Calendar
Bel Borba Aqui
Nov 23 - Nov 29, 2012
(Burt Sun and André Costantini, Brazil, 2012, Blu-ray, 95 min)
The Brazilian city of Salvador da Bahia has existed for 500 years, but its historic streets received a loud reawakening when native son Bel Borba launched his artistic career. Driven by curiosity about his city and love for the people who live there, Bel has used abandoned urban spaces as his canvas, and abandoned materials as the stuff of giant paintings and sculptures. Bel Borba Aqui turns the spotlight on a man who has erased the line between artist and citizen, in an explosively colorful ride soundtracked by the local music of Bahia. Bel is only one of this film’s two heroes: his hometown is the other.
Jack and Diane
Nov 23 - Nov 29, 2012
(Bradley Rust Grey, USA, 2011, Blu-ray, 106 min)
Jack and Diane (Juno Temple & Riley Keough) meet as two teenage girls in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously. Diane’s charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack’s tough-skinned heart. But when Jack discovers that Diane is moving, she pushes her away. Unable to grasp hold of her new feelings, Diane's emotions begin to cause unexplainable, violent changes to her body. The girls must struggle through their awkward and insecure feelings to turn their first love into an enduring one. With an unforgettable cameo by Kylie Minogue and animation by the Brothers Quay, Jack and Diane is most definitely not like other teen romances you’ve seen.
Now, Forager
Seattle premiere!
Director in attendance opening night!
Nov 30 - Dec 06, 2012
(Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin, USA, 2012, HD, 93 min)
At first glance, Regina and Lucien’s lifestyle seems saturated with romance: husband and wife make a living foraging for mushrooms in the woods of New York, then go door to door selling their wares to restaurants in Manhattan. But as Now, Forager intrudes further upon their life together, it reveals a wife desperate for stability and a husband threatened by his wife’s “disloyalty.” Now, Forager expertly weaves tension into the story of a marriage, punctuated by gorgeous glimpses of the food around which that marriage revolves, while challenging our ideals of romance both within relationships and without. Special Film Forum member ticket price for Slow Food USA members.
Radio Unnameable
Seattle premiere!
Nov 30 - Dec 06, 2012
(Paul Lovelace and Jessica Wolfson, USA, 2012, 87 min)
Known as the father of “freeform” radio, DJ Bob Fass hosted Radio Unnameable in the 1960s, creating a show whose format mixed town hall forum and party. Broadcast on New York’s WBAI, one of the nation's first listener-sponsored non-commercial radio stations, Fass transformed mass media into mass movement. Whether raising bail money for draft dodgers, organizing neighborhood clean-ups, or gathering supporters for protests, Fass didn't simply report the news: he connected his community.
It's Such a Beautiful Day
Seattle premiere!
Nov 30 - Dec 14, 2012
(Don Hertzfeldt, USA, 2012, Blu-ray, 62 min)
If you’ve enjoyed at least one animated short in the past five years, it’s a good bet that you’ve seen one by Don Hertzfeldt, the Academy Award-winning animator whose stick-figure meditations have earned him comparisons to James Thurber and Chopin. If these seem like unlikely comparisons to you, test your skepticism at a screening of It’s Such a Beautiful Day, Hertzfeldt’s three-part biography of the most three-dimensional stick man you’ll ever meet. Bill can’t help but see his world in absurd distortions, even as he goes about a daily life that isn’t too far from yours or mine. The film follows him through surreally beautiful landscapes as a brain disease starts to contort his outlook even further.
The Black Balloon
Seattle premiere!
Dec 01 - Dec 02, 2012
The Black Balloon is a story of a balloon accidentally set loose by its owner which launches a majestic and comic journey across a metropolis.
For this program, directors Josh and Benny Safdie have curated a program of classic, balloon-themed shorts, appropriate for all ages, which complement their latest work.
Holiday High Notes
Dec 02, 2012
(Various directors and countries, 50 min)
Our annual Holiday High Notes concert at Northwest Film Forum is the perfect way to usher in the holiday season, with equal parts nostalgia and bright anticipation for the future. Join us as we welcome the renowned Northwest Boychoir, Apprentices to our cinema to sing in joyful accompaniment to a new collection of vintage holiday film footage. The choir's seasonal repertoire and angelic voices are the the perfect soundtrack to a cinematic wonderland of silent film Santas, animated elves and giddy children from days gone by.
Stan Brakhage Showcase
Marilyn Brakhage and preservationist Mark Toscano in person!
Dec 06, 2012
(Multiple films, 16mm, 1955-1994)
This program brings together some of the Academy Film Archive’s restorations of the films of Stan Brakhage, including the premiere screening of the newly restored masterpiece, Anticipation of the Night, and a brand new print of the remarkable Passage Through: A Ritual, with beautifully restored sound.
