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Phone: 206.324.9996 Email: boxoffice@siff.net
HollowSaturday, July 24
1 Reel Film Festival 2010September 3–6
The Bridge on the River KwaiSeptember 10–12
2010 Dinner & A Movie Series at the Volterra Drawing Room in Ballard
Sip for SIFF 2010
Can you change your whole life in one day? In Spike Lee’s (SIFF 2009 Tribute) adaptation of David Benioff’s compelling novel, drug dealer Monty (Edward Norton) spends his final day of freedom before a seven-year prison sentence with friends, family, and New York City. …
How hard could it be to make a three-minute film? We challenged you to find out. …
The lives of three art students converge in this sensitively observed look at a love triangle. In its outlines, Ruiz's film recalls a less politicized version of The Dreamers, while an appealing cast makes the scenario both believable and sexy. …
Unraveling the truth of how the Mormon Church orchestrated the movement to stop equal rights for LGBT citizens, this film plays like a political thriller. The film digs deep into the real scope of Mormon involvement in their support of California's Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. …
SIFF is thrilled to honor actor Edward Norton for his exceptional and prolific film career. The Festival will present the 2010 Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting to Norton at a special Tribute event that will include a screening of his most recent film, Leaves of Grass, as well as an on-stage interview with clips highlighting his diverse work as an award-winning …
A magazine plans to create an end-of-year sensation by having all of Korea’s most glamorous actresses together in one photograph for the first time. E. J-Yong’s delicious mockumentary, in which top Korean stars play not themselves, but their acting personas, flirts with the boundaries between fiction and reality. …
Alejandro Amenábar’s magnificent epic transports us to 4th-century Alexandria when pagan forces threaten the civilized Roman Christian world. Hypatia, the celebrated mathematician-philosopher finds herself in the throes of an ill-fated love triangle, forced to choose between her student and her slave. …
For more than seven decades, Ruth Gruber has defied tradition and forged a path for journalists, humanitarians, and women alike. Her love of adventure, fearlessness, and powerful intellect come to life through a blend of archival materials, contemporary footage, and 98-year-old Ruth’s own articulate narration in this affecting portrait of an inspiring woman. …
Three patients are confined to a Baghdad asylum during the ongoing war, each with a searing tale to tell. Filmed under truly hellish conditions—including repeated kidnappings of cast and crew by both insurgent and American forces—writer-director-cameraman Mohamed Al-Daradji’s debut is a mature, visually stunning triumph. …
Nozomi is an inflatable doll and the faithful companion of retiring, lonely, middle-aged Hideo. One morning she twitches into life, embarking on a new existence and experimenting the outside world through the lens of innocence. …
A breathtaking vision of life at tropical waters’ edge, Alamar blurs documentary and fiction as a father imparts his Mayan heritage to his son. At first, the boy finds the new way of life uncomfortable, but his relationship with nature unfolds as he learns to live in harmony with the natural world. …
A boy, his friends, family, first love, and punk rock face off in a Polish town during the political turmoil of the 1980s. Censorship and repression force the boys to face the realities and limitations of their small town as they learn what it means to be men. …
From peaceful meditations to a hurricane of visual stimuli, Alternative Waves will wash over you with sounds, images, and ideas that are far beyond narrative. …
A ravishingly shot environmental drama set in the High Andes of Peru. When a mysterious sickness afflicts a remote village, the superstitious inhabitants’ fears turn to anger, which they direct against a team of European medics—until one young woman learns the sinister truth about the source of the illness, to her own great cost. …
From new imaginary friends to old family recipes, come sample the freshest new flavors in Spanish short film. …
A dreamy pastiche tour de force of 1970s Italian giallo horror movies that plays out a delirious, enigmatic death dance of fear and desire. The film’s three parts, each in a different style, correspond to the childhood, adolescence, and adulthood of its female protagonist—and that’s all you need to know. …
The first retrospective film on the Bush Administration, American Faust presents the life of Condoleezza Rice as a fascinating version of the American Dream, a rise as spectacular as that of Barack Obama, but far darker. …
Norton’s devastating, yet ultimately redeemable, Derek Vinyard, in Tony Kaye’s directorial debut is what solidified his place among great leading men of this generation and earned him his first Academy-Award® nomination for Best Actor. …
Bill Hicks: outlaw, philosopher, genius. Two filmmakers weave together innovative visuals from more than 120 hours of new material, including in-depth interviews of Hicks’ family and closest friends, to recount the twists and turns of his life, and reveal the unseen legacy of an artist who was so funny, so fearless, and so right. …
Director John Jeffcoat (Outsourced, winner of the SIFF 2007 Golden Space Needle Audience Award for Best Film), intimately portrays 13 Seattle bands in these gorgeously shot short documentaries, created as complementary pieces to MTV’s $5 Cover: Seattle series. …
Twelve-year-old Louis lives a charmed life in a small Moroccan town. But when his father reveals an almost unbearable secret, everything instantly changes. This visually arresting and emotionally gripping film won the top prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. …
Possibilities are endless in this animated universe, from beat poet cats to action figurines come to life. …
A World War II drama, The Army of Crime, is the story of anti-fascist refugees from across Europe, most of them Jews and communists, who came together to form one of the most organized, disciplined, and effective fighting forces in the French Resistance. Based on actual events rarely told on screen. …
Based on a true story ripped from the headlines, Ho Yuhang's tale of an illicit affair between a confused 23-year-old and an underage high-school girl is a modern Malaysian film noir. Sophisticated visuals capture the dread, confusion, and moral emptiness as well as their shocking results. …
The Athlete’s loving and carefully drawn portrait of Abebe Bikila, the first black African to win an Olympic gold medal, easily exceeds the genre of the inspirational sport film. Bikila’s fascinating story of triumph over adversity will leave you wondering why you’ve heard so little about him until now. …
