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9TH ANNUAL

PLAYHOUSE WEST

FILM FESTIVAL

PHILADELPHIA

AUGUST 19, 20, 21

ABOUT

PWFF-Philadelphia, is an off-shoot of the Playhouse West Film Festival in Los Angeles, established in 1997.  In 2012, long-time Artistic Director/Instructor, and PWFF Director, Tony Savant, moved to Philadelphia and founded a branch of the world-renown school, Playhouse West-Philadelphia. The following year, in 2013, the school hosted it's first annual film festival in the City of Brotherly Love and plans to continue this event annually, just like it's been held on Los Angeles, where he was the director for 19 years.

The Playhouse West Film Festival screens films which involve their current or former members. All films must either have a Playhouse West member in a leading or primary supporting acting role, or as the director, writer or producer.

The Playhouse West Film Festival-Philadelphia is sponsored by the Playhouse West Arts Foundation, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization dedicated to the inspiration, education and development of motion picture and theater artists of independent vision, and to the exhibition of their work. By sponsoring programs such as the Playhouse West Film Festival, we can also educate the public about the art of filmmaking, and introduce them to the work of aspiring new film artists of the future.

The Playhouse West Film Festival is well-known as one of the most positive, filmmaker-friendly festivals in the country. Each year we hear more and more from filmmakers that our festival has been their favorite. From our well organized, run-on-time format, to our unique Q&A’s after each screening block, giving filmmakers a platform to discuss their films at length with our audience, we take great pride in making our festival a fantastic experience for filmmakers.

As an institution, Playhouse West leads the way in encouraging young filmmakers.  Playhouse West members from Los Angeles, Philadelphia produce over 250 films per year, many which go one to be accepted and win awards at film festivals around the country and world.

LOCATION

PLAYHOUSE WEST - PHILADELPHIA THEATER
1218 Wallace Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123

PARKING

Wallace Street has only 2 hour parking on weekdays until 6:30 p.m., but there is free parking on 12th & 13th Streets, also on Melon Street, Marvine Street, Fairmont Avenue and Brown Street.  And a free lot on 12th & Melon, across from Spring Garden School.

 

The studio is also easily accessed by public transportation.  We are a few blocks from the Broad Street line at either Spring Garden or Fairmont Ave.

THE BREAKING OF THE RUNT

Upon returning home for his sisters wedding, a young man encounters the suffering he sought to escape.

Run Time

100 min

7 pm Feature

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19th

CARPE DIEM

A disgruntled employee decides enough is enough.

Run Time

2:15

COMING HOME

Jane finds herself in a familiar situation and her friend John has to help convince her to do what's right for her.

Run Time

4:24

FICKLE

A man suffering from anxiety is forced to confront his fear of commitment.

Run Time

5:36

LIAR

An actor overcoming who they aren’t.

Run Time

4:31

THE PROPOSAL

Before his girlfriend will say yes to his proposal, he has to get permission from her brother and dad.

Run Time

7:47

SPACE

Two ex-lovers encounter each other outside a gallery after several long years apart.

Run Time

15:57

9 am Shorts

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20th

PASSWORD

A woman makes an unexpected discovery when she inquires about her boyfriend's Netflix account.

Run Time

5:58

SECURITY BLANKET

When a tragedy alters her life, Brianna’s inner self and addicted self struggle internally over her addiction to heroin.

Run Time

10:29

FALSE FATHER FIGURES

Gregory Williams searches for the right way to relate with three men in his life.

Run Time

17:51

A TRAIN RIDE AWAY

A woman runs into her ex-boyfriend at the train station, and while dining at their old haunt, she realizes the past isn’t truly past. 

Run Time

13:27

10:30 am Shorts

A MODELLED LIFE

A young woman with big dreams to become a model receives an unexpected wake up call.

Run Time

5:58

A DATE WITH RODIN

A young woman takes one more chance at finding love.

Run Time

16:57

1 pm Shorts

VOLITION

Two friend’s lives collide after a long parting of ways.

Run Time

31:25

2 pm Shorts

MADE

While three assassins howled up waiting for the instructions on their next target, an interesting topic arises.

Run Time

8:11

REBEL/REBEL

Famous actor Jake Hughes goes to Cincinnati and courts mischief and adventure, all while filming his new movie.

