Shondes and Callowhill matinee show! Kids, families, all welcome

We are excited to put on an earlier show! Kids of all ages are also explicitly welcome at this show, and we will have activities for them both inside and outside the building. We also hope the earlier time might be nice for folks who prefer earlier nights in general. 

$5-10 sliding scale. We hope you can come!

Andrew’s Video Vault at The Rotunda

FREE Screenings Continuous From 8 PMon the Second THURSDAY of Every Month!Since 2004, Andrew’s Video Vault is a free, once-a-month screening series at The Rotunda in West Philadelphia programed by film director and educator Andrew Repasky McElhinney.  Andrew’s Video Vault programs original, obscure, neglected, marginalized and commercial unavailable video media. It connects the West Philly neighborhood to the University of Pennsylvania community and fosters a multicultural examination of motion pictures in a relaxed, educational setting.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the Cinema Studies Program and The Rotunda at the University of Pennsylvania. 

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

AUGUST 10 – ’90s DRUG-FUELED FREAK-OUTSGift (1993 / 80 minues)Perry Farrell and Casey Niccoli’s experimental, shot-on-video feature telling a story of a couple’s heroin addiction, set in the rock and roll world of Farrell’s band Jane’s Addiction. Made while the band was at the height of success and publicly struggling with real-life substance abuse issues, Gift wavers uncomfortably between death-wish braggadocio and an eerie call for help. The stripped-down lovers’ melodrama is framed by vivid Tijuana-shot concert footage of Jane’s Addiction in their fleeting heyday.The Love God (1997 / 82 minutes)Director Frank Grow’s little-seen masterpiece is a phantasmagorical tale of love and obsession at lower Manhattan’s Love Hotel, a dumping ground for prematurely-released mental patients. Grow sees the film through the deranged eyes of his bugged-out characters while never losing sight of their humanity. Awash with garish day-glo colors and madly stomping along to a score by Australia’s Lubricated Goat, The Love God unloads some wild shocks while barely hiding a deep compassion just beneath the mayhem.Guest Host and Curator: Dan Buskirk

SEPTEMBER 14 – BOLDLY INTO THE DARKSelected ShortsThe men and women who made these animated films were free; they did not have to answer to any studio, appeal to any demographic, or argue with actors, nor were they were bound by the laws of gravity, time and logic.  Each answered only to his or her heart and imagination.  As a result, these films go places and do things no feature film would dare… Begotten (1990 / 72 minutes)In Begotten, Edmund Elias Merhige separates the darkness from the light to reveal the beginning of everything: matter, motion, myth, sex and Cinema itself are born on the screen in blood and fire.  We are witness to forbidden rituals and images that conjure the savage poetry of James Dickey and terrible beauty of Ingmar Bergman.  Though we can’t look away, we feel we shouldn’t be watching…Guest Host and Curator: Ted Knighton

OCTOBER 12 – GRINDHOUSE GOTHICThe Witch Who Came From the Sea (1976 / 88 minutes)“Molly really knows how to cut men down to size!” was the tagline for this deeply atmospheric “video nasty” with great location cinematography, dramatic heft, and a haunting turn from Millie Perkins as Molly, who seems to leave a trail of deadly sexual multialtions in her wake, but why…? Toys Are Not For Children (1972 / 85 minutes)Jamie’s (Marcia Forbes) obsession with her absent father and the toys he gave her as a child ruins her marriage and leads her into a life of prostitution in this exploitation drama filled with equal parts of the bizarre and of melancholy.Guest Host and Curator: Mike Zaleski 

NOVEMBER 9 – PRE-CODE COMEDYShow Girl in Hollywood (1930 / 77 minutes)Flapper comedienne Alice White stars in this musical comedy as an unemployed chorus girl who decides to leave Broadway and go to Hollywood to find a job in the new field of “talking pictures”, but finds it’s not as easy to get into the movies as she had hoped.Girl Crazy (1932 / 74 minutes)Zany vaudevillians Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey star in this George & Ira Gershwin-scored musical comedy. Gambler Woolsey hires taxi driver Wheeler to drive him to Custerville, Arizona, where the sheriffs always get bumped off. Woolsey tries to get out of paying his taxi bill by talking Wheeler into running for sheriff against the town’s nastiest bandit, and hilarity ensues.Guest Host and Curator: Andrew Gilmore

