From Tierra Whack’s “Shower Song” to St. Vincent’s “Broken Man,” Philadelphia is the city where music videos get made. This July, an event series will celebrate the creators behind these works at the Bok Building.
For its fourth iteration, Music Video Showcase will screen 24 music videos by homegrown artists and filmmakers on the big screen inside the South Philly building’s auditorium on July 18. The free two-hour event, in partnership with Philanimators, will be hosted by local musician Cat Daddy and feature both the artists and their work.
Organizers Don Vincent Ortega, a local designer and podcast host, and Raymo Ventura, a local animation director, launched the event in July 2023 at a former community park in Kensington. Ortega envisioned the idea after hosting Halloween-themed movie nights in his neighborhood park, which also served as a venue for local bands during the pandemic.
Ortega and Ventura observed that local musicians lacked a platform beyond YouTube and social media to showcase their music videos. They created this event to spotlight the dedication of these artists, who often struggle with limited budgets for production and promotion.
“[Music Video Showcase] offers a second life for each of these videos that disappear after a few clicks,” Ventura said.
Artists can submit their music videos for selection a month before the event. Due to an overwhelming number of submissions, this year’s selections were capped at 24 videos to fit within programming constraints.
Attendees can expect a diverse range of music videos, including hip-hop, R&B, and pop, along with introductions from the artists. Featured creators include musician Kam DeLa, filmmaker Juli Wert, music video documentary stylist Sammy Wiener, and more.
For Ortega, the goal of Music Video Showcase is to create a directory of Philly creatives to cultivate more artists in the city.
“There are loose little pockets of music that happen all over the city, [and we’re trying to] promote all the people that are here doing really awesome things,” Ortega said.
📅 July 18, 7:30 p.m.,📍800 Mifflin St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148 (inside the auditorium), 🌐 musicvideoshowcase.tv, 📷 @musicvideoshowcase
