🎬 Philadelphia Film Festival 2025: Celebrating the Best in Global Cinema
Every October, the Philadelphia Film Festival transforms the city into a global stage for cinematic storytelling — welcoming tens of thousands of film lovers, emerging talents, and celebrated filmmakers for an electrifying 11-day experience. (Philadelphia Film Society, 2025)
Curated by the Philadelphia Film Society’s expert programming team, who travel the world from Sundance to Cannes, Berlin to Toronto, the Festival delivers a handpicked lineup of the year’s most talked-about, award-winning, and visionary films. From bold debuts to international sensations, every screening is a chance to discover the next big thing in film.
This year’s Festival runs October 16–26, 2025, featuring 11 days of world-class cinema, exclusive events, and celebrations that bring the city’s film community together.
🌟 Spotlight Feature: Dead Giveaway
World Premiere | Section: Filmadelphia
One of the most anticipated screenings of the Festival is Ian Kimble’s Dead Giveaway, a wickedly funny horror-comedy making its world premiere right here in Philadelphia. (Emma Griffiths PR, 2025)
Film Details
Feature Film (USA)
Genre: Horror Comedy
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2025
Written and Directed by: Ian Kimble
Producers: Suzann Toni, Andrew Vogel, Ian Kimble
Executive Producer: Hallee Adelman
Co-Producer: Amanda Frederick
Starring:
- Ruby Modine (Silent Night, Deadly Night, Shameless)
- Mikaela Hoover (Superman [2025])
- Scout Taylor-Compton (Rob Zombie’s Halloween)
🩸 Synopsis
Jill (Ruby Modine) wakes up from a blackout night of drinking and partying to find herself covered in blood — and sharing her bed with a dead man. Hungry, hungover, horrified, and possibly a murderer, she scrambles to clean up before her roommate Sarah (Suzann Toni) notices.
When her best friend Lia (Mikaela Hoover) shows up, half-concerned, half-annoyed, she reluctantly agrees to help Jill figure out what happened, but only under one condition: they have to make it to brunch before 3 p.m.
What follows is a blood-soaked comedy of errors involving mistaken identities, suspicious visitors, and a very inconvenient corpse. Between hiding bodies, dodging questions, and keeping their mimosas on schedule, Jill and Lia stumble through a hangover-fueled nightmare where every fix only makes things worse.
With an endlessly creative script by Ian Kimble, Dead Giveaway delivers a sharp mix of horror and humor — and the irresistible chemistry between Ruby Modine and Mikaela Hoover keeps audiences laughing (and screaming) until the very end.
🎥 About the Filmmaker
Ian Kimble is a writer, producer, and director with a background in award-winning short films and independent features. Dead Giveaway marks his feature debut as writer, director, and producer — expanding on one of his original short films. With this project, Kimble cements his place as one of Philadelphia’s most exciting emerging filmmakers.
📅 Screening Schedule
Philadelphia Film Festival 2025 Official Screenings
World Premiere
📍 Friday, October 17 at 9:45 p.m.
Location: Film Society Center
1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Encore Screening
📍 Sunday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Location: Film Society East
125 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19106
Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan or just love a clever dark comedy, Dead Giveaway is a must-see at this year’s Philadelphia Film Festival, proof that the city’s film scene is as bold, fresh, and fearless as ever.
SA Examiner 