The AIDS Library of Philadelphia, the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania and West Philly Local collaborated to revive this image from the early days of AIDS cultural activism. In recognition of World AIDS Day, the over 25 million people who have died from AIDS, and the 30,000 Philadelphians living with HIV, we encourage you to get tested today.

2012 marks the 25^th Anniversary of the AIDS Library – the only lending library devoted to HIV/AIDS in the United States. A part of Philadelphia FIGHT and located at 1233 Locust Street, more information about the AIDS Library and HIV testing can be found at www.fight.org.

Free screenings of Untitled, a 60-minute film on the history of the AIDS Crisis, will be held at the ICA from 11 a.m – 5 p.m., every hour on the hour, throughout the day today. The ICA is located at 118 South 36^th Street.  For more information, visit www.icaphila.org.

The 12th annual Peoplehood parade and pageant was today in West Philly. This annual showcase of arts and activism is put on by the Spiral Q Puppet Theater. If you couldn’t make it out, take a minute and check out the slideshow below.
 

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.

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.”
 

West Philly artists –  there’s still time to apply for the Lancaster Avenue Arts project.

Lancaster Avenue has been selected by The City of Philadelphia as a ReStore Corridors Through Art location. From September 30 – November 30 qualified artists can use vacant storefronts for their installations. More than a dozen locations are on the list.

Applications are accepted until August 8. Artists working in any medium are welcome to apply.

To see the list of available storefronts and to apply go here.

Curio Theatre Company has announced that its 2011-2012 season will include a free performance of “Lord of the Flies” in Clark Park, Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” and Dario Fo’s “Accidental Death of an Anarchist.”

The company has announced that discounted ticket packages are available for the upcoming season that amounts to a free ticket to one of four productions.

Curio’s season kicks off on September 2 with a special staging of Nigel Williams’ adaptation of “Lord of the Flies” in Clark Park as part of the Philly Fringe Live Arts Festival. The run also includes performances on Sept. 3, 7, 8 and 9 that are free and open to the public.

Its regular schedule includes:

• “Eurydice” – Oct. 12 through Nov. 12

• “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” – Dec. 7 through Jan. 7

• “Slaughterhouse-Five” – Feb 2 through March 3

• “The Tempest” – April 19 through May 19.

Click here for more information or to buy season tickets.