Dust off your picnic blankets and lawn chairs: cinéSPEAK’s Under the Stars Film Festival is returning to the bowl at Clark Park for its 2026 season.

Transforming the historic neighborhood green space into an open-air cinema, the annual four-week festival will run every Friday night from May 29 through June 19. Each event features a combination of award-winning independent cinema, live musical sets, local food trucks, and connections to neighborhood advocacy groups.

This year’s festival centers around the poignant theme of “community resilience,” curating a lineup that honors how individuals and collectives organize, protect one another, and build solidarity across global and hyper-local movements.

The Weekly Schedule & Film Lineup

Every Friday evening kicks off with an outdoor community gathering and live music at 7 p.m., followed by the film screenings at 9 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, immediate rain dates are set for the following Saturday evenings.

Week 1: Opening Night — Friday, May 29 (Rain date: May 30)

The festival launches with a celebratory community night and a focus on grassroots mutual aid, including live performances by special musical guests Mariposas Galácticas and DJ Ripley and local eats courtesy of the Tokio Sushi Truck.

Film Program: 1. Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento (Full Belly, Happy Heart) (Dirs. Marshall Leitner-Hanig and Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg) — An intimate look inside the organizers running a grassroots food pantry in Queens, New York. 2. Everybody to Kenmure Street (Dir. Felipe Bustos Sierra) — The Pennsylvania premiere of the Sundance 2026 Special Jury Award winner, documenting a historic community-led neighborhood resistance against an immigration detention in Scotland.

The After-Party: The energy shifts over to Dahlak Paradise (4708 Baltimore Ave) from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. featuring music by riva + bianca. Neighbors who show their festival RSVP can score 10 percent off their tab.

Week 2: Independent Journalism & Abolition — Friday, June 5 (Rain date: June 6)

Partnering with the Video Consortium Philly, this evening dives into independent storytelling. Live music from Vinyl Tap 215 DJs DuiJi and Aura.

Film Program: 1. Abolition Conversations: Episode 1 — The highly anticipated world premiere featuring Philadelphia organizers sharing visions for justice beyond mass incarceration. 2. Steal This Story, Please! (Dirs. Carl Deal and Tia Lessin) — A compelling documentary centered on journalist Amy Goodman and her groundbreaking work with Democracy Now!

Week 3: Identity & Coming of Age — Friday, June 12 (Rain date: June 13)

In partnership with the Philadelphia Latino Arts and Film Festival, this evening explores the deeply personal and collective journeys of defining who we are and finding where we belong. Musical set by special guest DJ Vicente.

Film Program: Niñxs — An intimate, beautiful documentary set in Mexico exploring adolescence, identity, and gender protections for trans youth.

Week 4: Closing Night — Friday, June 19 (Rain date: June 20)

The final installment honors the intersections of Black feminist thought and cultural organizing.

Film Program: TCB: The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing, paying homage to the enduring legacy of the legendary writer and activist.

Special Short Feature: The world premiere of #FreeBlackMamas: Hear Her Voice from the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund.

The events are public, family-friendly, and free to attend, though a $10 donation is strongly encouraged to support cinéSPEAK’s non-profit operations. Learn more and secure your spots by registering directly via the official cinéSPEAK event portal.