THINK TANK

Playing up Ben Franklin's role as a media mogul, the Nexus/Foundation and Media Tank are hosting Power of the People, a movie night all about democracy and the importance of getting involved. It's the second installment in a series tackling everything from civic engagement to mass communication.

The Power films, while in keeping with themes of Franklin's life, also question the tenets of democracy in a none-too-subtle manner. The lineup includes Jacqueline Gross' 14-minute There There Square, about the way travelers and mapmakers define lines around the United States, and Public Discourse, Brad Downey and Quenell Jones' film about illegal installation artists. Monifa Skerritt-Perry's The Word on the Street: A Street Corner Perspective on Voting & Beyond wraps up with a focus on urban voter apathy. "We shot it in 2004, looking at different neighborhoods and seeing how people aren't involved," says Skerritt-Perry. "We wanted to ask people what they thought and how they felt, and if the politicians actually represented them, or if they just said what the people wanted to hear at election time."

Media Tank communications director Joshua Breitbart believes Philadelphians are hungry for this sort of independent culture, and the tercentenary is a great time to get the message across. "We want to get people away from the mass-marketed tourism package that's often spoon-fed to them."

Power of the People: Films about Democracy & Civic Participation, Thu., Jan. 12, 7 p.m., Nexus/Foundation for Today's Art, 137 N. Second St., 215-629-1103.