HELP CINÉSPEAK LAUNCH A CINEMA IN WEST PHILLY!

Since October 2013, cinéSPEAK has functioned as a mobile cinema—producing pop-up independent film screenings in community spaces across the city. Our humble beginnings often looked like living room salon-style screenings for community-building and discussion of what was missing in Philadelphia. The experience of being in community when watching a film, having others there to help you unpack the film, and to be held in that experience, is what we were founded on. 

Despite being the fifth largest city in the nation, Philadelphia only has two independent movie theater spaces, and none in West Philadelphia. Despite not having a physical theater space, we were voted “Best of Philadelphia® 2020 - Movie Theater”! Now we're ready to plant our roots and build a permanent cinema home in West Philadelphia. 

Our aim is to also serve as a home for other community-rooted organizations prioritizing those who have been historically excluded from the film industry. This includes both legacy institutions, such as Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival and Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, as well as up-and-coming moving image exhibitors, many of whom lost their venue in 2019 following the shutdown of International House of Philadelphia, a vital cultural hub for almost 40 years.

Finally, this space will also allow us to put Philadelphia on the map for national and international touring programs and film festivals. For example, cinéSPEAK was invited to apply as a Sundance Film Festival satellite venue in 2022. Unfortunately, without this cinema home, we were unable to accept that round. 

In order to bring this project to life, we are seeking to raise $50,000 from our community by December 2022.