DECEMBER 14 – DIABOLICAL FRENCH DRAMAUnder The Sun of Satan [Sous le soleil de Satan] (1976 / 97 minutes)Gerard Depardieu stars in Maurice Pialat’s film about the nature of evil, where a particularly zealous priest in the French countryside becomes tempted by the devil and is obsessed with saving a young murderess (Sandrine Bonnaire) who has killed one of her lovers. The Devil, Probably [Le diable, probablement] (1977 / 95 minutes)Robert Bresson’s penultimate film follows the attempts of a suicidal young man (Antoine Monnier) to find some meaning or value in society by immersing himself in religion, politics, and even psychology, all for nought.Guest Host and Curator: Samm Deighan

WOMEN OF EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE

PRAYER 8:00 A.M. TO 9:00 A.M.

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST 9:00 A.M. TO 10:00 A.M.

BEAUTY 2 ASHES PLATFORM SERVICE 10:00 A.M. TO 12:00 P.M.

MOMMY AND ME FASHION SHOW 1:00 P.M.

WORKSHOP #1 (WHAT'S THE 411) 3:00P.M TO 3:30 P.M.

WORKSHOP #2 (BRING YOUR HEELS) 3:30 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

WORKSHOP #3 (PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY)

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE TAPING OF THE WOMEN OF EMPOWERMENT TALK SHOW 4:00 P.M. TO 5:30 P.M.

WOMEN OF EMPOWERMENT ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION 5:30 P.M. TP 6:30 P.M.

WOMEN OF VALOUR PLATFORM SERVICE 7P.M. 

Let's come together as a community to help our dear friend Roberta in her fight against cancer. We'll also be celebrating her birthday and another year of moving forward in this battle. 

Roberta has begun new treatment and has recently completed her first course of chemo. She is responding well but she needs our help to continue making progress. In order to qualify for disability and so she can focus on keeping the side effects to a minimum while receiving treatment she is unable to work. Living costs and meals still need to be covered while she is out of work. 

Let's use our talents and creativity to celebrate Roberta's birthday and to raise funds so that Roberta can remain strong and continue to kick cancer's butt. 

Doors 2pm / Open mic performances 2pm / Silent auction including a 50/50 raffle 4pmAdmission is $10

If you are unable to attend but would still like to donate please do so through the gofundme campaign that is set up for Roberta: gf.me/u/bjdrdk

UNITY HEALING & WELLNESS PT. 3 THE RE-AWAKENING 

HOSTED BY AMUN SEN HOTEP RE OF INNER VIBE SOUND 

ENJOY A NIGHT OF POWERFUL SPEAKERS, LIVE EDU-TAINMENT, HEALTHY FOOD, CULTURAL VENDORS AND HOLISTIC FUN 

Dr. Baruch Ben-Yehuda Naturopathic Educator & Health Literacy Expert 

FRIDAY AUGUST 18th, 2017 7:00pm-11:00pm 

SPECIAL INVITED GUEST MAMA GAIL Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Spiritual Teacher, Life Coach, Education Advocate for Parents/Students in Schools & Community Activist 

UNITY HEALING & WELLNESS PART 3 

"THE RE-AWAKENING" Due to the overwhelming response and success of the first Unity, Healing & Wellness Events (Part 1 & 2), Inner Vibe Sound has partnered with E-Life Media, Pure Vintage Unlimited and the Philadelphia Black Healers Network to bring Unity, Healing & Wellness Pt. 3 "THE RE-AWAKENING" in order to continue the conversation of well-being and to give further insight on healing and empowering our community through Unity, Spirituality, Agriculture and Cooperative Economics. (Admission is Free, Bring The Entire Family) 

