Greetings from the 16th Philadelphia Film Festival!

Hello everyone,

I haven't made a blog post yet, hmmm. Well, I'll chalk that up to being completely engrossed in the lineup at the festival this year, and of course the holidays that just passed. I hope everyone had a great weekend, and also were able to catch some screenings as well.

First off - the turnout has been absolutely amazing to witness. Almost every screening I've been in has been sold out or close to it, and judging from the lines outside, even on these unseasonably cold days. Doesn't matter what day or what time, there has been a spectacular amount of interest, and we at the festival thank you for turning out and seeing what we have to offer.

I've seen a pretty good share of films, and I was really impressed by a few of them.. Rocket Science has to be my favorite so far, it's Jeffrey Blitz's first fictional film, but it felt extremely personal and was very sweet and funny. I was amazed by the acting of the two leads (Reece Thompson and Anna Kendrick), and I'm sure Jeff Blitz was thrilled as well that he struck such gold with his supporting cast. As a huge fan of both Spellbound and his work on this season of The Office, I wish Jeffrey Blitz a lot of success, and be sure to spread the word about this film before its release in August.

I was also very impressed with the French film Change of Address. Emmanuel Mouret manages to write, direct, and star in this very witty and airy romantic comedy that reminded me of some of the best work of Larry David and Woody Allen. Diggers, starring Paul Rudd, was not all that original thematically, but managed to shed articulate light on what it means to be a father, a friend, and a family. Red Road, though admittedly a slow moving film, is quite shocking and disturbing, and has stuck with me for days.

Now, of course, some of these films have come and gone, but there is a chance that they could repeat themselves during the 'Festival Favorites' portion next week, and of course most films screened at the festival are available or will be available at some point either in theaters or on DVD.

I'll check in with everyone soon with some more recommendations. For now... enjoy the festival!