Our Other Mission

Over the years, City Paper’s commitment to its dual role of urban watchdog and cultural voice has earned us a reputation as one of the finest alternative newsweeklies in the nation. As the region’s cultural voice, it has long been our privilege to provide critical analysis of the local arts and entertainment scene. In more recent years, however, we’ve begun to acknowledge local artists in other, more tangible ways — acting as a conduit through which artists and audiences can be brought together in a supportive environment that nurtures local creative talent.

Last year, we introduced the City Paper Independent Film Contest, awarding four local filmmakers a total of $10,000 in prize money, a screening at the Prince Music Theatre and a national airing of their work on the Independent Film Channel. Of the four winning films, one was purchased by IFC and another went on to receive the Student Oscar®, an honor bestowed on only one student filmmaker each year,

This year, we’ve decided to take the City Paper Independent Film Contest one step further by incorporating it into (and assuming the marketing and event coordination responsibilities for) the Festival of Independents. By forming a partnership with Ray Murray and his staff at TLA Video and with Rich Goldberg and the staff of the Festival of Independents, City Paper hopes to raise the profile of our local independent film community during this year’s Philadelphia Festival Of World Cinema.

Our new "festival within a festival," the City Paper Festival of Independents, presented by TLAVideo.com, celebrates the work of 24 outstanding local films. The festival features a film series and seminars, and culminates with an award ceremony during which six films will be awarded prizes.

We hope that those of you who are interested in film, or interested in finding out more about the incredible breadth of filmmaking talent and resources that exist in your community, will take this opportunity to attend the screenings and meet the artists behind the work.

—Paul Curci, Publisher

Currently, Philadelphia City Paper rewards local artists through such events as our Annual Style Wars Student Design Competition, Annual Pitch Control DJ Competition, Annual Fiction & Poetry Contest, Annual Music Awards Show, and our ongoing "Exposure" online Photo Contest.