Local Sightings 2021 – PNWeirdos: Awkward Shorts
In-person screening at NWFF:
Sep. 25 at 8:30pm PT
To accommodate evolving public health recommendations regarding COVID-19, we are adopting a hybrid virtual-and-in-person festival model for 2021. VIRTUAL, IN-PERSON, and HYBRID (virtual AND in-person) Festival Passes are available here.
⚠️ PUBLIC SAFETY NOTICE:
NWFF patrons will be required to wear face coverings while in the building. To be admitted, patrons ages 12+ will also be required to present EITHER proof of COVID-19 vaccination OR a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered within the last 48 hours by an official testing facility.
NWFF is adapting to evolving recommendations to protect the public from COVID-19. Read more about their policies regarding cleaning, masks, and capacity limitations here.
About
Revel in the glorious, offbeat awkwardness of these eccentric characters navigating first dates, unusual friendships, and chance encounters with beautiful strangers.
Header photo credit: Distinct Properties of the Indonesian Spotted Tree Frog, dir. Brendan Lee Hickey
How to watch...
VIRTUALLY:
- Purchase your ticket through Northwest Film Forum’s Eventive virtual cinema. A free Eventive login is required to view Local Sightings 2021 film programs online.
- From the Eventive virtual catalog page, purchased tickets will appear under “My Content Library” under your user menu (upper-right). From the Eventive festival landing page, they will appear under “My Tickets” on the site’s menu bar (at top).
- Your confirmation email will also route you back to these pages to watch. (Can’t find it? Check spam!)
- If all else fails, please contact paul@nwfilmforum.org
IN-PERSON:
- Purchase your ticket through Brown Paper Tickets; 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).
- If you have purchased a Hybrid or In-Person-Only Festival Pass, we’ll be able to look you up at Will Call by the name you purchased under.
In this program:
Non Finito
World Premiere!
Donning a fully enclosed rat mask, an artist presides over his gallery opening using an invented persona called “Roman.” When a journalist unexpectedly arrives to interview him, the artist hides behind the character as she digs deeper into fame, identity, and his bruised ego.
(Lucia Treviño Lara, Canada, 2021, 8 min)
Swipe Right for Emotional Baggage
World Premiere!
On a surreal first date, Sam and Lillian share the artifacts of their past heartbreaks and disappointments, show-and-tell style.
(Shelby Smout, US, 2021, 6 min)
And Scene
World Premiere!
In the middle of a tournament, the eldest member of a college improv troupe starts to question her role in the group.
(Tommy Heffernan, US, 2020, 7 min)
Blue Boy
World Premiere!
An awkward first date at a semi-abandoned bowling alley and former motel gets even weirder when the place turns out to be haunted.
(Peter Faint, Canada, 2021, 17 min)
Betty & Teddy
In this detective parody, Betty and her canine sidekick Teddy hunt down the man behind an illegal bone-dealing scheme.
(Kendra Ann Sherrill & Adam Gaulke, US, 2020, 3 min)
Distinct Properties of the Indonesian Spotted Tree Frog
Northwest Premiere!
Mochi, an office worker in a mysterious coastal community, discovers his burgeoning psychic powers, as derived from a rare breed of frog.
(Brendan Lee Hickey, US, 2020, 9 min)
Three Distinct Impressions
US Premiere!
After agreeing to return a lost wallet on behalf of his ex, Parker navigates a house party that brings him into contact with peculiar strangers—and the scrambled nature of his own perception.
(Bijan Karim, Canada, 12 min)
LISTS
World Premiere!
After waking from a strange dream in an even stranger manner, Fresnel heads to their building’s laundry room, where an esoteric trickster character claims that he can “help them find their way.”
(Oscar Kryzanauskas, US, 2021, 12 min)
Carissima (Dearest)
US Premiere!
A young man rents out a boat to a series of eccentric strangers.
(Anik Desmarais-Spencer & Sonya Chwyl, Canada, 2021, 4 min)
Underwater Phone Sex
World Premiere!
A platinum-haired mermaid runs a hotline for those who are unlucky in relationships or can’t stop falling in love with strangers. To reach her, one only needs to dial a rotary phone while getting soaked under a bridge.
(Gabriella Arrastia, US, 2021, 4 min)
Festival Directory
⚠️ Please note: For the sake of public safety, NWFF will require both face-coverings and proof of vaccination from audiences. We reserve the option to shift the festival to virtual-only on short notice.
Presented by Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum, the 24th Annual Local Sightings Film Festival is a virtual-and-in-person showcase of creative communities from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The 2021 program, which runs from September 16–26, 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.