Shortlist: Films to Watch at the Philadelphia Film Festival (October 16–26)
Lost in the film list at Philadelphia Film Festival? We’ve got you covered.

From October 16 to 26, Philadelphia will host its 34th Film Festival, filling cinemas with stories from across the world.
We’ve put together our own selection — grouped by themes that feel closest to what moves us.
First come the films about politics, social shifts, and cultural challenges — stories that reveal how people in different corners of the world confront everyday crises, grow through them, and transform trauma into identity, survival, and strength.

The second block is all about local cultures and everyday poetry — films that carry you to places you’ve dreamed of, showing life as it really is: raw, imperfect, unfiltered, but full of meaning.

We’ve also made space for films about women’s voices and resilience — stories of courage and transformation that speak quietly but powerfully.
For those who love to reflect and look inward, there’s a section of introspective and psychological films — subtle, emotional, searching.


And of course, this is October — so we couldn’t skip the horror and dark thrillers.
Finally, we highlight local filmmakers — stories born right here in Philadelphia, full of humor, honesty, and city soul.
BROKEN REGIME / POLITICAL & SOCIAL CRISIS /
LOCAL CULTURES

The Little Sister 

(France, Germany – dir. Hafsia Herzi)

A Franco-Algerian student navigates between faith, family, and personal freedom. An intimate coming-of-age story about identity and cultural duality.

Oct 17, Oct 24

The President’s Cake 

(Iraq, USA, Qatar – dir. Hasan Hadi)

A 9-year-old girl is forced to bake a birthday cake for a dictator. A poetic yet brutal allegory of life under authoritarian rule.

Oct 17, Oct 22

A Simple Soldier 

(Ukraine, USA, UK – dirs. Artem Ryzhykov, Juan Camilo Cruz)

A documentary following a Kyiv cameraman who becomes a soldier. A deeply personal wartime diary filled with humanity and resilience.

Oct 17, Oct 26

La Ola (The Wave)

(Chile – dir. Sebastián Lelio)

Inspired by the 2018 Chilean protests, this energetic feminist musical explores collective resistance and freedom.

Oct 17, Oct 22

Natchez 

(USA – dir. Suzannah Herbert)

A documentary portrait of Mississippi — where wealth and slavery intertwine in memory and architecture. A reflection on America’s racial legacy.

Oct 17, Oct 25

Never Get Busted!

(Australia – dirs. David Anthony Ngo, Stephen McCallum)

The surreal story of a former cop turned whistleblower. A psychedelic, satirical ride through corruption and rebellion.

Oct 17, Oct 19

Dreams 

(Mexico – dir. Michel Franco)

A social-political drama starring Jessica Chastain, exploring power, immigration, and emotional dependency.

Oct 17

The Choral 

(France , dir Nicholas Hytner)

Music becomes a language of unity and resistance in a divided world. A poetic reflection on the power of art in times of crisis.

Oct 18

Hedda

(USA, dir NIA DACOSTA)

A modern reimagining of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, confronting patriarchy, ambition, and personal freedom.

Oct 18

Woman and Child 

(Iran, dir Saeed Roustaee)

A political drama about a woman fighting against an oppressive system. Intimate, defiant, and courageous.

Oct 18

How to Build a Library 

(India,Kenya dir Christopher King / Maia Lekow)

Documentary on how education and community activism become tools of resistance and renewal.

Oct 18

Nuremberg

(Germany, dir James Vanderbilt)

A reconstruction of the Nuremberg trials — a meditation on justice, guilt, and collective memory.

Oct 18

Bugonia

(Greece, USA – dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)

A philosophical dystopia about control, belief, and societal collapse — Lanthimos at his most audacious.

Oct 18

Feminism & Women’s Voices

Songs of Forgotten Trees 

(India – dir. Anuparna Roy)

In Mumbai, two women — a sex worker and a tech professional — build their own world of mutual care and quiet resistance. A tender story of survival, friendship, and autonomy.

Oct 16, Oct 24

Promised Sky

(Tunisia, France, Qatar – dir. Erige Sehiri)

A former journalist transforms her Tunisian home into a shelter for migrant and displaced women. A human, contemplative film about compassion and courage.

Oct 17

La Ola (The Wave) 

(Chile – dir. Sebastián Lelio)

Inspired by real Chilean protests, this vibrant feminist musical blends protest, dance, and sisterhood. From the Oscar-winning director of A Fantastic Woman.

Oct 17, Oct 22

The Library 

(Germany – dir. Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay)

In the heart of Nairobi, two Kenyan women rebuild a colonial-era library into a space of community and healing. A poetic reflection on literature, memory, and postcolonial identity.

Oct 17

Young Mothers

(dir. Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne)

A collective portrait of young women navigating motherhood, friendship, and survival. A study in solidarity and strength.

Oct 19

Keep Quiet and Forgive

(USA – dir. Sarah McClure)

A woman from an Amish community breaks silence about abuse, challenging religious and moral boundaries.

Oct 19, Oct 24

REFLECTION, PSYCHOLOGY

The Dating Game 

(USA, UK Violet Du Feng)

A documentary experiment exploring loneliness, digital flirting, and the search for genuine connection — between humans and huskies alike.

