Date: Sunday, April 26, 2026
Time: Doors Open 12:30pm | Starting 1pm
Place: Mt. Airy Art Garage (MAAG) – 7054 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19119
Free RSVP:
We’d like to invite SIFTers, their guests and friends of SIFT to attend this 2nd 2026 Rough Cut Screening of Member’s work. The films being screened are still in various stages of Post-Production, where your feedback is most valuable.
Filmmaker: Gabe Castro Film: stiched
Synopsis: exploring the complications of memory. How much are our memories changed when revisited, what do others remember and how can we fill in the blanks?
Filmmaker: Gabrielle Patterson Film: THE SEEDS WE CARRY
Synopsis: a short documentary weaving intimate portraits of community farm stewards in Southwest Philadelphia. Through the rhythms of planting, cooking, and sharing food, the protagonists reveal how everyday acts of care and resistance nurture belonging, forge cross-cultural kinship, and preserve a sense of home amid the pressures of displacement in a rapidly changing city.
Each filmmaker will give specific needs for feedback prior to screening.
Post screening of each film, we will also use these prompts:
- Narrative & Clarity: “Did you understand the main story and the characters’ motivations?”
- Engagement & Pacing: “At what point did you feel bored or lost?” or “Where did the film drag?”
- Emotional Impact: “Which scenes felt the most emotionally resonant, and which felt flat?”
- Structural Issues: “Was the ending satisfying?” or “Was the beginning too slow?”
- Clarity & Understanding: “Were there any parts that were confusing or required more explanation?”
- Length: “Which scenes felt unnecessary or redundant?”
RECAP VIDEOS FROM ROUGH CUT #1 – Held March 14, 2026
Filmmaker: Rae Shaw Film: SHATTERED
Synopsis: This work-in-progress hybrid documentary tells the story of six historical Black women who overcame their stereotypes, as they come out of history and help a contemporary woman do the same. This segment concentrates on the story of Dominique Walker, a housing activist from Oakland.
Filmmaker: Lois Moses Film: JUSTICE FOR MATT
Synopsis: A relentless sister becomes an advocate and investigator when her gay brother is brutally murdered, leading to the groundbreaking use of forensic genetic genealogy to solve the first cold case of its kind in the county. “Justice for Matt” chronicles one family’s three-year fight for accountability and closure while highlighting the urgent need for justice and safety for Black LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Filmmaker: Nikki Harmon Film: NOW & AGAIN
Logline: A random encounter with an old high school acquaintance compels college student and aspiring scientist, Kim, to harness a strange new ability in hopes that it will help her make a romantic connection.
NOTE: Eboni’s film did not screen March 14th – Look for it to be featured in a future Rough Cut.
Filmmaker: Eboni Zamani Film: THE LONG WAY HOME
Synopsis: TA woman searches for answers about her family’s home and heritage after learning about her great-grandmother’s upbringing, shortly before her passing.
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2026
Time: Doors Open 5:30pm | Starting 6pm
Place: Mt. Airy Art Garage (MAAG) – 7054 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19119
Free RSVP: https://forms.gle/r1QBxssNLpEEduCk6