{"id":368,"date":"2020-10-01T12:38:48","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T12:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/?p=368"},"modified":"2025-01-05T02:20:26","modified_gmt":"2025-01-05T07:20:26","slug":"indie-film-boston-to-philly-wins-best-score-at-philly-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/indie-film-boston-to-philly-wins-best-score-at-philly-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Indie film &#8216;Boston to Philly&#8217; wins best score at Philly awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">Philadelphia | Rise <span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">News<\/span><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nathaniel Lee Philly Tribune Correspondent, Author<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video style=\"aspect-ratio: 1280 \/ 720;\" src=\"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/IMG_1011.mov\" autoplay=\"autoplay\" controls=\"controls\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\"><\/video>\r\n<figcaption>Mia Mendez &amp; Tai Birch accept Award for Boston to Philly<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a big day on Sunday for the independent feature film \u201cBoston to Philly.\u201d It won \u201cBest Score\u201d at the Philadelphia Independent Film Awards during a ceremony held at the International House, 37th and Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia.<\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">The writer and producer of \u201cBoston2Philly,\u201d Ralph Celestin, who played the role of Boston in the film, describes the movie as \u201ca coming-of-age independent drama that chronicles the life of a young Black male from Boston, struggling with his identity and his ability to form real relationships in his new city, Philadelphia, after a tragic accident takes the lives of his family.\u201d<\/span>\r\n<p>\u201cI always strove to be an artist, even from a young age I always dabbled in the arts,\u201d said Celestin.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p>Celestin said that it wasn\u2019t until he became an adult that he gained the confidence to pursue it.<\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">\u201cIt really just started at home. It just always been ingrained in me that I wanted to have a platform to express myself,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" class=\"wp-image-2378\" src=\"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-678x509.jpg 678w, https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-326x245.jpg 326w, https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg 1662w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\r\n<figcaption>Television host Quincy Harris, left, of \u201cThe Q\u201d show was among those attending the \u201cBoston2Philly\u201d screening at the International House in West Philadelphia.<br \/>\u2014 Tribune Photo by Nathaniel Lee<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In previous years, Celestin said that he started writing poetry and was published in a youth poetry anthology.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom there it was a very easy transition from poetry to writing short stories, to writing pulp stories and from there to writing screen plays,\u201d Celestin said.<\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">\u201cBoston2Philly\u201d co-stars Philadelphia\u2019s own Mia Mendez who received rave reviews for her role as Philly in the film and is no stranger to the camera.<\/span>\r\n<p>\u201cI have been acting professionally for about four years now and started training about six years ago in New York,\u201d said Mendez at the film\u2019s screening on Thursday.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She has performed in a number of web series and independent films since that time.\u201c\u2018Boston2Philly\u2019 is the first feature film that I\u2019m leading [in] so that\u2019s exciting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez credits Celestin for the success of the film and the work it took to get it to its current point.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"tncms-region-article_instory_middle\" class=\"tncms-region hidden-print\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-620 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/18342084_700297206824274_7042323082050550186_n-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p>\u201cThe work behind this, as far as editing, making the film really come to life and making sure that it is placed in all of these festivals, is his work, his tirelessly working day and night submitting to these things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Television talk host Quincy Harris of Fox 29\u2019s \u201cThe Q\u201d said that he and Mendez not only attended Temple University together but went on to work at Power 99 FM and 107.9 FM radio together.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have history, I saw her act in one other project maybe three years ago but this one, I\u2019m more than blown away by what I saw today,\u201d said Harris. \u201cHer range was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2018Boston2Philly\u2019 was actually a creation of my experience going into the city of Philadelphia,\u201d said Celestin.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Celestin said he originally relocated from Boston to Philadelphia for a job opportunity.<\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: inherit;\">\u201cIn the film, it\u2019s a love story between Boston and Philly [the lead characters in the film] but in all actuality, I wrote it as a play on words because it truly was [about] the experience of me falling in love with the city of Philadelphia,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only did \u201cBoston2Philly\u201d receive the award for Best Musical Score during the Philadelphia Film Festival Awards but it was also nominated for a host of other awards during the Las Vegas Black Film Festival.\u201cMia Mendez, myself and the film were nominated for a slew of awards including best director, best actor, best actress and I believe best feature,\u201d said Celestin.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe exciting part is that Mia was nominated for best actress and she was going up against Loretta Divine, who, as you know, is famous for her performances in \u2018Waiting to Exhale\u2019 and the \u2018Preachers Wife,\u2019 \u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The film in which Divine was nominated, \u201cGrandma\u2019s House,\u201d was this year\u2019s draw for the festival said Celestin.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nevertheless it was Mendez who walked away with the Las Vegas Black Film Festival award for Best Actress that night.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> \u201cBoston2Philly\u201d co-stars Philadelphia\u2019s own Mia Mendez who received rave reviews for her role as Philly in the film and is no stranger to the camera.<br \/>\n\u201cI have been acting professionally for about four years now and started training about six years ago in New York,\u201d said Mendez at the film\u2019s screening on Thursday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-impact"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",1662,1246,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",1662,1246,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",1662,1246,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"large":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-1024x768.jpg",1024,768,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_-1536x1152.jpg",1536,1152,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",1662,1246,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",353,265,false],"kava-thumb-s":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",113,85,false],"kava-thumb-s-2":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",230,172,false],"kava-thumb-m":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",400,300,false],"kava-thumb-m-vertical":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",370,277,false],"kava-thumb-m-2":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",570,427,false],"kava-thumb-l":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",867,650,false],"kava-thumb-xl":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",1441,1080,false],"kava-thumb-masonry":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",600,450,false],"kava-thumb-justify":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",640,480,false],"kava-thumb-justify-2":["https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/591b44b511a70.image_.jpg",854,640,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"#RiseCelestialStudios","author_link":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/author\/ralph-c\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/category\/culture-impact\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Culture Impact<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"\u201cBoston2Philly\u201d co-stars Philadelphia\u2019s own Mia Mendez who received rave reviews for her role as Philly in the film and is no stranger to the camera. \u201cI have been acting professionally for about four years now and started training about six years ago in New York,\u201d said Mendez at the film\u2019s screening on Thursday.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}