Run Time

75:15

3 pm Short & Feature

WALK, MAN

A young man tries to find his way through the season of life he is in.

Run Time

7:53

THE STALKING FIELDS

The U.S. government’s attempt to cure PTSD comes at a high price.

Run Time

90:27

7 pm Short & Feature

DRASTIC

A man's desperate escape from the realties of everyday life.

Run Time

3:23

LOVE X

A couple experiencing adversity in their relationship questions if the love they have for one another will be strong enough to keep them together.

Run Time

3:48

TALK

A woman battling to survive her depression alone experiences an awakening.

Run Time

23:33

ONE BY ONE

Kim figures out how to cope with Aaron adopting too many cats.

Run Time

4:35

SETTLELESS

A working professional who is at her wit’s end with the direction her life is going, struggles with the decision to follow her heart and pursue what makes her happy.

Run Time

4:48

I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME

A young man is finally ready to confront his older sister's suicide.

Run Time

9:13

9 am Shorts

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21st

CHEATS

Two friends catching up find out the truth about who each other really are.

Run Time

3:44

SHAGGY FINDS HIS WAY

After losing his lifelong best friend and the team going their separate ways Shaggy’s sanity has spiraled down, he must find a new way to live his life in a way he never thought possible.

Run Time

17:17

THE NECKBREAKER

A man gets dumped by his girlfriend and goes out with the boys to seek revenge. (**Contains graphic nudity.)

Run Time

24:31

10:30 am Shorts

THE ONE

Two girls one guy.

Run Time

10:41

AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT

After a devastating breakup, the discovery of a lost dog helps a young woman find her way back to love.

Run Time

10:00

1 pm Shorts

SURPRISE

When unfulfilled desires go unfulfilled they become an all-consuming monster.

Run Time

13:50

AUTUMN

A woman confronts her partner about his feelings for her.

Run Time

5:57

2 pm Shorts

THE PLACE WE’RE GOING

A 12 year old boy runs away from home and meets a strange girl in the woods. Together they embark on a journey to find 'The First Forest'. 

Run Time

79:22

3 pm Feature

PWFF-PHILADELPHIA 2022 AWARDS CEREMONY

7:30 pm Awards Ceremony

FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM

2022 FESTIVAL WINNERS

SHORT FILM CATEGORY

Best Supporting Actress | Short Film

1. Madeline Barbush, Made
2. Alana Hill, A Train Ride Away
3. Haley Honegger, Walk, Man
4. Jennifer Jubilee, As Fate Would Have It
5. Darrah Lashley, Talk

WINNER: MADELINE BARBUSH, Made

Best Supporting Actor | Short Film

1. Hyzeem Brown, Walk, Man
2. ShaunPaul Costello, Liar
3. Pete Eshewsky, Made
4. Matthias Lojewski, Volition
5. Daniel River, The Neckbreaker

WINNER: PETE ESHEWSKY, Made

Best Screenplay | Short Film

1. A Date with Rodin, Alex Samuelian
2. A Train Ride Away, Lauren Schwartzbard
3. Made, Samantha Oliver
4. Walk, Man, Alyssa Rose Capitini, Jonathan Phelps
5. Volition, Peter Anastasiadis, Matthias Lojewski

WINNER: MADE, Samantha Oliver, writer

Best Director | Short Film

1. Alyssa Rose Capitini, Walk, Man
2. Matthias Lojewski, Volition
3. Ian Mosely-Duffy, Made
4. Pratigya Paudel, Fickle
5. Alex Samuelian, Sydney Nicole Barkley, A Date with Rodin

WINNER: ALEX SAMUELIAN, SYDNEY NICOLE BARKLEY, A Date with Rodin

Best Actress | Short Film

1. Hazel Calderon, Surprise
2. Aubrey Ross Carey, A Date with Rodin
3. Salome Denoon, Talk
4. Kenisha Pinckney, Space
5. Juliette Valdez, A Modelled Life

WINNER: KENISHA PINCKNEY, Space

Best Actor | Short Film

1. ShaunPaul Costello, The Neckbreaker
2. ShaunPaul Costello, The One
3. Ajinkya Dhage, Fickle
4. Garrison Oliver Gross, Surprise
5. Joe Henderson, Walk, Man

