Calendar
Sex & Broadcasting
Seattle premiere! Fundraiser event for Hollow Earth Radio Reserve a seat by donating to HER'S Indiegogo campagin at the $15 level
Jan 17, 2016
WFMU is the longest running freeform radio station in the United States. This documentary charts the strange and colorful history of one of the most fiercely independent media institutions in the country. In addition to capturing the station’s many personalities and shows, such as Tom Scharpling’s “The Best Show,” the documentary follows a nail-biting fundraiser for a much-needed new antenna and transmitter. To support one of Seattle’s own independent radio stations and their efforts to fundraise, we present a special screening of Sex & Broadcasting with Hollow Earth Radio.
My Last Year with the Nuns
Filmmakers in attendance nightly!
Extended run by popular demand!
Jan 09 - Jan 19, 2015
(Bret Fetzer, 2014, United States, 75 min)
The quintessential Capitol Hill coming-of-age story is an adaptation of local thespian Matt Smith’s popular one-man show. Through his animated recollections, Matt brings to life 1960s Capitol Hill, when Roy Street divided populations, nuns ruled with righteous anger, bullies trolled the schoolhouse and the newspaper shack represented the center of adolescent Matt’s social universe.
A Tale of Winter
New HD digital restoration!
Jan 16 - Jan 18, 2015
(Eric Rohmer, 1992, France, DCP, 114 min)
A Tale of Winter, one of Eric Rohmer's most genial and audacious films, displays his characteristic delight in surprise and paradox. Winter, not spring, is seen as the season of rebirth and renewal, and its tale begins on a sunny beach.
The Harvard Exits
Free event!
Screening at 4:45pm
Discussion at 6pm
Fond farewells at 7pm
Jan 18, 2015
"Which Seattle theater will close next?" the Seattle Met wondered last month, observing (and warning) that, "We have a trend, people." The incomparable Harvard Exit flickers into darkness on the heels of a perfect storm that led to the unexpected art house release of a gaseous wave of Seth Rogen jokes. Small, independently owned movie theaters are the mom and pop shops in an industry dominated by box stores, at a time when customers are shopping increasingly online. The wild wild west of the film industry is now multi-platform. So, how are Seattle's small theaters doing these days? We're wrangling together theater operators, programmers and filmmakers from across town in a public discussion to contemplate the current state and future of theatrical exhibition.
Steamboat Bill, Jr.
World premiere live performance!
Festival opening night!
Jan 22, 2015
(1928, 70 min)
Don’t miss the boat to the start of Children’s Film Festival Seattle 2015 — it’s one of the most beloved family films ever made! Steamboat Bill, Jr., Keaton’s most farcical and funny feature, tells the story of an accident-prone and bookish son, who must help his burly, redneck steamboat captain father save his business from a rival tycoon. In the process, Keaton performs mind-bending stunts and thrilling physical comedy.
Pajama Party with Caspar Babypants
Live performance!
Jan 23, 2015
60 min
Calling all party animals — are you ready to dance and partake in some serious cupcake consumption? Wear your PJs and fluffy slippers, and bring your favorite stuffed animal along to see Caspar Babypants — the nationally beloved kindie-rock act of Chris Ballew, from The Presidents of the United States of America.
Fantastic Journeys
January 24, Saturday, at 11am — special screening at Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 S. Alaska St. Seattle. Tickets $5 kids, $7 adults available at door only, no pre-sales.
Jan 24 - Feb 07, 2015
80 min
Journeys take us to new places, whether in the outside world or within ourselves. On these animated flights of fancy, you’ll scale the Alps, push the sun and the moon back into alignment and jump into a whole ocean of lemonade.
Snuggle Time
Jan 24, 2015
54 min
Sometimes we just want to snuggle up with our favorite blanket and stuffed animal for a warm nap. Cuddle with some cute little dogs, soft teddy bears, downy birds and chicks and the Shammies, who will sing you a lullaby.
Kid Powered
Jan 24 - Jan 30, 2015
78 min
Challenges can bring out the best in us. The kids in these live action films face uphill battles that are long and steep, and they shine in the face of adversity. Meet a warrior child who must embrace her unique identity, a boy who becomes a superhero to his friend, a son who must stand up for his father, and a girl who faces loneliness and danger in order to get an education.
Abracadabra
Includes live performance on January 24!
Jan 24 - Jan 30, 2015
65 min
The world is full of magic in the most surprising places. Discover a seashell that can shrink buildings and pick up boats, a ring that tells you the truth about anything you see, a comb that will make your hair grow like wild vines, and a toy car that finds its way home to its original owner.
Clara and the Secret of the Bears
Seattle premiere!
Jan 24, 2015
90 min
Part ghost story, part story of friendship, and part nature film, this is the gripping tale of a girl named Clara who lives with her mother and her stepfather on a farm in the Swiss Alps.