Mekong Hotel
Dec 07 - Dec 13, 2012
(Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand, 2012, Blu-ray, 61 min)
Fans of the Palme d’Or-winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives will surely remember the name Weerasethakul, whose newest feature is a portrait of a guesthouse on the river dividing Thailand from Laos, populated by ghosts and fragments of lives. The story is studded with actors from Weerasethakul’s earlier features, often referencing their previous roles and making Mekong Hotel a special treat for fans of the director’s other work; but this film stands alone for its enchanting portrayal of reincarnation and innocent love amidst a torrent of violence. Screens with Apichatpong’s short film Sakda (2012).
Purple Noon
Presented in partnership with Seattle Met
Dec 07, 2012
(René Clément, 1960, France, 35mm, 118 min)
"I first saw Rene Clement's 1960 film Purple Noon when it was re-released in the mid-nineties by Martin Scorsese (it was skillfully re-made several years later as The Talented Mr. Ripley). The young Alain Delon is – to say the very least – as cold and calculating on screen as he is completely mesmerizing, and his impeccable style comes off as almost an endorsement of his evil ways. As the characters and their exposed ankles, printed shirts, and perfect accessories slither around the Mediterranean in brilliant Eastman color, it becomes clear what a style influence the film has been over the years – next spring and summer more than ever." -Strath Shepard, Creative Director for Nordstrom, Land Management and Pacific Standard Magazine
Valtari Film Experiment
Dec 07 - Dec 09, 2012
(Various directors/countries, 2012, Blu-ray, 120 min)
Sigur Rós gave a dozen filmmakers the same modest budget and asked them to create whatever comes into their head when they listen to songs from the band's new album valtari. The project idea aimed to bypass the usual artistic approval process and allow people utmost creative freedom. Among the filmmakers are Ramin Bahrani, Alma Har'el and John Cameron Mitchell.
Home Movie Day
Free event!
Dec 08, 2012
Celebrate amateur filmmaking on Home Movie Day, as individuals and families share their own homemade movies with a community audience. It's a chance to discover why it's important to care about these films and learn how best to care for them. Bring your Super 8, 8mm and 16mm films to share, or just come to witness the vast array of amazing work! Film archivists will inspect films for damage as professional projectionists screen them in pristine cinema conditions.
Screen Style Panel Discussion
Free event!
Dec 08, 2012
Join us for a pre-screening discussion with Screen Style curator Laura Cassidy and the creators, designers and producers who've helped select and shape the Screen Style program.
Rockers
Presented in partnership with Seattle Met
Dec 08, 2012
(Ted Bafaloukos, 1978, Jamaica, 35mm, 100 min)
"Presenting unparalleled street style in a heart warming story of thievery and redemption. Rockers captures a pivotal moment in Jamaican history as our unlikely heros (played by real life reggae musicians) battle more than just imperialism but the terrifying disco movement that was emerging on the scene in 1978! Come for the great dance moves and stay for the eternal sweater vest over Adidas track suit combo that has inspired legions. Any great movie is an amazing style resource and Rockers has it all. Self expression never sounded so good." -Anna Telcs, Seattle artist and wardrobe designer
The Passion of Anna
Presented in partnership with Seattle Met
Dec 09, 2012
(Ingmar Bergman, 1969, Sweden, 35mm, 101 min)
"I appreciate Ingmar Bergman’s styling of the film The Passion of Anna. The film itself is quiet. The fashion is quiet. The silence creates the space to cover these beautiful and weighty themes around isolation and vulnerability. The styling works in that it gives little away about the characters. I appreciate subtlety. Artists like Ingmar Bergman showed me that less is more. Trying to use too many materials or convey too much impact generally dilutes the entire message. One good thing is enough. Find something that's good and let everything else be background. This idea has largely impacted the way I approach style." -Jill Wenger, Founder, Managing and Creative Director, Totokaelo
Beau Travail
Presented in partnership with Seattle Met
Dec 09, 2012
(Claire Denis, 2000, France, 35mm, 90 min)
"Beau Travail is an all-male military hothouse under an unrelenting desert sun, where soldiers are in a constant state of preparedness, which includes freshly laundered and properly pressed uniforms. There are punishing rituals of authority, physical fitness, honor, readiness, and endurance under the cruel eye of the commander. Discipline and compliance with standards of personal appearance, judged by the commander, are essential to the corps d’esprit and military effectiveness, as well as personal and professional order and maintenance. The sun wilts the creases, the passions are unleashed, and the order unravels." -Robin Held, Executive Director, Reel Grrls
Next Dance Cinema
co-presented in partnership with Velocity Dance Center
Dec 10, 2012
Velocity Dance Center once again brings Next Dance Cinema to our screens, the sixth year of this showcase of dance films from Pacific Northwest artists. The evening promises to enchant and engage audiences of dance lovers and film lovers alike. Next Dance Cinema is part of Velocity’s Next NW 2012: Real/Time that includes live dance performances December 7–9 (at 8pm) at Velocity's Founders Theater.