PART III 

OUR SPONSORS INNERVIBESOUND.COM WWW.SHEAOFLIFE.COM TAKECHARGEOFYOURHEALTH.XYZ ELIFEMEDIA.NET IBUYBLACK.ORG 

WWW.BLACKAWAKENINGMOVEMENT.COM WWW.LIONHEARTLIFEHEALING.COM/PBHN WWW.UNITYCOMMUNITY.COM WWW.PUREVINTAGEUNLIMITED.WORDPRESS.COM 

OFFICIALBIGGADRE.WORDPRESS.COM 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL OFFICIALBIGGADRE@GMAIL.COM OR CALL 215-259-8003 

THIS IS NOT AT THE ROTUNDA! IT IS OUTSIDE ON THE 40TH STREET FIELD, A LOVELY GREEN SPACE ON 40TH BETWEEN WALNUT AND LOCUST. 

Worldtown Soundsystem w/ openers Drum Like a Lady

Worldtown is a high-energy 8 piece live house music outfit uniting the spheres of electronic dance music culture with global rhythms and soul music. Directed by DJ/Producer Ben Arsenal, this energizing ensemble pulls its influences from soulful house, techno, afrobeat, Latin rhythms, and classic funk. The band boasts a seasoned cast of musicians from around the globe with members from Jamaica, Nigeria, Brazil, Alabama, Vermont and their home in Philadelphia. Worldtown’s mission is to celebrate global culture through music and art. 

Opening the show is Drum Like A Lady, a percussion collective founded by musician and educator LaTreice V Branson, whose mission is to curate creative spaces where people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs and lifestyles are welcome to participate in improvisational jam sessions.

This is the 13th Anniversary of the 40th Street Summer Series. Stop by beginning at 6 pm for free scoops of ice cream from Ben & Jerry's, free samples of healthy snacks from honeygrow, free cold brew coffee from Saxbys, and free bicycle and helmet safety checks from Keswick Cycle. 

The 40th Street Summer Series is sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, Keswick Cycle University City, Univest Corporation, Campus Philly, Boom 103.9, 100.3 WRNB, and Inspire.

Admission is FREE! Bring a blanket, beach chair, picnic, and a friend! 

The popular, long running works-in-progress series is usually on the first Monday of every month and in Old City. This month, we have three Scratch Night performances, this one in West Philly, as we gear up for the 2017 Fringe Festival!

Come see a roster of Philly’s most talented artists perform new material from shows they are working on in this fast-paced sampling of contemporary theater, dance, performance art, and everything in between. Scratch Night features short performances by four-to-six companies/artists, offering an inside look at the future of performance.

Check back for the list of performers!

60 minutes

Admission is FREE; $5 Suggested Donation

Photo: David Pagliarulo

Move over Luke Cage. Step aside, Black PantherHave a seat, Shaft.An under-appreciated Black hero is due some shine.

In the film "The Spook Who Sat by the Door" (1973, Rated PG), a Black man plays an "Uncle Tom" in order to gain access to CIA training, then uses that knowledge to plot a new American Revolution.

6PM Doors/Meet-Up 

7PM FILM START

8PM INTERMISSION

9PM DISCUSSION

ADMISSION = Donate How Much You Like

// // //

"In "The Spook Who Sat by the Door," Dan Freeman (Lawrence Cook), a mildmannered, bespectacled, black social worker who seems to know his place, allows himself to become the token by which the Central Intelligence Agency becomes integrated.

There is, of course, no thought of ever sending Dan into the field. Black men, otherwise invisible, have a tendency to be conspicuous as spies. They stand out. Dan is kept around the home office where he says "yes, sir" and "no, sir," and escorts sightseeing parties through the nonclassified sections. That, however, is just one side of Dan.

The other side is Dan Freeman as the superblack nationalist. After Dan has learned everything that the C.I.A. has to teach him about guerilla warfare and weaponry, he returns to Chicago to orgnize a black revolution that, at the end of the film, is about to bring white America to its knees."

- excerpted from The New York Times