THE PHILADELPHIA FILM AND MUSIC FESTIVAL or “PHILLY F/M” for short is a four-day festival taking place at over 30 music and film venues, with free outdoor stages, day parties and a record fair. Philly F/M will take place on Thursday, Sept 23 – Sunday, Sept 26th, 2010 and will feature a wide variety of regional, national and international musicians and films. The festival strives to be an annual event that effectively merges independent film and music in new and exciting ways. Instead of segregating them to different venues, the festival will combine the aural and the visual in dynamic settings to engage and foster new audiences for both mediums. Philly F/M will combine screenings with live performances, present a live, improvised film scoring series, screen music shorts and documentaries, curate a local music video expo to tie in the city’s rich musical landscape and screen outdoor films in unique settings. Philly F/M is headquartered at 2424 Studios (2424 E. York Street) in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood. In addition to serving as the Philly F/M headquarters, the “Skybox” will host a record fair and exhibitor area during the festival. This two-day (Saturday/Sunday) event is free and features record vendors and a variety of exhibitors showcasing their music and film related products.

 http://www.phillyfmfest.com/

Below is a statement about the movie from the creators with links to their website and a YouTube trailer.This movie will directly tie into Artspace Liberti’s November/December exhibition of Congo photos by Melanie Blanding.
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Some wars make headlines; some do not. In the messy aftermath of the Rwandan civil war, refugees fled to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). As many as 100,000 of the Interahamwe, a militia partially responsible for the Rwandan genocide, crossed the border to avoid prosecution for acts against humanity. Thousands of women who have been raped and mutilated in the DRC can attest that the momentum to kill and maim is still in full swing despite a peace agreement signed in 2003. Nestled in the hills along the Rwandan border, Panzi Hospital stands as the last hope for many of Congo’s victims of sexual violence.

“Women in War Zones” dives intimately into the lives of two young women who become sisters during their time of treatment at Panzi hospital. Helene and Bijo, 22 and 13, support each other in their fight and struggle to maintain hope and a sense of dignity as they come to grips with their violent and tragic past. The women, along with the staff of the hospital, look for hope in each other, God, and the upcoming presidential elections — the first in over 40 years.

http://www.womeninwarzones.org/page.php?page=home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPNYA2GJo44

* Above photo by Melanie Blanding
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Artspace Liberti is a multi-disciplined arts venue maintained by Liberti Church. It is located at 2424 Studios, 2424 E. York St. in Philadelphia, PA. Please contact us at artspaceliberti(at)gmail.com

Also located within 2424 Studios is the “Skybox,” an unparalleled and climate controlled event space of over 6,200 feet that is for tenants’ use, for community use and for rent to the public. The Skybox is unequivocally Philadelphia’s newest and most unique event space for art exhibitions, parties, receptions, fundraisers, social and corporate events … and more!  Please visit www.2424skybox.com for more information.  We will be continuing to add more details to the website so please visit us again soon!

You can also call Jessica at 215-925-7676 or jessica@2424studios.com for detailed information on leasing options for studios and the Skybox.