Coast Modern
Special pre-screening happy hour December 12, hosted by ARCADE, with filmmakers in attendance!
Dec 11 - Dec 13, 2012
(Michael Bernard and Gavin Froome, Canada, 2012, Blu-ray, 60 min)
Returning after its screening in Local Sightings 2012, Coast Modern turns the lens on the sleek interiors and lush gardens of stunning examples of modernist architecture, from Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle, from the early 20th century to the second wave of post-war America to today’s current modernist renaissance. Featuring conversations with architects and their patrons, the films asks if Modernism’s time has finally come, or whether it really went away.
Fred Won't Move Out
Dec 14 - Dec 20, 2012
(Richard Ledes, USA, 2012, Blu-ray, 74 min)
American screen icon Elliot Gould stars in Fred Won’t Move Out as a character most of us have seen in our own lives—the aging father struggling to come to terms with his declining ability to live independently. As his middle-aged son attempts to persuade him to move to assisted living, the film moves with a keen artistic eye through Fred and his wife’s home of 50 years, which also happens to be the former home of director Richard Ledes’ parents. Like its title, Fred Won’t Move Out is beautiful in its candid, barefaced storytelling, swerving around sentimentality while leaping at moments of hilarity.
Movie Night
Dec 14 - May 24, 2013
DJs Jon Francois and Nik Gilmore return Movie Night to our screens as they remix quirky feature films with some of the finest vinyl records, live! Feast your eyes on odd cinematic gems, as the DJs replace almost the entire soundtrack (including music, sound effects and dialogue) of classic flicks. Special ticket pricing: $5 online or at the door!
My Louisiana Love: Indigenous Showcase
Director in attendance!
Dec 15 - Feb 16, 2013
(Sharon Linezo Hong, USA, 66 min)
Northwest Film Forum continues its partnership with Longhouse Media to present a monthly series showcasing emerging talents in indigenous communities. This exciting program exemplifies how Native American and indigenous filmmakers are at the forefront of the industry, successfully establishing a dialogue and creating images that are challenging and changing long-established cultural attitudes towards indigenous culture. Join us on February 16 for My Louisiana Love, which traces Monique Verdin's quest to find a place in her Native American community--the Houma Nation--as it reels from decades of environmental degradation.
Music Craft: Jimmy Smith
Sponsored by KPLU 88.5
Dec 15, 2012
(1965, 55 min)
Years before being sampled by the Beastie Boys, Jimmy Smith's bebop-blues mastery of the Hammond B3 electric organ and Leslie speaker was caught in a tour documentary made for German TV in 1965. The look is black-and-white grainy, the sound is birthing acid fusion. With Billy Hart on drums and Quentin Warren on guitar.
Candy Von Dewd and SexyTime Release Party
Dec 15, 2012
Fantagraphics editor Jacques Boyreau celebrates the release of his new book SexyTime with this special program, featuring the Seattle premiere of Boyreau's science-fiction sex romp, Candy Von Dewd.
Called "ravishing" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, SexyTime is the ultimate movie poster book of 1970s porn chic (with a little 80s mixed in). Boyreau pairs a reading with an accompanying program of hilarious, tasteless, and yes, brief! compilation of outstanding 35/16mm porn trailers. The evening concludes with a screening of Candy Von Dewd, where valiant, stoic astronauts of the Rocketship Leroy crash on a dune planet and encounter telepathic Amazons. Drugs, gladiators, robots, boobs and alien sex blow up B-movie grammar into psychedelic arthouse splendidity.
Sans Soleil
Chris Marker Tribute!
Dec 20, 2012
(Chris Marker, France, 1980, 16mm, 100 min)
This December we honor one of cinema's finest fallen heroes, and remember the memorable, great Chris Marker. Perhaps no other filmmaker left his indelible mark on the history of a medium in quite the same way. His films consist of a series of impressions, snapshots and postcards from distant lands, linked together by Marker’s enigmatic voice. Marker was in love with memory and its melancholy beauty, and his films are heroic (perhaps doomed) attempts to trace memory’s power on our lives. To honor this enigmatic, giant figure we screen one of his finest outings, Sans Soleil, a complex journey into time and memory. This mind-bending free-form travelogue roams from Africa to Japan, guided by associative editing and an unnamed narrator.
The Annual Holiday Party
Free event!
Dec 21, 2012
Your favorite film luminary as Santa…the annual Nog-Off egg-nog championship…back alley dreidel games…dancing…good cheer… It must be our annual holiday party!