🎥 The Philadelphia Film Festival has arrived | Things to do

The Philadelphia Film Society is rolling out the red carpet for more than 100 films starting Thursday night.

There are shorts, documentaries, and features that are debuting or screening at the 34th edition of the Philadelphia Film Festival.

The annual festival opens with the third film in Rian Johnson’s who-done-it series, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, followed by a series of showings from local and international filmmakers.

The weekend is also filled with activities for fans of pumpkin patches, Halloween-themed cocktails, spooky experiences, and scenic bike rides through downtown Philly.

— Earl Hopkins (@earlhopkins_, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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Grab some popcorn and candy for the 2025 Philadelphia Film Festival. Now in its 34th year, the annual showcase will highlight the latest films, documentaries, and shorts at multiple venues across the city, including the newly renovated Film Society Center.

Among the more than 100 films are PFF’s “Centerpieces,” a section that includes Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and the afterlife love triangle Eternity, starring Elizabeth Olsen.

Close to home is the Filmadelphia series, featuring filmmakers based in or from Philly, including Sarah McClure (Keep Quiet and Forgive), Kevin Shreck (Enongo), Mike Macera (Alice Heart), and the director duo Matt Wilkins and Eliza Fox (What the Hell Happened?).

Here’s the full list of screenings.

🚴 The Philly Bike Ride returns: On Saturday, the 20-mile journey through downtown Philadelphia will take place once again. The car-free tour takes riders past sites like City Hall, LOVE Park, Race Street Pier, and Penn’s Landing before returning to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Check out our story for road closures, registration, and more.

🎵 Philly Music Fest comes to a close: The annual celebration of local musicians concludes on Sunday, with a lineup filled with psychedelic rock, soulful R&B, indie pop, and more.

📽️ Halloween classics on the big screen: Northeast Philly’s Cannstatter Volksfest Verein will screen Beetlejuice and The Addams Family on Friday and Saturday as part of its drive-in movie series.

🍂 Pumpkin picking in Yardley: Take the trip to Yardley for pumpkin bowling, a loose corn sandbox, a straw mountain, and sugar pumpkin painting at Charlann Farms.

🩰 An evening of performance-horror: The Philadelphia Ballet brings some scares to the Academy of Music with a double bill of haunting dance performances from Thursday to Sunday.

🌽 Back to the days of Maze Days: Maze Days returned this week at Dilworth Park, with storytime sessions, pumpkin carving, themed happy hours, and other activities through Oct. 31.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Tinsel’s Halloween Pop Up, Philly Music Fest, Rocky Horror Show at Bucks County Playhouse, Manayunk Fall Fest and a Mac N Cheese Crawl.

Boo-ze and brews: Halloween season is in full swing, and Philly’s bars are going all out. From haunted rooftops and witchy crawls to creepy clowns and movie-themed cocktail pop-ups, there’s no shortage of spooky fun (or pun-filled drinks) to be had. Check out eight of the city’s best Halloween bars and events — costumes encouraged, spirits guaranteed.

⏲️ The clock is ticking: Enter 25 different portals through space and time at Rittenhouse’s newest attraction, Time Mission. The immersive, fast-paced adventure, featuring scale castles, riddles, lasers, and more, opens on Friday.

🏠 Paul Robeson House reopens: The West Philadelphia home of the esteemed activist, scholar, attorney, actor, and professional football player reopens to the public after 8 months of renovations.

🎃 Ready to scream? Haunted houses, hayrides, and horror-filled mills are back to make your October nights terrifyingly fun. From the eerie cellblocks of Eastern State Penitentiary to the haunted halls of Pennhurst Asylum, these nine attractions near Philly promise jump scares, creepy stories, and a full dose of adrenaline.

🧙‍♀️Hocus Pocus at Red Rum Theater: Slip past the velvet curtain and step into the wickedly intimate cocktail experience at Red Rum Theater. The Hocus Pocus-themed speakeasy offers bold drinks like the Moody Mary, Sarah’s Siren Song, and Winifred’s Wicked Elixir, and other signature drinks through Nov. 8.

Pop music critic Dan DeLuca lists the top concerts this weekend

🎸 Thursday: David Byrne brings his “Who Is the Sky Tour” for a three-night residency at the Met Philly starting Thursday and commencing on Saturday.

🎸 Friday: At Union Transfer, the Philadelphia Tom Petty Appreciation Band will honor the late and legendary singer-songwriter. The band will be joined by special guests Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz, Eric Bazilian of the Hooters, and Eliza Hardy Jones of the War on Drugs, among others.

🎤 Saturday: Archawah, the pop-rock singer Chris Archibald, who is the leader of Bucks County band Illinois, is performing with Kulfi Girls on Saturday at Underground Arts with the Wonder Years.

🎸 Monday: In support of his new 30-song album, Twilight Override, Jeff Tweedy will hit the Union Transfer stage alongside Sima Cunningham on Monday.

Read more music picks.

This week is filled with Halloween-themed happenings and other fall festivities, so tune in next week (and others after) for other seasonal happenings. You’re in for a ride.

See you soon and thanks for reading!

- Earl