Oct 17

What Marielle Knows 

(Germany, France – dir. Frédéric Hambalek)

An 11-year-old girl suddenly hears the thoughts of her parents. A surreal satire about privacy, family, and the loss of innocence.

Oct 17, Oct 18

The Good Sister 

(Germany, Spain – dir. Sarah Miro Fischer)

A psychological family drama — a brother and sister face an accusation that shatters trust and forces emotional reckoning.

Oct 17, Oct 21

Hysteria 

(Germany)

A meta-comedy about filmmaking gone off the rails — a darkly comic breakdown on the edge of reality and madness.

Oct 21

My Father’s Shadow 

(UK, Nigeria)

A generational story about fathers and sons in post-colonial Africa — heritage, courage, and the weight of legacy.

Oct 17

Wild Foxes 

(Belgium, France – dir. Valéry Carnoy)

A young boxer struggles with trauma and masculinity. A raw, compassionate portrait of male vulnerability.

Oct 17, Oct 23

The Plague 

(USA – dir. Charlie Polinger)

A haunting allegory of fear and control — a teenage dystopia that mirrors societal paranoia.

Oct 17

Sirāt

(Spain / France dir Óliver Laxe)

A spiritual journey through faith, loss, and humanity. A meditative drama about the moral path.

Oct 18

The Love That Remains 

(International)

A slow-burn story of love and forgiveness — beautiful, melancholic, and deeply human.

Oct 18

Sound of Falling 

(Germany, dir Mascha Schilinski)

A meditative, almost silent exploration of grief and renewal through nature.

Oct 18

Peter Hujar’s Day

(USA, dir Ira Sachs)

A portrait of New York’s 1980s art scene — solitude, beauty, and the haunting presence of creativity.

Oct 18

André Is an Idiot 

(USA, dir - Tony Benna)

An absurdist, satirical comedy reflecting on identity, failure, and human folly.

Oct 19

EXPLORING LOCAL CULTURES

The Voice of Hind Rajab 

(Palestine / Middle East – dir. Kaouther Ben Hania)

A deeply human story of a young girl trapped in conflict. Blending documentary and fiction, it reflects on loss, resilience, and the price of silence.

Oct 19

No Other Choice 

(Iran – dir. Reza Dormishian)

Three women face impossible moral and political choices in modern Iran. A sharp feminist drama about courage and defiance.

Oct 19

My Father’s Shadow 

(Brazil, dir Akinola Davies Jr.)

A family drama exploring class divides and generational memory in contemporary Brazil.

Oct 19

H Is for Hawk

(UK, dir Philippa Lowthorpe )

A meditative tale of grief and renewal through the bond between a woman and her hawk — nature as emotional mirror.

Oct 19

Magellan

(Spain / Portugal, dir Lav Diaz)

A lyrical journey through landscape and identity — tracing history, migration, and the meaning of discovery.

Oct 19

La Grazia

(Italy – dir. Paolo Sorrentino)

A spiritual allegory about faith, duty, and family — a visually stunning reflection on redemption and aging.

Oct 19

HORROR, THRILLER & DARK MYSTERIES

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery 

(USA – dir. Rian Johnson)

The opening night feature — a new chapter in the Knives Out series. A stylish mystery blending dark humor, secrets, and murder.

Oct 16

Miroirs No. 3 

(Germany – dir. Christian Petzold)

After a car accident, Laura finds herself in the house of a woman whose life eerily mirrors her own. A haunting, atmospheric thriller in the vein of Rebecca.

Oct 16, Oct 17

La Grazia

(Italy – dir. Paolo Sorrentino)

Though rooted in drama, Sorrentino’s film carries an eerie, spiritual tension — a philosophical meditation on faith, aging, and moral dread.

Oct 17, Oct 20

Dead Giveaway 

(USA – dir. Ian Kimble)

A Philadelphia-set dark comedy thriller about two friends who stumble into a murder. Sharp, local, and wickedly funny.

Oct 17

The Plague

(USA, Romania – dir. Charlie Polinger)

A cold, haunting thriller about fear, contagion, and toxic masculinity — a modern allegory of social decay.

Oct 17, Oct 25

After Hours Shorts 

(Various – multiple directors)

A late-night shorts program exploring dreams, nightmares, and twisted humor — surreal horror, irony, and blood in equal measure.

Oct 17, Oct 25

Ghost Boy 

(USA, dir Rodney Ascher)

A mystical drama about a boy lost between the world of the living and the dead. Poetic, haunting, and deeply emotional.

Oct 18

Made in Philly / Local Voices

Dead Giveaway

(USA / Philadelphia – dir. Ian Kimble)

A dark comedy about two friends who wake up next to a dead body after a wild party. Fast-paced dialogue, absurd humor, and a true Philly vibe.

Oct 17

FilmadeIphia Shorts 

(USA / Philadelphia – various directors)

A collection of short films by Philadelphia-based filmmakers — raw, creative, and full of city life. From urban poetry to neighborhood portraits, this block celebrates local storytelling.

Oct 19