WINNERS: JOE HENDERSON, Walk, Man

Best Short Film

1. A Date with Rodin, Sydney Nicole Barkley, producer
2. Made, Samantha Oliver, producer
3. The Neckbreaker, ShaunPaul Costello, Christian Liatos, Ron Calhoun, producers
4. Walk, Man, Alyssa Rose Capitini, Jonathan Phelps, producers
5. Volition, Peter Anastasiadis, Matthias Lojewski, producers

WINNER: WALK, MAN, Alyssa Rose Capitini, Jonathan Phelps, producers

GRAND JURY AWARDS

FEATURE FILM CATEGORY

Best Supporting Actress | Feature Film

Best Supporting Actress | Feature Film
1. Dipa Anitia, The Place We’re Going
2. Heather Fay, Rebel/Rebel
3. Shelli Koffman, The Breaking of the Runt
4. Rochelle Longwill, The Breaking of the Runt
5. Morgan Sitzler, The Breaking of the Runt

WINNER: ROCHELLE LONGWILL, The Breaking of the Runt

Best Supporting Actor | Feature Film

1. William Gabriel Grier, The Stalking Fields
2. Drew Harwood, Rebel Rebel
3. Matthias Lojewski, The Place We’re Going
4. Daniel River, The Breaking of the Runt
5. Chris Taylor, Rebel/Rebel

WINNER: DANIEL RIVER, The Breaking of the Runt

Best Screenplay | Feature Film

1. Rebel Rebel, Drew Harwood
2. The Breaking of the Runt, Michael J. Mina
3. The Place We’re Going, Shamus Hays
4. The Stalking Fields, Sean Crampton, Jordan Wiseley

WINNER: REBEL/REBEL, Drew Harwood

Best Director | Feature Film

1. Drew Harwood, Rebel Rebel
2. Shamus Hays, Where We’re Going
3. Ric Maddox, The Stalking Fields
4. Michael J. Mina, The Breaking of the Runt

WINNER: MICHAEL J. MINA, The Breaking of the Runt

Best Actress | Feature Film

1. Sidney Edwards, Rebel Rebel
2. Taylor Kalupa, The Stalking Fields
3. Sarah Michelle, The Place We’re Going

WINNER: TAYLOR KALUPA, The Stalking Fields

Best Actor | Feature Film

1. Sean Crampton, The Stalking Fields
2. Gareth Koorzen, Rebel Rebel
3. Michael J. Mina, The Breaking of the Runt
4. J.T. Underwood, The Place We're Going

WINNER: MICHAEL JAMES MINA, The Breaking of the Runt

Best Picture

1. REBEL REBEL, Drew Harwood, Gareth Koorzen, Katie Garland-Noble, Johnny Mocker, Chip Heidt, producers
2. THE BREAKING OF THE RUNT, Rochelle Longwill, Shelli Koffman, Michael James Mina, Adler Roberts, Anna Roberts, producers
3. THE PLACE WE’RE GOING, Jessica Peterson, Tristan Alan, producers
4. THE STALKING FIELDS, Sean Crampton*, Jordan Wiseley, Brooke Mouton, Tori Deal, Josh
Jason, R.D. Womack II, producers

WINNER: THE BREAKING OF THE RUNT, Rochelle Longwill, Shelli Koffman, Michael James Mina, Adler Roberts, Anna Roberts, producers

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

Best Actress | Short Film | Comedy

MADELINE BARBUSH, Made

Best Actor | Short Film | Comedy

PETER ESHEWSKY, Made

Best Actress | Short Film | Drama

JULIETTE VALDEZ, A Modelled Life

Best Actor | Short Film | Drama

CHARLES ELLISON WASHINGTON, As Fate Would Have It

Best Short Film | Comedy

MADE

Best Short Film | Drama

WALK, MAN

Best Actress | Feature Film

MORGAN SITZLER, The Breaking of the Runt

Best Actor | Feature Film

MICHAEL JAMES MINA, The Breaking of the Runt

Best Feature Film

THE BREAKING OF THE RUNT

THE EDWARD WILLIAM WASSER AWARD

Most Promising New Filmmaker

MICHAEL JAMES MINA

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