Schedule
Free Speech, Real Talk Plenary Conversation
moderated by Cheri Gregg | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM @ WHYY
With free speech and press freedom in danger across the country, it’s more urgent than ever to understand what’s at stake—and what we can do about it. Our panel of journalists, media-makers, and community media leaders from Free Press and Alliance for Community Media. We invite you to imagine—and activate—a more just and democratic media future.
MakerSpace
| 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM @ PhillyCAM Community Room
Step into the MakerSpace—an interactive zone at the heart of PPMF 2025 where creativity meets community. Drop in to get hands-on with DIY electronics, music making, test out media-making tools, and explore how tech, storytelling, and self-expression come together. Record your own story, make a zine, connect with local resource tables, and try out audio and video equipment in a low-pressure, collaborative environment.
LUNCH 12:00 PM - 12:45PM
BREAK OUT
SESSIONS
PhillyCAM
MAIN STUDIO
Kiyoshi Kuromiya Presentation and Panel Discussion
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM @PhillyCAM Main Studio
A brief media presentation about the life and pioneering activist media work of Kiyoshi Kuromiya, a pioneer of freedom of speech on the internet, who focused on the spread of information about HIV/AIDS. Moderated by Gretjen Clausing, this panel features filmmakers Keith Brand and Glen Holsten in conversation with current activists interpreting and building on Kiyoshi Kuromiya’s legacy.
Independence Library
Community Media Making as Collective Liberation
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM @Independence Library
In partnership with Philadelphia Youth Media Collaborative (PYMC), this workshop guides participants through rotating writing prompts, and an ongoing community zine activity, to explore freedom dreaming — a practice of imagining beyond the present, rooted in the wisdom of thinkers like Octavia Butler and Robin D.G. Kelley. By creating space for youth voices and collective storytelling, this workshop uplifts media-making as both a creative act and a tool of liberation.
Free Speech in Action
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM @PhillyCAM Main Studio
In this session, three media producers share how they’re navigating increased censorship, surveillance, and political repression through innovative storytelling and production techniques. This conversation offers practical insights and inspiration for media-makers working at the intersection of creativity and resistance. Moderated by gabe castro, panelists include: Kayla Locks, (TransAcademy), Arianne Bracho (Madre Tierra Philly), Nisa Qazi (Albustan News)