Calendar
Harry Benson: Shoot First
Seattle premiere!
Jan 06 - Jan 12
(Justin Bare and Matthew Miele, US, 2016, 89 min)
At 86 years young, photographer Harry Benson is a living history book. He has captured vibrant and intimate moments with The Beatles, Muhammad Ali, Dr. Martin Luther King, and every US President. In this intimate new documentary, Benson’s life and work are pulled into focus.
The Future is 0
The live game show sensation returns!
Jan 07
2016 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour
Q&A with cast & crew of Seattle film "The Procedure"!
Jan 11
Each of these eight short films from the 2016 Sundance Film Festival breaks through its limited timeframe with a high level of artistry and story that will resonate with audiences long after the lights go up. The program includes fiction, documentary and animation from around the world, traversing vibrant styles from wild comedy to reflective poetry.
Capitol Hill Art Walk: Noelle Maline at the Stairwell Gallery
Free event!
Jan 12
This month’s Capitol Hill Art Walk will be the last opportunity to view Noëlle Maline’s Sound Maps, the Stairwell Gallery’s first installation. Sound Maps, inspired by the whispers and silences in Maline's mother's experience of the Eastern Bloc, is a constellation of found images and objects that suggest a larger contextual story.
Il Solengo
Jan 12 - Jan 14
(Alessio Rigo de Righi & Matteo Zoppis, Argentina / Italy, 2015, 66 min, Italian with English subtitles)
In this melancholic fable, Etruscan elders gather at a hunting cabin to speculate about the existence of one Mario de Marcella, who is said to have lived a hermetic life in a cave in Tuscia. Il Solengo’s narrative is hinged to Italian oral tradition, with no one reliable narrator that can lift the shroud of mystery from de Marcella’s story.
Notes on Blindness
Seattle premiere! Co-presented with fearless360.
Jan 13 - Jan 15
(Peter Middleton & James Spinney, UK, 2016, 90 min)
After losing sight, John Hull knew that if he did not try to understand blindness it would destroy him. In 1983 he began keeping an audio diary, documenting his extraordinary journey into “a world beyond sight.”
The Seattle Process with Brett Hamil
Happy hour at 7pm!
Jan 13
Seattle’s favorite political comedy talk show continues to burrow into the psyche of a city under siege. Each live episode features interviews with local politicians, activists and artists plus performances, surprises and shocking revelations.
FREE CECE! - A Social Justice Fund Benefit for Gender Justice Organizing in the NW
Seattle premiere! Ticketing for this event is through the Social Justice Fund Northwest, not Northwest Film Forum.
Jan 14
On her way to the store, Chrishaun Reed "CeCe" McDonald was brutally attacked. While defending her life, a man was killed. After a coercive interrogation, CeCe was incarcerated in a men's prison in Minnesota. An international campaign to free CeCe garnered significant support from media and activists, including actress Laverne Cox. Cox signed on as executive producer of FREE CECE!, committed to exploring the role race, class, and gender played in CeCe's case. In the end, CeCe emerged not only as a survivor, but also as a leader.
The Road to Nickelsville
Filmmaker in attendance! A panel discussion will follow the film.
Jan 15
(Derek McNeill, US, 2017, 47 min)
Caution, survival, and hope. The residents of Nickelsville, an organized homeless encampment in Seattle Washington, share how they became homeless; caution how quickly it can happen, and how they persevere.
Meet Up for a Cause: Filmmakers and Grassroots Groups
Co-presented with Seattle Documentary Association. Free event! Happy hour at 6pm!
Jan 18
As visual storytellers, filmmakers have invaluable skills to offer to the community. Grassroots groups that champion progressive causes lead the way in creating and inspiring positive change. At this meet up, filmmakers and community groups can link up for video projects that highlight important social change work.
Goodnight Brooklyn - The Story of Death by Audio
Seattle premiere! Featuring appearances by Future Islands, A Place to Bury Strangers, Deerhoof, Ty Seagall, Thee Oh Sees, and more.
Jan 18 - Jan 25
(Matthew Conboy, US, 2016, 83 min)
Goodnight Brooklyn brings viewers inside Death By Audio, the last underground venue for music and art in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a neighborhood once defined by its cultural contributions to the city of NY. The film chronicles the origins, community-building, influence and ultimate closure of one of Brooklyn's best DIY music venues, ironically at the hands of a former champion of their efforts.
Deluge
Brand-new 2K restoration!
Jan 20 - Jan 22
(Felix E. Feist, US, 1933, 70 min)
Deluge takes its place alongside King Kong in the annals of special effects history with this 2K restoration. Triggered by a series of earthquakes on the West Coast of the United States, a massive tidal wave circles the globe and wipes out New York City. A man, separated from his family, must begin to rebuild civilization in the wake of the catastrophe.
The Ardennes
Seattle premiere!
Jan 20 - Jan 22
(Robin Pront, Belgium, 2015, DCP, 93 min)
In love with the same girl and leading very different lives, the loyalty between brothers Dave and Kenneth is tested during a crime-fueled trip through the Belgian countryside.
