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art • i • vism
Social Justice + Art = Social Change
“Amplify Voices. Ignite Change. Redefine the World Through Art and Film.”
Our Mission
At the Pembroke Taparelli Arts and Film Festival (PTAFF), we believe in the transformative power of storytelling to inspire change, amplify underrepresented voices, and build a more equitable world. By blending art with activism, we create a platform for visionary creators and changemakers to confront social injustices, spark dialogue, and empower future generations with tools, opportunities, and a shared commitment to shaping a brighter future.
Artivism by any medium Necessary
PTAFF 2026
The Price of Freedom:
Art, Resistance & the Fight for Truth Through
Art, Film & Dance
Celebrating 10 Years of Art as Activism
The Pembroke Taparelli Arts & Film Festival (PTAFF) is a social-impact arts festival dedicated to storytelling that challenges systems, centers marginalized voices, and reimagines justice through film, visual art, performance, and dialogue. As we mark our 10-year anniversary, PTAFF 2026 asks a bold and urgent question: What does freedom truly cost and who pays the price?
PTAFF 2026
November 6th-8th
PTAFF 2026 Festival FOCUS
Mental Health. Labor. Liberation.
In a world shaped by burnout, exploitation, grief, and resistance, PTAFF 2026 centers stories that explore:
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Mental health and emotional survival
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Labor, wage equity, and worker dignity
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Freedom, truth telling, and collective liberation
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The psychological cost of oppression and the power of healing
Through screenings, panels, dance, and live programming, we create space for truth, accountability, and restoration
CALL FOR ENTRY
The Pembroke Taparelli Arts & Film Festival is now accepting submissions for PTAFF 2026, a milestone year celebrating ten years of bold, justice-driven storytelling.
PTAFF champions filmmakers who use cinema to challenge systems, heal communities, and illuminate the human experience. Our 2026 program invites work that is fearless, emotionally resonant, and socially urgent.
2026 Theme
Mental Health • Labor • Liberation
We are seeking films that explore emotional resilience, caregiving and burnout, wage equity, worker justice, identity, freedom, and collective liberation—stories that speak to the realities shaping our world today.
NEW FOR 2026: DISTRIBUTION OPPORTUNITY
PTAFF is proud to partner with IndieMe, launching a Phase I Distribution Pilot that creates pathways beyond the festival circuit.
Select films may receive:
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Consideration for curated distribution opportunities
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Extended audience reach beyond exhibition
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A filmmaker-centered, equity-focused distribution model
This partnership reflects PTAFF’s commitment to artist sustainability—not just exposure.
ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES
Narrative & Documentary Features • Narrative & Documentary Shorts • Experimental & New Media • Student Films • Youth & Emerging Filmmakers
International submissions encouraged.
SUBMIT YOUR FILM
If your work speaks truth, challenges injustice, or centers humanity—we want to see it
Ten Years. One Mission. Stories That Matter.
2025 Award Recipients & Panelists
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The Current
When ambition meets drive, Pembroke's Mission of educating through the arts. Scroll to see our thoughts on current events.
Latest News
Honoring Assata Shakur:
A Legacy of Resistance and Liberation
At the Pembroke Taparelli Arts and Film Festival, we honor Assata Shakur freedom fighter, writer, and revolutionary voice whose courage continues to inspire generations of activists and artivists around the world.
Through her words and her unwavering stand against systemic injustice, Assata reminds us that art and activism are inseparable forces in the fight for liberation. Her autobiography, Assata: An Autobiography, remains a seminal work of resistance literature illuminating the struggles of Black women, political prisoners, and movements for social and economic justice.
Her legacy challenges us to speak truth through art, create fearlessly, and reimagine freedom on our own terms.
“It is our duty to fight for our freedom.
It is our duty to win.” – Assata Shakur