The best (and only) Seattle festival dedicated to highlighting achievements in regional cinema is back! Local Sightings is the Northwest’s premiere showcase of new films, putting homegrown talent in front of Seattle audiences and connecting artists from Alaska to Oregon in a celebration of filmmaking from the region. This year’s event takes place September 25-October 4.
For 2014, the festival expands to ten full days for the first time in its 17-year history. Festival screenings, classes and events are accompanied by an expanded Seattle Film Summit program (co-produced with Evil Slave LLC), that provides a full week of professional development and networking opportunities for local film and creative industry workers. Seattle Film Summit events range from panel discussions to demos to a closing night Town Hall-style community discussion (October 2 at 6pm).
Local Sightings trail blazes this year with an opening night focused on a PechaKucha-style live show and MC’d festival preview, rather than a traditional feature film screening (September 25 at 7pm).
“Northwest Film Forum is a year-round hub on Capitol Hill for the local film community, and we wanted to put the emphasis this year on film people,” says Film Forum Program Director Courtney Sheehan. “The Pacific Northwest excels at producing fiercely independent film audiences and filmmakers alike. I’m proud that Northwest Film Forum can stoke the flames of regional creativity, as we help incubate and showcase the inspiring film voices that are part of the festival this year.”
Opening film of this year’s festival is the U.S. premiere of Bella Vista (bellavistafilm.com, screens September 26 at 8pm), a feature by Montana filmmaker Vera Brunner-Sung. Shot in only 12 days and directed, written, edited, produced and DP’d by women, Bella Vista had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.
Closing night at this year’s festival features In Country (incountryfilm.com, screens October 2 at 8pm), a new documentary by Seattle filmmakers Mike Attie and Meghan O’Hara that follows a platoon of Vietnam War re-enactors in the Oregon woods. In Country had its world premiere at the 2014 Full Frame Film Festival and is the recipient of a Sundance Documentary Film Program grant. Also new this year is a partnership with Vermillion Art Gallery & Bar, which will host an exclusive closing night party (open to festival passholders and closing night ticket holders only).
Other special events at this year’s festival include a 10th anniversary screening of the “best of” the Seattle 48 Hour Film Project (October 3 at 7pm), with filmmakers in attendance, an archival VHS program of Seattle skate films, sourced by Seattle skater establishment Marshall Reid (October 1 at 6:30pm), and the U.S. premiere of La Voz de Los Silenciados by Maximón Monihan (October 3 at 8pm).
Juried prizes at this year’s festival include cash awards for best feature and short, announced on closing night by this year’s festival jurors: Kristen Fitzpatrick, Director of Public Exhibition and Acquisitions for Women Make Movies; Maximón Monihan, Filmmaker; and Richard Herskowitz, Director of Cinema Pacific and Artistic Director of the Houston Cinema Arts Society. The Seattle Composers Alliance also offers juried cash awards for the best original feature and short score. Naked City Brewery and Taphouse returns with a fourth year of its Local Sightings audience award, featuring the people’s choice for best feature and short films.
There are several free and low-cost events in this year’s festival program, including a coloring book happy hour paired with the screening of Bubble Bubble Meows and the Meteor Stomachache (September 30 at 6pm), and a filmmaker education open house, with work-in-progress screenings and conversation with current Film Forum instructors and students (September 28 at 3pm). Other film education opportunities during Local Sightings include a “botanicollage” workshop taught by filmmaker Caryn Cline (October 4, 11am-4pm). This filmmaking technique, made famous by Stan Brakhage and his film Mothlight, involves using local botanicals, art materials and film supplies to produce a short, collaborative experimental film that will be screened immediately after the festival.
– FESTIVAL SCHEDULE –
all events held at Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Avenue between Pike and Pine, unless otherwise noted
Thursday, September 25
7PM Low Down, Get Down
9PM Opening Night Party
Friday, September 26
6PM VIP Party
6:30PM Feeling Time Installation
7PM Opening Reception
8PM Bella Vista
Saturday, September 27
11AM-4PM Seattle Film Summit Conference
5PM Seattle Film Summit Happy Hour
7PM Down River
7PM The Device – Screens with Landing Ship X-1
9PM Chat
9PM Love & Loss
Sunday, September 28
11AM Seattle Film Summit: Indie Contracts
12:30PM Seattle Film Summit: Seattle Composers Alliance
2PM Seattle Film Summit: Building User Bases
3PM Student Showcase and Education Open House
3:30PM Local Faces, Local Spaces
5PM Deal With It Sister
5PM Nothing Against Life
7PM Return of the River – Screens with Catch It
7PM Mind Zone – Screens with Clipped Wings
9PM Koinonia – Screens with Prospect
Monday, September 29
6:30PM Seattle Film Summit: Multi-Platform Storytelling
7PM Speed of Sound – Screens with The Maury Island Incident
8PM Seattle Film Summit: Get in the Game
9PM Plain Devil – Screens with Maureen
Tuesday, September 30
6PM Coloring Book Happy Hour
6:30PM Seattle Film Summit: DIY Distribution
7PM Bubble Bubble Meows and the Meteor Stomachache – Screens with Midnight Tourist and Remember…
8PM The Exhibition – Screens with La Trocha
9PM Push & Pull
Wednesday, October 1
6:30PM Night of the Northwest Road-Rash: Archival Seattle Skate Videos
7PM Pulling Focus
8PM Pulling Focus Reception
Thursday, October 2
6PM Seattle Film Summit: Town Hall Caucus
7:30PM Local Sightings Awards Ceremony
8PM In Country
9:30PM Closing Night – Party at Vermillion Art Gallery + Bar, 1508 11th Avenue
between Pike and Pine
Friday, October 3
7PM Seattle 48 Hour Film Project: 10th Anniversary Screening
8PM La Voz de los Silenciados
Saturday, October 4
11AM-4PM Botanicollage Workshop
TICKETS
Tickets and passes can be purchased by phone, via Brown Paper Tickets, at 1.800.838.3006, or online at nwfilmforum.org or localsightings.org
OPENING OR CLOSING NIGHT (September 25 or October 2)
Film Forum Members $8
Student, Senior, Child $9
General Admission $12
Ticket includes entry to the opening/closing party
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
Film Forum Members $6
Student, Senior, Child $8
General Admission $11
FULL FESTIVAL VIP PASS
Film Forum Members $180
General Admission $250
Includes all screenings, opening & closing night events, free parking for the week, and a VIP opening night party on September 26. The Full Festival pass does not include admission to Seattle Film Summit events.
{Ryan Davis is a Seattle-based film and communications professional with ten years experience in the movie industry and arts marketing. This article previously appeared on examiner.com, used with permission of the author.}