Labyrinthus
West Coast premiere!
Jan 24, 2015
98 min
Frikke, a 14-year-old boy, comes across a computer game and discovers that it is being played with real kids, uploaded into the game’s labyrinth. In a race against time, Frikke tries to find the creator of this horrible game and help the kids inside it.
The Finishers
West Coast premiere!
Jan 24, 2015
95 min
Julien is 17, has a great sense of humor, lots of charm, and is wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy. His parents love him, but the family is gradually falling apart under the strain of dealing with his disability. In a bid to both bond with his father and help him, Julien challenges him to participate (with him) in the Ironman race in Nice, a triathlon in which his father has previously competed.
Be Different
Jan 24 - Jan 25, 2015
62 min
In what can seem like a cookie-cutter world, it’s great to take a look in the mirror and smile at the wonderfully unique, one-of-a-kind person that is you. These are films that celebrate that kids come in all shapes and sizes, and that it’s really cool to just be who you are.
Shivers and Scares
Jan 24, 2015
65 min
Settle down into your seat and we’ll tell you a spellbinding tale of what lurks in the dark corners of the house at night, or at the bottom of the deepest sea. Along the way you’ll also watch funny stories about the mishaps of the grim reaper and the power of imagination. But be prepared, or you might just JUMP with fright!
On the Way to School
Northwest premiere!
Jan 24, 2015
77 min
They live in all four corners of the planet and share a thirst for knowledge. Almost instinctively, they know that their survival depends on knowledge and education. From the dangerous savannahs of Kenya to the winding trails of the Atlas mountains in Morocco, from the suffocating heat of Southern India to the vast, dizzying plateaus of Patagonia, these children are all united by the same quest, the same dream: to go to school.
Party Animals
Jan 25 - Jan 30, 2015
62 min
A gloriously animated extravaganza of animal stories, featuring bugs, butterflies, bunnies, owls, kitties, zebra and birds of several different feathers! These stories of friendship and fun are especially recommended for our youngest festival-goers and their parents!
See the World Change the World
Jan 25 - Jan 27, 2015
70 min
Grab your bag (of popcorn) and take off on a whirlwind trip to places most Seattle kids never get a chance to see. With these films, you’ll walk through a downpour in Indonesia, stop a rooster fight in Venezuela, climb a mountain in eastern Turkey, ride a bus in Iraq and experience a whole new country for the first time.
Free Your Mind
Jan 25 - Feb 07, 2015
67 min
Have you ever felt a bolt out of the blue, a moment when your mind opens up and you see new possibilities? That’s what happens to the kids in these shorts. You’ll meet a girl who slips into a new dimension, a boy whose mind plays tricks on him, a child determined to trap a sunbeam and a boy who simply can’t sit still.
Selkirk, the Real Robinson Crusoe
Jan 25, 2015
80 min
Selkirk, an unruly, selfish pirate, is the sailing master of an English galley sailing the South Seas in search of treasure. With his merry band of pirates (one of whom is a girl in disguise), life is one adventure after the next.
Fabulous Fables
Jan 25 - Feb 07, 2015
67 min
This all-animated collection of folk tales, fairy tales and fables from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America will take you to places deep inside the heart of the human experience, and delve into mysteries beyond comprehension. If you like tales that stand tall, this is the program for you!
Earth Sky and Sea
Jan 25 - Jan 30, 2015
76 min
These films make use of environmental themes in unexpected and provocative ways. You will meet a lightbulb who is jealous of the sun, a parrot who takes you on an excursion to the home of wild animals, a little octopus who moonlights as a lounge singer, bees who have parties and a brave boy who gathers firewood alone. Along the way, you’ll learn about the world’s oceans, our water and energy supply and threats to animals and insects.
Super Shenanigans: Films by Youth
Jan 25, 2015
97 min
Join us for an extravaganza of movies (with intermission!) made by future filmmakers of the world. Includes films made at Northwest Film Forum and Coyote Central youth camps, in other Seattle youth filmmaking programs, New Jersey, East London, the United Arab Emirates and Croatia!
The Outlaw League
U.S. premiere!
Jan 25, 2015
86 min
Nicolas, the son and grandson of fishermen, lives with his mom and sister in a village overlooking the sea. A terrible storm snatched his father a few years earlier, and Nicolas must not only deal with his loss, but also the slow disintegration of his grandfather. Summer vacation is the chance for Nicholas to resume his greatest pleasure: playing baseball with his friends. But a big obstacle greets the kids who assemble at the village baseball field.
Havana Curveball
Seattle premiere, with filmmaker in attendance! Co-presented with the Seattle Latino Film Festival
Jan 25 - Jan 26, 2015
60 min
This film is a documentary about Mica, a young teen. He’s enthusiastic. Idealistic. Dreaming baseball. At 13, he is studying for his Bar Mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age rite. Imagining himself a savior of sorts, he launches a grand plan to send baseballs to Cuba, a country with a mysterious pull.
