The Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) is launching a free seasonal community screening program, Movies on the Block, this Saturday (Aug. 20). This will be the second year of Movies on the Block, an initiative designed to support established community organizations in neighborhoods that have little access to film by providing film programming and facilitating engagement.

PFS has chosen weekly lead partners through a public application process. All partners worked with PFS to develop Movies on the Block events in collaboration with other community leaders, stakeholders and organizations.

The first screening (Ernest & Celestine) will be this Saturday at Kingsessing Playground (51st & Chester), and on Saturday, Sept. 17, Belmont and Mantua community members are invited to a screening of Shake the Dust at Belmont Charter School. Here are more details for each screening: 

Southwest Philly Screening – Kingsessing

Ernest & Celestine, 2012 / France, Belgium, Luxembourg / 80 min

Date: Saturday, Aug. 20

Time: 6 – 9 p.m. (6:00 pm: event activities begin; 7:50 p.m: estimate film start time)

Location: Kingsessing Playground (51st & Chester). Rain Site: Free Library of Philadelphia, Kingsessing Branch – 1201 S. 51st St.

Join the Philadelphia Film Society, Kingsessing 5th District Community of Neighbors, Free Library of Philadelphia: Kingsessing Branch, and Southwest CDC in celebrating the power of film and the Kingsessing community at this FREE family-friendly screening and event.

This event and screening of Academy Award-nominated Ernest and Celestine is FREE and open to the public. All are welcome! The event will take place rain or shine (indoor space available) and attendees are encouraged to bring their own seats and snacks… as well as the whole family!

Before the film screening, enjoy FREE interactive art workshops with Tiny WPA, face painting, musical entertainment, community wellness workshops with Yoga on the Banks, snacks, giveaways, and more.

Film Information: Ernest & Celestine is a 2012 animated comedy-drama film directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner. The film is based on a series of children’s books of the same name published by the Belgian author and illustrator Gabrielle Vincent.

Festivals/Awards: Academy Award nominee (Best Animated Feature), New York International Children’s Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards (Best Animation), Seattle International Film Festival.

West Philly Screening – Belmont/Mantua

Shake the Dust, 2014 / USA / 84 min

Date: Saturday, Sept. 17

Time: 5:30 – 9 p.m.

Location: Belmont Charter School (4030 Brown St)

Join the Philadelphia Film Society, Neighborhood Bike Works, People’s Emergency Center, Belmont Charter School, and Smart Garden celebrating the power of film and the Belmont/Mantua community at this FREE family-friendly screening and event.

Before the screening, enjoy FREE garden tours with Smart Garden, African dance classes with performer and educator Cachet Ivey, community wellness workshops with Yoga on the Banks, live drumming, a basketball tournament, snacks, giveaways, and more!

Film Information: “Shake the Dust” is a feature documentary by Adam Sjoberg that tells the stories of break dancers from conflicted “third-world” communities around the globe, who, although separated by cultural boundaries and individual struggles, are intrinsically tied to one another through their passion for dance & hip-hop culture.

Festivals/Awards: Seattle International Film Festival, Urban Films Festival, Bluenote Jazz Festival, Paris Hip-Hop Festival, Flatlands Dance Film Festival.

For more information about Movies on the Block, visit: http://filmadelphia.org/mob.