Loa
Seattle premiere! Filmmaker in attendance! Co-presented with Ex-Cinema.
Jan 25
(Georg Koszulinski, US & Haiti, 2016, 61 min)
From documentary filmmaker Georg Koszulinski comes a visual chronicle of the Vodou religion as practiced in the rural mountains of Haiti. Loa presents an expressive account of rural Vodou via a portrait of the houngan Extanta Aoleé, who has served the Loa, or sacred spirits of Haiti, for over a half century.
Longing and Belonging: Films from PLURAL+
Jan 26
PLURAL+ is a youth-produced video festival that encourages young people to make films about migration, diversity and social inclusion, and to share their creative vision with the world. The films here, all made by filmmakers 25 years and younger, are the most recent prizewinners at the 2016 PLURAL+ festival.
Creature Teachers
Jan 28 - Feb 01
What can we learn from the animals we love? Jump into these short animated films and find yourself transformed into deer, crocodiles, and herons, oh my! Harmonize with pigs, dance with wolves, bake with octopi and watch TV with a crocodile. Along the way, you’ll learn how to be a true friend and embrace your adventures!
Destination
Jan 28 - Feb 11
Join kids in eight different countries as they play with their friends, go to school, make clever schemes, and explore. This program of live action shorts from around the world features funny, shy, and creative kids just like you.
Pure Imagination
Jan 28 - Feb 05
Ever wondered how a forest full of talking trees and fish would look? What if tiny musical bands filled our lives with marvelous melodies? Put on your favorite imagination cap, and join in on this journey through magical worlds filled with love and adventure.
True to Yourself
Jan 28 - Feb 01
This extraordinary collection of live action films focuses on integrity and doing the right thing. What does it mean to be true to yourself? How do you put that ideal into practice in everyday life? Meet a father and son who find a lost wallet, a gender non-conforming teen facing their traditional Muslim family, a girl who thinks out loud about self-expression, and a boy whose soccer coach asks him to lie. These finely-scripted films will leave you with fodder for a great conversation on the trip home.
Nelly's Adventure
Seattle premiere! Director in attendance! Presented with Portland German Film Festival/ Zeitgeist Northwest
Jan 28
(Dominik Wessely, Germany, live action, 2016, 97 min, in German and Romanian with English subtitles)
Thirteen-year-old Nelly’s holiday in Romania takes a very dramatic turn when she accidentally discovers her family’s secret plan to relocate there.
Friends Are Forever
Jan 28 - Feb 01
Is there anything better than having a friend by your side? Good friends add color, music and memories to our lives. In this collection of mostly animated shorts, friends also come in all shapes and sizes, from a fierce little lion with a surprisingly soft heart, to a small, shy girl gaining strength from her grandmother and teacher.
My Parrot Mom
West coast premiere!
Jan 28
(Martin Musarra, Argentina, live action, 2016, 80 min, in Spanish with English subtitles)
Juana, an eleven-year-old girl, is part of a very special family whose members have the incredible ability to turn themselves into animals. Set on the coast of Argentina and imbued with magical Latin-American realism, this movie invites us to reflect on who we are.
Family Time
Jan 28 - Feb 04
Families make the world go ‘round! In these animated and live action shorts, we learn that very different kinds of families can share the same bond of love. Find the sun, learn a new song, dance with cats, drink from a tall, cool glass of color, and rediscover what your own family means to you.
No Bullies Allowed
Jan 28 - Feb 04
These kids use their smarts and their compassion to defeat bullying in creative ways. From buzzing robot drones to daisy chains to introspection and friendship, the heroes in this program find opportunities to stand up for themselves and others, and in so doing teach us about how to make the world a kinder and more just place.
Indigenous Showcase at Children's Film Festival Seattle
Presented with Longhouse Media.
Jan 28 - Feb 04
This wide-ranging program tells the stories of Indigenous people throughout North America, including beautifully animated traditional tales, stirring experimental films by young Native filmmakers, an inspiring documentary about a Yup’ik village that comes together for basketball, and the unique history of Yavapai doctor and activist Carlos Montezuma.
Shine On
Jan 29 - Feb 11
What makes you shine? The characters in these sweet and funny films have special things that make them glow and grow. Join them as they play with words, make new friends, tend a garden, and dig themselves out of holes and take journeys to near and far. If you close your eyes and make a wish, you might even be able to join them on a trip to the moon!
Wild Child
Jan 29 - Feb 01
Let your creativity run wild! In this collection of imaginative films, experience a meerkat rescue mission, get captured by your own toy, explore a dangerous universe in a taxi, and befriend a giant, gentle beast. Open your eyes to the wild adventures the world has to offer.
Jill and Joy's Winter
North American premiere!
Jan 29
(Sami Keski-Vähälä, Finland, live action, 2015, 77 min, in Finnish with English subtitles)
One December evening, a small car, barely the size of a shoebox, pulls up in front of Jill and Joy's house, and a teensy-weensy family gets out. The McTiny family, having just lost their home, move in with Jill and Joy but soon find out that not all big people have good intentions towards them.
