Movies dates and locations.

Author

Enni Aigbomian

Enni is a storyteller and visual content creator using communication and media to elevate the experiences of Black and brown communities in the U.S. and abroad. A communicator for social change, Enni has collaborated with international community media and nonprofits such as World Young Women’s Christian Association, Fundación CEDESOCIAL, Vokaribe Radio, and HOPE Worldwide, Bolivia.

Enni has worked with Philadelphia community media and nonprofits such as the American Friends Service Committee, FunTimes Magazine, and Philatinos Radio. She previously led communications at Read by 4th, Philadelphia’s grade-level reading campaign managed by the Free Library of Philadelphia. She serves on the board of Shelterforce Magazine, an independent publication that covers the worlds of community development, affordable housing, and neighborhood stabilization.

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