Shana: The Wolf's Music
Meet the star, Sunshine O’Donovan and other lead members of the cast at the Jan. 31 screening! This screening will also include a pre-show performance by Red Eagle Soaring. Seattle premiere! Co-presented with Longhouse Media!
Jan 28 - Jan 31, 2015
96 min
Shana is a Canadian First Nations girl who is a gifted violinist. But she has problems no young person should have to face: her mother has died, and her father is struggling with his own demons. Only Shana’s new teacher seems to care about her, and at first, Shana pushes her away. But she meets another, more mystical being to accompany her on her journey: a wild wolf who helps her reconnect with her ancestors, make peace with her circumstances, and use her talents to express her passions.
Wave of Wonder
Jan 29 - Jan 31, 2015
65 min
This collection of films is meant to wash over you in a wave of exquisite, painterly animation. Dive down deep into stories that will take you to strange planets, the frozen tundra, dense forests and inside the workings of a marionette theater. These films are meant to remind you that life is a journey, that sometimes hard choices have to be made and that dreams really can come true.
Finding My Way
Jan 30 - Feb 01, 2015
63 min
These live action films tell the stories of kids who are learning how to spread their wings. Along the way, they have adventures, test their courage and make decisions they have to stick with. Join them, and you’ll wander a city’s unfamiliar streets, leap past your birthday, turn a hospital room into luxurious digs and even help the moon get back to the sky.
High Tech Hijinks
Jan 30 - Jan 31, 2015
63 min
An animated roundup for kids who love gadgets, gizmos, robots and other marvelous inventions. Dive inside a computer’s brain, roam a junkyard looking for robot parts, soar above a city made of circuit boards and find out what your phone and tablet are up to after you fall asleep!
Indigenous Experience
Co-presented with Longhouse Media!
Jan 30 - Jan 31, 2015
67 min
Explore the joys and challenges of Native youth in this collection of award-winning documentaries and animated films. Soar with an eagle boy in Norway, meet a deaf boy who listens to his inner voice, band together with a pack of dogs, dance a forest back to life and outwit the wily Amautalik!
Pancake Breakfast and Short Film Smorgasbord
Includes breakfast, free parking (9am-2pm) and a one-hour film program!
Please note: you must choose a screening time (10:30am or 11am) when purchasing Pancake Breakfast tickets
Jan 31, 2015
Our all-you-can-eat breakfast of fluffy homemade pancakes and sizzling bacon is fun for the whole family! And of course we’ll have gallons of hot coffee on hand for the grown-ups. After breakfast, come to Northwest Film Forum for a special screening of Fantastic Journeys, a magical program of new animated and live action shorts from 8 countries.
Sally's Way
World premiere, with filmmakers in attendance!
Jan 31, 2015
87 min
Sally, a 12-year-old girl orphaned by HIV/AIDS, needs to use her ingenuity to help her ailing grandmother, who is the only family she has left. Set in the lush Caribbean, the film has a universal message of how to thrive despite the odds, and face the challenges of displacement and loss with positivity and creativity.
Bubble Bubble Meows and the Meteor Stomachache
Filmmaker and voice talent for three main roles will be in attendance! Free stickers for every audience members, with drawings for other great prizes!
Jan 30 - Jan 31, 2015
83:30 min
Come see the epic adventures of a poorly drawn animated cat, Bubble Bubble Meows, as he goes on a quest to cure his friend, a string bean who has a bellyache caused by meteor consumption. Along the way, BBM and Stringbean encounter Paul, a hyper-caffeinated feline, a lollipop-licking snow pea, three robots who resemble marshmallows, and a pile of cottage cheese named Mr. Knowitall.
Lola on the Pea
West Coast premiere, with filmmaker in attendance!
Jan 31, 2015
90 min
Nine-year-old Lola lives on a charming old houseboat with her mother. But life isn’t exactly going swimmingly for her. She misses her long-gone dad, and doesn’t much care for her mom’s new boyfriend. She also has to contend with schoolmates who tease her and chase her home from school. But one day, she makes a friend—a quiet new boy in town, named Rebin.
Pim & Pom: The Big Adventure
West Coast premiere!
Feb 01, 2015
70 min
Two cats, Pim and Pom, are best friends who live together with “The Lady.” But one day, the lady’s nieces come to visit, and they take the cats to the park for a picnic. However, what they really want to do is keep Pim and Pom for themselves, and they’ve come up with a plan to “cat-nap” them!
Blade Runner
Free screening + panel discussion!
