Our Right to Gaze 2023: Heart of the Matter [In-Person Only]
This event took place on Oct 28, 2023
$14 General Admission
$10 Student/Child/Senior
$7 NWFF Member
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
This program contains flashing/strobe lighting, themes of racism, pregnancy/childbirth, death, mild gore, sexual violence and violence. This program also features mentions of slavery and histories of colonization.
About
OUR RIGHT TO GAZE is a touring film anthology, featuring original narrative short films by emerging Black artists.
The theme for this year’s second edition of OUR RIGHT TO GAZE is HEART OF THE MATTER.
From the spark of an old flame to the embrace of intergenerational bonds to the heartbreak of systemic injustice, love can take many shapes and emotional valences. This collection is a tribute to Black love of all kinds, be it romantic, platonic, familial, or communal.
Click for Accessibility Info
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 maria@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.
⚠️ COVID-19 Policies ⚠️
NWFF patrons will be required to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. We are not currently checking vaccination cards. Recent variants of COVID-19 readily infect and spread between individuals regardless of vaccination status.
Read more about NWFF’s policies regarding cleaning, masks, and capacity limitations here.
Co-presented with Black Cinema Collective!
blackcinemacollective.org
IG/FB @blackcinemacollective
Twitter @blackcinemacltv
Black Cinema Collective (BCC) is a group of multicultural artists and scholars who examine and celebrate works of African and Afro-Diasporic filmmakers through programmed screenings and community discussions. With a Black global lens, we consider intersectional histories and topical stories by supporting films from local and global artists, activists, documentarians, and organizers. Our programs also explore radical cinematic imaginaries within contemporary art, music, performance and poetry practices. Through our work with Black film and visual productions, we act as custodians and students who learn and hold the broader spectrum of Afro-Diasporic cultures.
Films in this program:
Robyn Hood by Shayla Racquel
A fresh, modern take on the succubus folklore merged with an inside joke in Black culture, Robyn Hood is a fun and frightful horror-comedy detailing the saga of a sensual and alluring Robyn, a dame who finds comfort in stealing men’s hoodies for something more sinister.
The Funnel by Charlene Carruthers
Trina, a young Black poet living on the South Side of Chicago, navigates an escalating housing crisis with her mother. After falling into an intimate recollection of her family history, she awakes in a world with people, sounds, and possibilities she’s never known.
Ro & The Stardust by Eunice Levis
A free-spirited teen and her terminally ill grandmother build a rocket ship they plan to launch into outer space.
Maternity by Maria Warith-Wade
When a second-time mother gets an unexpected complication post-partum, she must fight to save her life in the fractured American healthcare system.
RESPEK by Kamari Bright
An animated dissection of the detriments of respectability politics from an African-American perspective.
This Doesn’t Last Forever by Gabriella Wiltz
Upon reluctantly moving back into her childhood home with her parents, Aziza struggles to the love and connection being home has to offer.
Statement from the Curator: Curtis Caesar John, The Luminal Theater
Heart of the Matter, our theme for this second edition of OUR RIGHT TO GAZE, speaks to the impetus behind this series, but equally reflects how poignantly our filmmakers depict the complexities of inevitable but necessary change – all from multifaceted, Black points of view. With both modern and prescient sensibilities, our lineup reflects the physical, emotional, cultural, and intergenerational struggles of Black life, but also the joys and triumphs within. I hope you will all be moved by and enjoy the distinct stories that these emerging filmmakers have shared with us, and the world.
