World Meeting of Families: There's an app for that

WITH JUST TWO months to go until showtime, the World Meeting of Families team yesterday announced the release of its mobile app - "Go Philadelphia!" - and the addition of a family friendly film festival that will coincide with the faith-based congress.

The "Go Philadelphia!" app, which can be downloaded for free on Apple and Android devices, provides tourists with maps, schedules and places to visit in the greater Philadelphia area from Sept. 18, the Friday before the World Meeting of Families begins, to Sept. 29, two days after Pope Francis' departure.

Created by IBM, the app will also offer real-time closed-caption translation services in eight languages during portions of the papal mass on Sept. 27.

Diane Melley, vice president of global citizenship initiatives at IBM, said the app also will have the ability to send out texts in the event of an emergency.

"If there is anything that needs to be broadcast out, we have the capability to bring that onto the app directly," she said.

The app can be downloaded and used offline, in the event that cell service is less than optimal because of high usage during the papal events.

But Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director of the World Meeting of Families, remains hopeful that cell service will be available.

"Our technology director, Tom Dugan, has been working . . . with the providers and with the city so that there's bandwidth, so that there's enough access for people," Farrell said.

Following the papal visit, IBM will gift the app to the city to be used for other large events, such as the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Melley said.

Also announced yesterday was the World Meeting of Families Film Festival, which will take place from Sept. 22 to Sept 25. Most of the movies will be shown in the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center and all films will be ticketed, said Sharon Pinkenson, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office.

Many of the films to be shown have a Philadelphia connection, including "The Mighty Macs," "Diary of a City Priest," and "Invincible."

M. Night Shyamalan will be on hand to introduce one of his early films, "Wide Awake," and Sam Katz will premiere his documentary, "Urban Trinity," which explores the history of Catholicism in Philadelphia.

On the final night of the film fest, "The Sound of Music" will be shown outdoors at Dilworth Park to 1,000 people, Pinkenson said.

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