Scribe Video Center Unveils Fall 2025 / Winter 2026 Season of Screenings

Born this Way

Scribe Video Center Unveils Fall 2025 / Winter 2026 Season of Screenings 

Featuring award-winning filmmakers Manthia Diawara, Sam Pollard, Joie Lee, Yvonne Welbon, and more!

Curated by Yvonne Michelle Shirley

Philadelphia, PA – October 21, 2025

Scribe Video Center, located at 3908 Lancaster Avenue, invites you to celebrate the art of storytelling and community history with an extraordinary lineup of screenings this season. Join us for inspiring documentaries, community conversations with the filmmakers, and opportunities to connect with Philadelphia’s vibrant arts and culture scene. Support our 43-year legacy of creative expression and social impact by attending an event or becoming a Scribe member today at scribe.org.

Curated by Guest Programmer, Yvonne Michelle Shirley, the series invites audiences to experience films that reimagine identity, spirituality, and belonging through the lens of community and creativity. 

“I first encountered Scribe Video Center as a college student in Philadelphia, over 20 years ago,” says Shirley. “That experience illuminated the transformative powers of collective artmaking and how film allows us to grapple with, and build community around, the issues confronting our lives and the shared spaces. The films this season encourage us to be wildly creative and deeply committed to bringing forth the understanding and transformation we seek for ourselves and our communities.”

Shirley is a filmmaker based in Newark, NJ, and Director of the Community Media Center at Express Newark, a center for socially engaged art and design supported by Rutgers University-Newark.  

Screening highlights this season include: 

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Friday, November 14, 7:00 PM

An experimental documentary that delves deep into the nuance of today's Blackqueer youth through digital collage and sound.

Third World Newsreel: African Spiritualities

“AI: African Intelligence” by Mathia Diawara on Thursday, November 20, 7:00 PM

“Voices of the Gods” by Al Santana on Friday, November 21, 7:00 PM

A two-night screening series examining African cosmologies and ancestral wisdom through film.

Special World AIDS Day Screening: “I Was Born This Way” directed by Sam Pollard and Daniel Junge

Monday, December 1, 7:00 PM

A powerful documentary exploring the resilience and joy of LGBTQ+ communities in the early years of the AIDS crisis.

An Evening with filmmaker, editor, and Joie Lee

Friday, January 23, 7:00 PM

The acclaimed actor, screenwriter, and director reflects on a career shaping Black independent cinema. 

Body of Work with Yvonne Welbon, founder of Sisters in Cinema

Wednesday, February 25 - Friday, February 27, 7:00 PM

A retrospective three-night screening and discussion series celebrating decades of storytelling by and about Black women filmmakers.

Reserve Your Spot Today:

Space is limited for these extraordinary events—register now to secure your seat!

About Scribe Video Center:

Founded in 1982, Scribe Video Center is a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization dedicated to using video and audio for artistic expression and tools for social change. We offer workshops, screenings, and community production programs that empower storytellers to share their unique perspectives. Register for an event and discover more at SCRIBE.ORG and follow us on socials @SCRIBEVIDEOCENTER to stay connected.