The signature film program at International House Philadelphia has been revamped with a new name.
Previously known as Film at International House, the program is now called Lightbox Film Center. The freshly dubbed center remains part of IHP, but will exercise greater independence under its new name. A launch party celebrating the newly-named center will be held at IHP on May 18.
Established in the 1970s, the film center has been a well-known attraction for local cinephiles, bringing in an audience of 22,000 members annually. Screening approximately 500 films every year, the center shows films from Hollywood, international and avant-garde cinema.
Despite its popularity among local cinema enthusiasts, some leaders of the organization felt that the old name hindered widespread recognition of the center.
“Our name change was an idea to help further distinguish the program from International House as a whole, since so many different things happen here,” IHP Director of Programs and Events Sarah Christy, said. “We found that not everyone was aware that we even had a film program, so we thought by rebranding it and giving it some identity, it would help bolster the reputation and hopefully help spread the word about the great arts program.”
Other than hosting film screenings, IHP provides residential services for foreign students, hosts cultural celebrations such as Diwali and the Lunar New Year and presents art exhibitions. It is a non-profit organization.
Chief Curator Jesse Pires said Lightbox distinguishes itself from other film centers in the city by showing both traditional and contemporary film.
“We’re bringing in film from across many different disciplines, genres and areas, so anything from classic film from Hollywood or international cinema, as well as experimental and contemporary video art,” Pires said. “We really embrace all these various manifestations of moving image art in a very broad context.”
Pires, who has been with the film program for 13 years, said he was proud to witness Lightbox emerging as a more “distinctive voice and vision.”
“As part of Penn Moviegoer, I’ve really come to appreciate watching movies with my friends and fellow classmates,” College sophomore Soubie Im said. “We’ve definitely looked into [Lightbox’s] themed screenings and have talked about going there together,”
Although Lightbox and IHP are unaffiliated with Penn, they frequently collaborate with the Cinema and Media Studies program and host the annual Penn Humanities Forum. Most recently, Lightbox hosted the Penn Bioethics Film Festival, featuring the films “Avatar,” ”Her” and “Ex Machina.”
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