Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival

A note about COVID-19: We're monitoring COVID-19 very closely and want filmmakers to know we're still planning on holding #PUFF5 in the fall of 2020. We have invested in masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant for the event, and our venue is spacious enough to accommodate social distancing if necessary. PUFF is not held in a traditional theater which grants us more flexibility than other festivals. We will be screening 4 blocks of short films Saturday, October 3rd. Categories will include Bizarre, Horror/Sci-Fi, Local and Other. We will screen physically at the 2223 Theater if Philadelphia reaches the "green" phase by October 2nd. The festival will be condensed into a couple of days with the online portion. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

We hope you all stay safe and look forward to seeing your films.

The Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival (PUFF) selects 95% of its micro and short films from its FilmFreeway submissions. We have featured 30+ films in each of our 4 years, and work hard to showcase as many independent filmmakers as possible. More than just a "horror" film festival, each year PUFF includes an eclectic mix of features and shorts, including sci-fi, action, documentary, bizzare, drama and more.

PUFF was founded as an alternative festival to bring new and undiscovered films to cinema fans in Philadelphia. The festival has previously featured such notable films as Tragedy Girls, Witch in the Window, Happy Face, Antrum, and Karate Kill. We tout an excellent success rate for our selections, with 95% of our feature films from the first few years of the festival receiving independent distribution.

PUFF works to connect upstart filmmakers with distribution outlets by working with local independent film distributors, and to offer a place for filmmakers to gain exposure and network with as many industry professionals as possible. Filmmakers are welcomed to participate in our digital screening library to spread awareness about their projects.

All accepted films are screened at the 2223 Theater (2223.fish) on our theatrical sized screen. The theater is located in the trendy neighborhood of Fishtown, known for its popular restaurants, bars and art scene.

Festival Director Alex Gardner offers a long history of film festival and horror journalism experience, working with other film festivals in the past such as Another Hole in the Head, Buffalo Dreams and the Bay Area’s SiliCon.

In addition to the annual festival, PUFF also partnered with South Street Cinema to offer a weekly screening series, and give independent filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their films with its "PUFF Presents" series.

PUFF's aim is to grow into a multimedia experience where people can enjoy our great city while experiencing the best in new cinema.