The Philadelphia Film Festival opens Thursday and West Philly is right in the thick of the action.

The 20th annual festival opens at The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts‘ Zellerbach Theater (3680 Walnut St.) with a screening of Like Crazy, the Sundance Grand Jury Prize (Best Picture) winner starring Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin. Tickets for the screening are $20 ($15 for members of the Philadelphia Film Society) and $50/$45 for the screening and an opening party.

The International House (3701 Chestnut St.) and The Rave movie theater (4012 Walnut St.) are two more key venues for this year’s festival. Films kick off at the International House at 5 p.m. on Friday and continue daily through Wednesday, Oct. 26. After a short break, films return on Sunday, Oct. 30. Films at The Rave also open on Friday and continue through Thursday, Oct. 27.

We have way too little space here to get into the dozens of films screening over the festival’s two weeks. You need to find yourself a handy film guide, which is available at various locations in the neighborhood (we got ours at Earth Cup near 45th and Pine). Here is the online schedule.

One feature film with West Philly connections that we would like to point out is The Destiny of Lesser Animals directed by Deron Albright and starring Yao B. Nunoo. You might recognize those two if you saw them because they spent many hours in West Philly establishments, including The Gold Standard or Dhalak, planning and discussing the film, which was shot in Ghana and West Philly.

Nunoo, a former Penn film student who also wrote the screenplay, stars as a police inspector in Ghana who is desperate to return to America after being deported. The film is modeled in part on Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog.

Geekadelphia posted its Top 8 films to check out here.

Tickets for regular individual screenings are $12 ($10 for Philadelphia Film Society members). Tickets for weekday matinees (before 5 p.m.) are $6/$5. All-access badges are also available. Go here for more information on tickets.

Some bad news for the Philly Diner pancake fans – the restaurant closed Sunday after 10 years of operation. The reason? The owner decided not to renew the lease, the Penn student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian reports.

The restaurant has faced some tough times like a 2009 shooting that prompted switch from a 24-hour service to more limited hours.

It’s not clear who the diner’s owner is, but it seems that this person has other restaurants in the area. If you go to the diner’s homepage (www.phillydiner.com) it redirects to Ed’s Buffalo Wings & Pizza, a family-owned restaurant also located in University City (35th and Lancaster).

According to a sign on the diner, its restaurant and kitchen equipment will be auctioned off online at this website Thursday and Friday. The equipment is available for inspection on Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
 

US Vice President Joe Biden is going to make a stop this afternoon (around 2:30 p.m.) at the University of Pennsylvania’s Houston Hall (3417 Spruce Street). So don’t be surprised to see some chaotic traffic patterns and delays. Biden will be here for a roundtable discussion with Mayor Michael Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey on budget cuts and how they affect public safety.
 

The International House Philadelphia is hosting a series of events this month dedicated to India and its rich culture. A photography exhibit, the Diwali festival, and the International Vision Award Ceremony are all part of the Incredible India! event series running in October and the beginning of November.

This week the International House invites neighbors to enjoy and learn more about Indian cuisine. This event will take place tomorrow, Oct. 18, at 6:00 p.m. at Tandoor India located at 106 S 40th Street. Tandoor India specializes in exotic North and South Indian cuisine. The restaurant’s host will select the menu and drinks and present a short overview of the food and culture of the region.

We hear that members of Youcie (the University City Young Friends group) will co-host the event, so this is also a great opportunity to meet them and learn more about the group.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. For more Incredible India! and other events at the International House go here.

Several West Philly-based arts and culture organizations recently received some much-needed grants to help with everything from redesigning the hallways at Henry C. Lea Elementary School to keeping Shakespeare in Clark Park going.

The grants are from the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts Project Stream, an off-shoot of the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts that makes grants of up to $3,000 available to individuals and organizations who work on arts projects. Information and applications for next year’s grants will be available in the spring.

Here’s a rundown of the West Philly winners thanks to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance website (awards for the entire Philadelphia region are also available there):

• Yvette Almaguer and the Lea Visual Arts Program –  $1,999
“The Lea Visual Arts Program is a collaborative effort to improve school climate through innovative interior design and visual art interventions throughout hallways and stairwells of the Henry C. Lea School.” West Philly native and Penn Professor Justin McDaniel, a member of the West Philadelphia Coalition for Neighborhood Schools, helped with the grant application.

• Crossroads Music – $1,999
“Crossroads Music, the region’s only organization dedicated to presenting traditional and ethnic music from around the world, will present approximately 20 concerts, along with workshops and children’s events.”

• Intercultural Journeys – $1,666
“Intercultural Journeys is developing a series for the West Philadelphia communities called Sunday Evenings-Music for Contemplation. The musical performances represent a broad variety of musical and faith traditions.”

• Shakespeare in Clark Park – $2,969
“Shakespeare in Clark Park will present a professional outdoor theater production of a Shakespearean play at a free summertime cultural event that is accessible to the Clark Park neighborhood and the Greater Philadelphia area.”
 

A not-so-subtle reminder this morning in front of the CVS at 43rd and Locust. Here are some bike locking tips from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.