5 Things to Do in Philly This Week: Film and Book Festivals Out the Yang

We round up five of the week’s best to-dos, including our picks for the Philadelphia Book Festival, and Philly Film Society’s Spring Showcase. 

PFS Spring Showcase

Catch a film (or three) at the Philadelphia Film Society's Spring Showcase, showing at the PFS Theater at the Roxy through April 17th. The Philadelphia Film Festival gets a head start this week, with a whole new mini-festival as an addition to its annual hot-off-the-festival-circuit programming. Over 20 new and retrospective films make up the PFF spring lineup, with highlights from international film fests, and then a retrospective of the films of this year's Best Director Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón. Find the full programming here. April 11-17, various times, Rittenhouse Roxy Theater, 2023 Sansom Street,

Philadelphia Book Festival

The Free Library of Philadelphia launches its annual Book Festival this week, with plenty of literary festivities for the bibliophile in you. The festival runs April 14th through 19th, with events ranging from book-centric arts and craft gatherings to author signings throughout its local branches. Some highlights include presentation by Food Networks’s The Neelys (pictured), a talk with Barbara Ehrenreich, and a meet-and-greet with Anne Perry. Check out the full schedule here. April 14-18, various times, prices, and Free Library of Philadelphia branches.

Philly Shorts

It's a big week for film with Cinedelphia and PFS's Spring Showcase both going on, but local filmmakers also have a thing or two to put on screen. Reelblack and International House hosts a screening of film shorts from local filmmaker, including Cedra Walton, Floyd Marshall and Angelique Marshall, and Strohman Yukazi.. Over a dozen auteurs will be highlighted, with a special Q&A session with the directors to follow. Tuesday, April 15th, 7 p.m., $10, International House Philadelphia, 3701 Chestnut Street.

Laughs for Eli

Some of Philly's best and most promising comics team up this Thursday at Underground Arts, yukking it up for a cause. The night of comedy and camaraderie benefits the Eli Matthews Foundation to fight childhood leukemia. Host NA Poe welcomes Philly comedians including Omar Scruggs, Kricket Lee, and Hez Green. Thursday, April 17th, 7 p.m., Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill Street.

Blood, Sweat, and Dance

Philadanco brings its high-energy touring work to the Kimmel Center this week, with a three-day run of their latest innovative choreography. The piece, Blood, Sweat, and Dance, is four suites of gravity-defying lifts and daring turns,including a new work by acclaimed choreographer Ulysses Dove. Uniting the pieces are themes of relationships and movements, and the over-arching aesthetic of bodies in beautiful, acrobatic motion. Thursday, April 17th-Saturday, April 19th, 7:30 p.m., $29 - 46, Kimmel Center, 1500 Walnut Street.

Looking for something else? We’re keeping a good list of local events now through June on our Philadelphia Event Listings page.