All films shown on Friday, March 17th, 2017 will be shown at:
Prince Theater
Black Box, 2nd Floor
1412 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-422-4580
princetheater.org
Admission: $10
Student Admission w/ID: $8
Shorts Programs: $5 flat
Escapes | Spain | 90 minutes
Directed by Mercedes Gaspar
Starring Huichi-chiu, Liberto Rabal, Asunción Balaguer and Laura de Pedro
Friday, March 17th, 2017 at 5:30PM
After her father’s death, China goes on a trip to all the places she last went with her father. Along the way she encounters danger and triumph, comedy and tragedy. The journey takes her into very dark places, and moments of light. Poetically shot and written, Escapes is part fantasy, part visual art and a lot a raw emotion. The title not only responds to the physical escapes the character must go through, but also the mental. *Some sexual violence.
Dollface | USA | 17.5 minutes
Directed by Layne Marie Williams
Starring Hannah Kopen, Jabowen Dixon, Pauline Critch-Gilfillan, Nicholas Budd
Friday, March 17th, 2017 at 7:15PM
DOLLFACE tackles the web-like topic of the institution of marriage. Examining both the good and the bad, the film endeavors to explore everything from the societal, religious, and racial pressures surrounding the mystery of marriage to those that are self-inflicted, imagined, and even truly desired, through the characters of Dot and Max, a contemporary interracial couple faced with the curse of ultimate incompatibility.
Bild Lilli Splash | USA | 4 minutes
Directed by Layne Marie Williams
Vocal Performances by Adrienne Brown & Rocio Lopez
Friday, March 17th, 2017 at 7:35PM
BILD LILLI SPLASH ponders the idolatry of the female form and dives in head first into the rebellious destruction of that mysticism. Incorporating life size dolls and stop motion, Williams & collaborators ask: What depth is there to plasticity?
Filmmaker, Layne Marie Williams will be present for a Q&A session.
PHL Connects Shorts Program
Friday, March 17th, 2017 at 8:00PM
Semicolon (;) | USA | 6.25 minutes
Directed by Paola Gadala-Maria
A short film about first-hand experience with depression, hospitals, and sedation; a journey through the destruction and rehabilitation of the self.
The Astronomer | USA | 7.3 minutes
Directed by Kelly Murray
Cinematography by Hillary Hanak
The Astronomer is a visually rich silent film adaptation of Walt Whitman’s poem “I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”. Beneath the vivid imagery, costuming, and sweeping music, at its core, The Astronomer is about one’s journey towards discovery and self-reliance.
The journey of self-reliance is a universal one that can take many forms. Whether it’s going after your dream job, taking a risk on one’s self, or simply seeking a non-traditional way of learning than what’s offered in the classroom, the feeling of seeking something greater than oneself is a catalyst for many towards finding self-fulfillment.
Director/Producer Kelly Murray and Cinematographer Hillary Hanak will be present for a Q&A.
Room 3 | USA | 14 minutes
Directed by Blake Hodges
When Jessica becomes tormented by disturbing visions from a past life, she attempts a new experimental form of therapy. There, she meets the mysterious Nathan, who forces her to confront her past and break free from it for good.
The Misunderstood Lives of Only Children | USA | 21 minutes
Directed by Christian Browne
The Misunderstood Lives of Only Children tells the untold story of what it is like to be an only child. Through interviews from Sean Reed, Katie Fox, and Jordan Ecret, viewers learn both the benefits and challenges that only children faces in their daily lives. This film is the very first made by Christian Browne or how others refer him to as Unknown Whisper.
Director Christian Browne will be present for a Q&A.
Skin | USA | 19 minutes
Directed by Aniya Wolfe
Skin is a short film about three teenagers facing their own harsh realities. Their friendships to each other help them get through everyday life but they all have their own secrets about what they do to really get through it all. Family life only fuels the fire as things become too much for one of them….After a tragedy, a decision has to be made about how they will live the rest of their lives. Will they continue down the road to destruction or will they not let their pasts define them.
[Aniya Wolfe is a 14yr old filmmaker/photographer from Philadelphia, PA. Aniya currently owns a photography business and uses the income to fund her film projects.]
Mutual Friends | USA | 9 minutes
Directed by Melissa Kim
Eddie, Senna, and Danny cross paths at a neighborhood park. They’re not exactly the best of friends, and they each have a reason for being there that they’d rather keep under wraps. A story about being young and facing harsh adult realities while dealing with pain and loss in different ways.
Director Melissa Kim will be present for a Q&A.
Sway | USA | 5 minutes
Directed by Pheng H. Tang
A woman struggles over aging issues after falling for a younger man.
Director Pheng H. Tang will be present for a Q&A.
Trailer for Gender Journeys: Addiction, Homelessness, and Trade | USA | 5 minutes
Directed by Tess Kunik
Produced by Luke Allen Productions and Christina May
This trailer for Gender Journeys: Addiction, Homelessness and Trade, highlights the full documentary that is a continuation of the series that focuses on the #TransLivesMatter movement. The filming, which took place at Luke Allen Productions LLC, and the LGBTQ shelter, Home for Hope, in N. Philadelphia hints at some of the issues that the transgender population in Philadelphia deal with on a day to day basis. The full documentary focuses more in depth on the residents and staff of this Philadelphia LGBTQ shelter. Those interviewed were residents and staff from this shelter and trans activists who work in the Philadelphia community’s field of addictions.
Director Tess Kunik and Producers Luke Allen and Christina May will be present for a Q&A.
Commitment Phobia: Short + Feature
Friday, March 17th, 2017 at 10:00PM
Gothic Truth | USA | 15 minutes
Directed by Kerry Everett
When a hardened criminal defense attorney meets and falls for the owner of a goth club, she is devastated when he becomes a client. In the law, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. In a relationship, you are guilty until proven innocent.
One Night Stand: A Modern Love Story | Canada | 85 minutes
Directed by Marquise Lepage
Annick, 34, is a funny, strong and beautiful film director. Since her love life is a non conventional one, her closest friends start to worry… She looks carefree and invincible but her past hurts and secrets eventually resurface. But Annick is a resilient…She will astonish everybody including herself.
About The Women’s Film Festival
The Women’s Film Festival is a forum that inspires and cultivates a movement to celebrate and collaborate the power of women in the film and entertainment industry.