Feb 02, 2015
(Ridley Scott, United States, 1982/2007, 35mm, 117 min)
Join us for a free, 35mm screening of Blade Runner (2007, The Final Cut) this February! This event is paired with a panel discussion featuring local producers and crew talking about the business of film adaptation and film production in Seattle, using the example of Amazon Studios’ recent Seattle filming of the Philip K. Dick novel The Man In The High Castle.
The Guitar Mongoloid
Feb 05, 2015
(2004, Sweden, 35mm, 89 min)
Östlund’s feature debut is set in Jöteborg, a fictional Swedish city resembling the director’s own hometown of Göteborg (Gothenburg). His focus is on outsiders and nonconformists, in particular the titular musician, a young man facing dire obstacles in life. The mostly non-professional cast brings a documentary quality to this loosely scripted communal portrait, wrought with compassion and touches of humor.
Involuntary
Feb 06, 2015
(2008, Sweden, 35mm, 98 min)
Five separate vignettes about (alternately dangerous and unsettlingly funny) ramifications of peer pressure are woven together, with scathingly satirical effects, in Involuntary. Östlund described his second feature as “a tragic comedy or a comic tragedy.”
Family Matters
Jan 24 - Feb 07, 2015
70 min
When it comes to this program, there’s no place like home! Take a trip around the world to see films that show how family life is the same, and different, in seven different countries. In the end, it’s love that makes the world go round.
Closing Ceremony
Free admission for Festival passholders, workshop participants, sponsors and Film Forum family-level donors!
Feb 07, 2015
75 min
We close out the 2015 festival by screening films made during the past week in our workshops, announcing the winners of our Children’s Jury Prizes and Seattle Children’s Hospital Juries, and celebrating with a surprise selection of outstanding short films made by international filmmakers.
Play
Feb 07 - Feb 08, 2015
(2011, Sweden/France/Denmark, 35mm, 118 min)
“I want to make the audience active and reflective,” Östlund has stated. He does just that with this controversial record, inspired by actual court cases, of five black teenagers harassing white and Asian youths through scams and role-playing. All violence is implied, but the graver implication (which inflamed critics on the home front) is that political correctness debilitates society, as “good people” stand by and do nothing for fear of being thought racist.
Concerning Violence
With an introduction with Charles Mudede (filmmaker and critic) on February 8
Feb 08 - Feb 11, 2015
(Göran Hugo Olsson, 2014, Sweden, DCP, 89 min)
From the director of The Black Power Mixtape comes a bold and fresh visual narrative on Africa, based on newly discovered archival material covering the struggle for liberation from colonial rule in the late '60s and '70s. Accompanied by text from Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth and narrated by Lauryn Hill, with a preface by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak.
Force Majeure
Feb 08, 2015
(2014, Sweden/Denmark/France/Norway, DCP, 118 min)
Our house manager Chris Day calls it “the funniest movie of the year.” A brutal indictment of the pillars of nuclear family and normative masculinity in the foundation for human interaction in organized society, Force Majeure presents a picture-perfect Swedish family of four and unravels them with agonizingly funny effects.
Open Screenings at the Film Forum
Feb 09 - Feb 06
* FEB. 6th OPEN SCREENING CANCELED FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER *
Are you a local filmmaker looking to share your work? Seeking feedback on your film? Want to see what other people are currently working on? Come join us for our monthly opening screening! Hang out with new and established filmmakers and experience films being made right here in our community.
Chat Room
Happy hour at 6pm in the lobby
Feb 11, 2016
Chat Room is a quarterly forum about art in the age of the Internet. Artists, thinkers, non-artists, and non-thinkers come together each edition to tackle the fundamental questions around art and its relationship to broader society. Discussion topics range from copyright law, labor, cool teens, oppression, activism, memes, authenticity, and much more.
In the Shadow of Women
Seattle Premiere!
Feb 12 - Feb 14, 2016
(Philippe Garrel, France, 2014, 73 min)
The new film by the great Philippe Garrel (previously seen at the NYFF with Regular Lovers in 2005 and Jealousy in 2013) is a close look at infidelity—not merely the fact of it, but the particular, divergent ways in which it’s experienced and understood by men and women.
9-Man
Seattle premiere! Co-presented with the Seattle Asian American Film Festival, OCA Seattle, and the Wing Luke Museum's upcoming exhibition "Belonging: Before and After the Immigration Act of 1965"
Director in attendance!
Feb 13, 2015
(Ursula Liang, 2014, United States)
9-Man is an independent feature documentary about an isolated and exceptionally athletic Chinese-American sport that’s much more than a pastime. Since the 1930s, young men have played this gritty streetball game competitively in the alleys and parking lots of Chinatown. At a time when anti-Chinese sentiment and laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act forced Chinese restaurant workers and laundrymen to socialize exclusively amongst themselves, nine-man offered both escape and fraternity for men who were separated from their families in China and facing extreme discrimination and distrust.