Every year, when the weather is just right, cinéSPEAK’s Under the Stars Film Festival brings audiences together for magical evenings of outdoor cinema at one of Philadelphia’s most beloved green spaces—West Philly’s historic Clark Park. We work with local creatives, vendors, and organizations to create the festival experience.
For four weeks, every Friday night we proudly feature award-winning independent films from around the world. Bring your own blankets and chairs for this all-ages, family friendly event. Each evening-long event includes sweet tunes from local DJs, tasty food trucks, collaborations with other organizations, and much more.
Under the Stars features a robust curated program highlighting some of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. Past films include the Philadelphia premieres of award-winning films such as “American Masters” film Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes (2023), the Philadelphia premieres of the Reading Rainbow documentary Butterfly in Sky (2024), a moving documentary about queer and trans youth at Summer Qamp (2024) and a National Geographic documentary about astronaut Sally Rider, Sally (2025) -- Visit our website for a full list of past films: https://cinespeak.org/cinema/series/under-the-stars/
All events are public and free of charge, making this one of the only festivals in the city offering premiere screenings of major independent films for free.
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When: Four Friday evenings in late May through mid June (May 29, June 5, June 12, June 19), with alternate rain dates each Saturday. *The show must go on! If need be, we will move the event indoors.
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Film licensing fees, artist honorariums and travel support:
We pay licensing fees for all films screened in our festival. We work as hard as possible to bring all featured filmmakers to Philly for their respective screenings. We offer artist participation honorarium, lodging and travel stipends.
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What Under the Stars featured filmmakers are saying:
"It was incredibly rewarding and meaningful to premiere my documentary in Philly with cinéSPEAK. They handled the film with love and care, and their audiences were some of the best my film has had. Philly is so lucky to have such a spectacular cinema organization like cinéSPEAK." —Hansen Bursic, Director, Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania
“I was delighted when cinéSPEAK reached out about screening our film, Nothing Compares—what excited me most was that (Under the Stars) is (free and) open to everyone. cinéSPEAK treated the film with great care and were a joy to work with. It was wonderful to share Sinéad’s story with such a fantastic crowd of film lovers in Philadelphia." —Kathryn Ferguson, Director, Nothing Compares
‘At a time where communal cinema is on the decline and many of us are feeling isolated, unmoored and exhausted from multiplying crises, cinéSPEAK provides a vital space for filmmakers and audiences to gather together in person to watch films, connect, dream, and build community.’ — Sasha Wortzel, Director, River of Grass
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About cinéSPEAK:
cinéSPEAK is a Philadelphia-based arthouse cinema and journal that cultivates experiences and opportunities for filmmakers and moviegoers, celebrating and strengthening local community and global movements for collective liberation.
Our multidisciplinary work directly supports emerging artists, filmmakers, and writers through screenings, salons, and cultural reporting—all of which center the stories from those historically excluded in the film and media industry. We bring independent films to new audiences, partnering with community organizations to create a more equitable and nourishing cinema ecosystem.
Best in Fest - Feature
Best in Fest - Short