Monsters Are *Reel*
Jan 29
These shorts show kids confronting their fears. The “monsters” in these films can be as ordinary as an iPhone, trying to stay awake in class, your own reflection, or as extraordinary as a malevolent spirit stalking the high-rise residences of Dubai. Get ready for some chills!
Fortune Favors the Brave
Seattle premiere! Screenwriter Katrin Milhahn in attendance! Presented with Portland German Film Festival / Zeitgeist Northwest
Jan 29
(Norbert Lechner, Germany, live action, 2016, 97 min, in German and Vietnamese with English subtitles)
Vietnamese sisters Lihn and Tien (ages 11 and 9, respectively) must keep a dangerous secret — their mother has had to return to Vietnam, and the girls are on their own in Germany.
Story World
Jan 29 - Feb 04
Prepare to be fascinated and inspired. With a mixture of both carefully drawn images and stop-motion critters, these animated films present various ideas about our world as characters explore their own worlds. Watch as these colorful stories unfold in front of you, and open up your eyes and heart to beautiful stories about aspects of love and adventure both light and dark.
Gotta Be Me
Jan 29 - Feb 01
The characters in these films are learning to dive deeper and fly higher. Meet a girl who shifts her shape, a boy who feels music instead of hears it, someone who longs to spend his life by the sea, and even some animated creatures who are also one-of-a-kind, just like you!
Save the Earth
Jan 29 - Feb 01
The earth is our only home, so let’s take care of it! In this program, you’ll travel through forests and the cosmos, animated dreamscapes, funny animal adventures, and stories about scientists, just to end up back at home, ready to change our environmental future.
Fountain of Youth
Jan 29
Let these genius youth filmmakers inspire you! Take an art walk in Capitol Hill, solve a mystery to save orcas in an aquarium, and go on an impossible voyage to the moon in these short films made by young individuals just like you.
Mussa
Jan 29
(Anat Goren, Israel, live action, 2015, 60 min, in Hebrew, Arabic, English, and Amharic, with English subtitles)
This documentary tells the story of 12-year-old Mussa, an African refugee living in Tel Aviv, who won't speak for reasons that no one understands. Mussa's Israeli classmates are his best friends, but he chooses to communicate with them only through gestures.
In Football We Trust
Presented with Longhouse Media as part of Indigenous Showcase.
Feb 01
(Tony Vainuku & Erika Cohn, US/American Samoa, 2015, 82 min, in English)
Shot over four years with unprecedented access, this new take on the American immigrant story transports viewers deep inside the tightly-knit Polynesian community in Salt Lake City, Utah. In Football We Trust is a stirring snapshot of the rise of the Pacific Islander presence in the NFL.
The Boy Who Lived Before
Director and cast members in attendance!
Feb 02
(Stephen Anunson, US, live action, 2016, 66 min, in English)
Meet Cody, who has memories of a previous life. These memories present themselves in the forms of visions, dreams, and daily routines. In an attempt to understand where he comes from, Cody delves into the online world, eventually attracting the interest of a budding film crew looking for outrageous stories.
The Prison in Twelve Landscapes
Seattle premiere!
Feb 02 - Feb 03
(Brett Story, Canada / US, 2016, 87 min)
Filmmaker and geographer Brett Story explores the ecology of incarceration, traveling the States to excavate unseen aspects of how prisons are imbedded in our social, natural, political, and economic landscape. The film’s strategy of employing negative space (no prison is ever on screen) highlights the effects that the prison industry has on remote environments, and how the lives of unseen populations are implicated in our own.
Heidi
Seattle premiere!
Feb 03 - Feb 04
(Alain Gsponer, Germany/Switzerland, live action, 2015, 105 min, in German and Swiss-German with English subtitles)
In this dazzling new film version of the beloved children's book, the adventuresome five-year-old orphan who lives in the Swiss Alps finds her life turned upside down when she must take care of a sick child, Klara. This refreshing rendition of the classic portrays true friendship and devotion.
Dreaming of a Better World
Feb 04 - Feb 11
This program of thought-provoking films will make young activists want to go out and change the world. These films feature brave young people who persevere against all odds and clarify the social context for their struggles. You’ll meet a boy who dreams of being the Robin Hood of Senegal, an American girl who protests the racist policies that have imprisoned her brother, and a young Syrian refugee who just misses his mom and dad.
Mr. Frog
US premiere!
Feb 04
(Anna van der Heide, The Netherlands, live action, 2016, 99 min, in Dutch with English subtitles)
Sita adores her schoolteacher Mr. Frans, who sometimes changes into a frog. But the animal world is not without danger, and Sita soon finds herself in the position of being his protector.
Boxing for Freedom
West coast premiere!
Feb 04
(Juan Antonio Moreno and Silvia Venegas, Spain, live action, 2015, 74 min, in Dari with English subtitles)
This documentary tells the story of a Safaf, a teenage girl growing up in wartime and facing intense gender discrimination, who deeply feels it is her destiny to become Afghanistan’s best boxer. Safaf and her sister joined the newly created women's boxing team after being refugees in Iran and returning to their own country.