The 12th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival, presented by TLA Entertainment and the Philadelphia Film Society, will take place on April 3 - 16. The festival, which is the largest of its kind on the East Coast, screens 155 feature films and over 320 films total. This year's festival will open with James Foley's Confidence, starring Edward Burns. A single ticket to a film costs $8.50, while a matinee ticket costs $6.50. Tickets to the two opening night showings of Confidence run for $15. Films will be screened at The Prince Music Theater, Ritz East, Ritz Five, Independence Seaport Museum, The Bridge and International House. Last year's Best Feature Film winner was Very Opposite Sexes, and the Best Documentary winner was Runaway. The festival is filled with contenders this year, but Street offers a look at some of the more interesting choices to look for: The Boys of 2nd Street Park: Ron Berger and Dan Klores present a touching look at a group of Brighton Beach men. The decade-spanning documentary presents an intimate look at the finer points of a New York childhood while also portraying the turbulent era in which the boys grew up. Playing April 5, Seaport Museum at 5:15. Bollywood/Hollywood: If The Guru left you disappointed, come check out Deepa Mehta's musical about a cross-cultural romance. Playing April 7, Ritz 5 at 9:30, and April 9, Ritz East at 5:15. Ping Pong: I used to dominate the Hill College House Ping Pong scene. Now, alas, I'm regulated to watching Fumihiko Masuri's film about the Sport of Kings... With Little Paddles. Playing April 12, Ritz 5 at 9:30, and April 15, Prince Music Theater at 4:45. Bug: Have you ever felt guilty about squashing a bug? If not, you're a heartless bastard. But if so, watch Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay's film, which explores the ramifications of such a seemingly insignificant action. Playing April 12, Ritz East at 9:45, and April 15, The Bridge at 2:30. Spellbound: First the National Spelling Bee dominated ESPN, pre-empting those entertaining cheerleading and lumberjack competitions. Now, these pre-teen spellers have their own documentary, which was nominated this year for an Academy Award. Playing April 6, Prince Music Theater at 2:30, and April 7, Ritz 5 at 7:15. The Weather Underground: This timely documentary from Sam Green and Bill Siegel traces the rise and fall of the Weathermen, a radical offshoot of the Students for a Democratic Society that took up arms against the government in the 1960s. The film is a consideration of the failed idealism of 60s radicals, which neither glorifies nor exonerates its subjects, instead allowing them to speak for themselves. Playing April 11, Seaport Museum at 7:30, and April 13, International House at 2:30. Stevie: Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams, presents Stevie, the story of Stevie Dale Fielding who, abused as a child, now has turned to a life of crime as an adult. James was Stevie's Big Brother when he was eleven. Now, a decade later, he returns to find his subject struggling desperately to lead a normal life. Playing April 11, Ritz 5 at 7:00, and April 12, Ritz 5 at 4:30.ÿ Turning Gate: Acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo directs this romance about a struggling actor involved in a shaky love triangle. The film is a genuine improvisational wonder, written as it was being filmed, which makes the end result an achievement in itself. Playing April 12, Ritz East at 5:00, and April 15, Ritz East at 2:30. ÿ 9 Dead Gay Guys: Billed as one of the more offensive films of the festival, this British import follows two questionably straight Irish youths who become emersed in the seedy underbelly of London's gay culture. They don't particularly enjoy servicing gay men for money, but it pays well. Not surprisingly, there were more than a few walk-outs when it was screened in Cannes. Playing April 13, Prince Music Theater at 9:30, and April 15, Ritz East at 7:30. Medium Cool: This 1969 Haskell Wexler film features Robert Forster as a cameraman who undergoes a radical transformation, leaving his girlfriend for an Appalacian woman (Verna Bloom) and slowly identifying with the plight of blacks excluded in the media. Filled with violent, graphic images, the film closes with real footage from the riots outside the 1968 Democratic Convention. Its consideration of media's relationship to politics makes it just as relevant today. Playing April 7, Prince Music Theater at 7:00.ÿ For more information on other festival films and events, visit the official website (http://www.phillyfests.com/pff/templates/home.cfm).

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