(Jeremiah Williams, Seattle, WA, 2019, 5 min)

King Jamari and Queen Suraya are the leaders of the magical Nemanyo civilization and derive their power from an ancient lotus flower that was brought to earth from their ancestors thousands of years ago. Envied for their sacred power and magic, the Nemanyo fall under siege by the Czar of Chezidak and his horde of militants. Left for dead, Suraya and Jamari rise from their war-torn sunken city to reclaim their power and set their beloved people free.

(Michal Pietrzyk, Seattle, WA, 2019, 23 min)

In a gentrifying New Orleans, Demond sacrifices to be Big Chief in a secret 200-year culture known as Mardi Gras Indians: African-American men from the city’s roughest neighborhoods who spend all year sewing feathered suits they’ll wear only once, in a battle to decide who’s “the prettiest.”

(Alberta Poon, Portland, OR, 2019, 4 min)

Plant It is an entryway into the world of plant magic and earth fantasy; a musical journey through mystical lands of synth waves and vibrations.

(David Wayne Ng, Jen Sungshine & Kendell Yan, Vancouver BC, 2019, 20 min)

Vancouver-based drag artist Maiden China explores the nuances of queer, diasporic Chinese culture.

(Zora Bikangaga, Los Angeles, CA, 2019, 15 min)

Los Angeles comedian Zach crashes with an auntie he’s never met before while doing a standup gig in Seattle.

(Clyde Petersen, Anacortes, WA, 2019, 2 min)

We are all unique fluid beings and that is something to be celebrated and fawned over.

(Marko Kharmyshev, Los Angeles, CA & Seattle, WA, 2019, 3 min)

Scarlet Parke breaks out of her shell and discovers her identity in this music video for her song “Anxious.”

(Kiana Harris, Seattle, WA, 2020, 14 min)

Interrogates the western gender binary and elicits elements of spiritual cosmologies of black & African diasporic people [of all genders] that emerge from the Yoruba divine consciousness, Ifa and the Orisa (deities) that comprise it.

Presented by Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum, the 23rd Annual Local Sightings Film Festival [Online] virtually showcases creative communities from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The 2020 program, which runs from September 18-27, features a competitive selection of curated shorts and feature film programs, inviting regional artists to experiment, break, and remake popular conceptions around filmmaking and film exhibition.

Local Sightings 2020 champions emerging and established talent, supports the regional film industry, and promotes diverse media as a critical tool for public engagement. This year’s festival also celebrates NWFF’s 25th Anniversary as an organization.

• FEATURE FILMS
• SHORT FILM PROGRAMS
• WORKSHOPS & PANELS
• SPECIAL EVENTS
• 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Vote for your favorite films by 12pm PDT on Closing Day, Sep. 27; BEST FEATURE and BEST SHORT winners receive a future screening opportunity at NWFF!