Local Sightings 2026 – Creature Feature (Shorts)
In-person tickets >
$15 General Admission
$10 Student/Child/Senior
$7 Member
$35 General Admission
$25 Student/Child/Senior
$17 Member
Weekend Passes
$80 General Admission
$50 Student/Child/Senior
$35 Member
Full Festival Pass
$150 General Admission
$100 Student/Child/Senior
$75 Member
Dual Full Festival Pass
$250 General Admission
$150 Student/Child/Senior
$125 Member
Full Festival Passes and Individual Tickets are available!
Ticketing, concessions, cinemas, restrooms, and our public edit lab are located on Northwest Film Forum’s ground floor, which is wheelchair accessible. All doors in Northwest Film Forum are non-motorized, and may require staff assistance to open. Our upstairs workshop room is not wheelchair accessible.
The majority of seats in our main cinema are 21″ wide from armrest to armrest; some seats are 19″ wide. We are working on creating the option of removable armrests!
We have a limited number of assistive listening devices available for programs hosted in our larger theater, Cinema 1. These devices are maintained by the Technical Director, and can be requested at the ticketing and concessions counter. Also available at the front desk is a Sensory Kit you can borrow, which includes a Communication Card, noise-reducing headphones, and fidget toys.
The Forum does NOT have assistive devices for the visually impaired, and is not (yet) a scent-free venue. Our commitment to increasing access for our audiences is ongoing, and we welcome all public input on the subject!
If you have additional specific questions about accessibility at our venue, please contact our Patron Services Manager at rajah@nwfilmforum.org. Our phone number (206-329-2629) is voicemail-only, but we check it often.
Made possible due to a grant from Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, in partnership with Sensory Access, our Sensory Access document presents a visual and descriptive walk-through of the NWFF space. View it in advance of attending an in-person event at bit.ly/nwffsocialnarrativepdf, in order to prepare yourself for the experience.
As of August 2024, NWFF has adjusted its mask policy from universally required to strongly encouraged at the majority of screenings. Occasional exceptions will be noted on each event’s page.
Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them.
Read more about NWFF’s policies responding to the present pandemic here.
About
(85min TRT)
The monstrous, the otherworldly, and the all too familiar. These short films feature creatures from beyond the pale, from lands unexplored–or maybe just from right next door.
Header photo credit: Look At This Freak, dir. Alex Furnas
BUY TICKETS HERE
- This year’s festival will be in-person only! In the past, we have been proud to offer the festival as a hybrid virtual-and-in-person experience, but due to staff capacity, we cannot do this for the 2026 fest.
- Purchase your ticket through Eventive; come to the show!
- You can also purchase a ticket on the day of the screening at Northwest Film Forum’s box office (1515 12th Ave, Seattle).
- Pass-holders, we will be able to look you up using the name you purchased under.
Films in this program:
Pepper's Meal
(Jared Hines, Seattle, 2025, 4min, in English)
A woman enjoys a contemplative meal alone, as she has before and will again.
Look At This Freak
(Alex Furnas, Seattle, 2025, 15min, in English)
A reunion of old friends is disrupted by a hated roommate and an internet monstrosity.
Bellybutton and the Monster Goat of the Mountain
(Squidems, Seattle, 2025, 9min, in English)
The animated tale of a curious boy, a courageous grandmother, and a fearsome monster goat.
The Astronaut
(Adam Wells, Renton, 2026, 11min, in English)
In the 1980s, a lonely UFO enthusiast longing for human connection becomes convinced he has been contacted by extraterrestrial life.
Best Friend Material
(Mel McCarthy & Nathan Blanchard, Tacoma, 2025, 15min, in English)
A horror comedy about a guys weekend gone wrong.
Diwata
(Shea Formanes, Seattle, 2026, 16min, in English and Tagalog with English Subtitles)
After her granddaughter drowns, a secretly-magical Filipina grandmother (“Lola”) hides from the ocean she once loved. Five years later, fed up with her toxic family and 80th birthday, Lola returns to the sea. Using her magic, Lola resurrects her granddaughter, hoping to find herself, too.
State Rep
(Eric Kenneth Delehoy, Portland, 2025, 14min, in English
Oregon State Representative Chad Biche has his sights set on Congress, taking every step to boost his ego, increase his credibility, and take as many selfies as possible. But when presented with the opportunity to make a real difference in the life of one of his constituents, will he have a change of heart?
Festival Directory
Presented by Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum, the 29th Annual Local Sightings Film Festival is a showcase of creative communities from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The 2026 program, which runs from September 18–27, features a competitive selection of curated short film programs and feature films, inviting regional artists to experiment, break, and remake popular conceptions around filmmaking and film exhibition.
Local Sightings champions emerging and established talent, supports the regional film industry, and promotes diverse media as a critical tool for public engagement.