Love makes us do strange things. A lovesick teen, a retiring gangster, a broken-hearted cop, a wannabe thug and his trio of henchmen, and a bookshop clerk irreparably cross paths one night in the lively metropolis of Taipei. The encounters change their fates and fortunes, possibly forever. An irreverent, and cheeky romantic comedy-caper. …
This chilling thriller, from the director of The Crime of Father Amaro, dramatizes the tragic true story of border town Juárez, Mexico, where since the mid-’90s, thousands of women have gone missing. Can new female police captain Blanca Bravo stop the savagery? …
A realistic docudrama, Bakal Boys tells the heart-tugging story of children who scavenge for metal scraps in the murky waters of Manila Bay, often risking their lives in the process. …
Actor-director Linas Phillips takes his previous fascination with the films of Werner Herzog and embellishes them with touches of Linklater, Cassavetes, and his own low-key, quirky charm to create a unique and lyrical road movie. …
Take a walk on the wild side with transsexual Warhol superstar, Candy Darling, whose wild bohemian lifestyle and tragic early death made her an enduring underground icon. A stunning beauty, Darling was photographed by Mapplethorpe, Avedon, and Beaton; sung about by Lou Reed; and cast in a play by Tennessee Williams. …
First-time filmmaker Jessica Oreck captures Japan's fascination with beetles and insects as an exercise in avant-garde entomology. Eschewing talking heads for more poetic inspiration, she shows the beetle obsession from the inside out via images, interviews, poetic musings, literary quotations, video games, and a boy who wants to buy a new beetle for his collection. …
Four years after the end of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, the fighting has stopped but life is still far from normal. When two refugees flee a violent city and head for the hills, the countryside reveals increasing menace in this haunting meditation on the nature of conflict. …
Since the 1940s, when Hollywood went bananas for Carmen Miranda, music has been Brazil’s prime cultural export. From bossa nova to baile funk, Beyond Ipanema features interviews with Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, M.I.A. and others for a stylish exploration of Brazilian music and the waves it’s made in global culture. …
A three-way love story about Laura, a college student, Libero, the leader of the student movement, and Nicola, a policeman, The Big Dream is set against the background of the student demonstrations of 1968. A look at a memorable generation, in the tradition of The Best of Youth. …
Detroit teen Bilal has a tough decision to make: run the family taxi stand or win an ice sculpting scholarship in order to pay for college despite unsupportive friends and a family that feels abandoned. Bilal’s Stand shatters expectation with a touching, real-world tale that is inspiringly universal. …
Focusing on the often-fraught bond between mothers and their children, Blessed unfolds over the course of 24 hours in a blue-collar suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The intersecting stories are divided into two parts, the first told from the perspective of troubled offspring and the second through the weary eyes of their struggling mothers. …
A singularly personal example of the complexities of Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation, Blood Relation skillfully weaves archival footage and photos together with family interviews and scenes from the meetings of a Jewish-Arab clan over the course of three years. …
Hong Kong, 1906—revolutionary leader Sun Wen arrives for secret talks with leaders of the local resistance only to find a trap lain by the Qing Dynasty. The film delivers a suspenseful tour de force filled with operatic grandeur and cathartic action as Asian cinema’s biggest stars do battle in a deadly ambush. …
A gentle, bittersweet dramatic comedy of female solidarity and subterfuge set in rural Spain. Born to Suffer centers on 72-year-old Flora, a spinster fearful that her relatives won’t care for her in her old age, and who, to everyone’s surprise, marries her faithful female housekeeper in order to keep her family at bay. …
In this wacky yet thoughtful song-and-dance-fest, Willie, a 16-year-old Aboriginal boy, is packed off to seminary school. But the harsh discipline of Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush) soon has him taking up with a rag-tag collection of companions who help him navigate the road to self-discovery. …
From the Oscar nominated director of Twin Sisters comes a romantic epic that begins with a historical air race. In 1953, three young women start a new life in New Zealand. When they meet at a funeral 50 years later, they discover their lives were intertwined in ways they did not previously imagine. …
Former Danish servicemen Lars and Jimmy are thrown together while training in a neo-Nazi group. They move from hostility through grudging admiration to friendship and finally passion, but events take a darker turn when their illicit relationship is uncovered. Winner of Best Film at the 2009 International Rome Film Festival. …
Come and celebrate Brotherton Cadillac Buick GMC's Community Champions as we screen the top three locally produced documentary short films about the Champions (people who have made a positive impact on their communities). …
What begins as a pen pal exchange between sixth grade students in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn and orphans in war-ravaged Sierra Leone transforms into a passionate exploration of the way children can look beyond themselves to make the world a better place. …
A fun, sexy story of four close friends who form a rock band, “Lust,” make it big, and face the temptations, thrills, and trials of musical success. In a new world of women, drugs, and wild nightclubs, these French rockers try to see clearly through the glare of the bright lights. …
When her diplomat husband is delayed in Palestine, happily married magazine editor Juliette accepts the offer of his friend Tareq to be her guide to the unique sights, sounds, and customs of Cairo, leading to romantic moments and a poignant should-we-or-shouldn’t-we dilemma in the shadow of the Pyramids. …
Yes, folks, cane toads are baaaack! A cautionary tale of ecological hubris, the film is the follow up to the 1988 smash hit Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. Only this time the exponentially escalating pest is captured in glorious 3D. Be very afraid. …
On a four-year journey into deep space, Laura monitors operations on a rusty space-freighter while the rest of the crew lies in stasis. After she uncovers evidence there may be a stowaway on board, she wakes the crew only to discover a deeper mystery at play. …
Carlitos’ talents for playing soccer and getting into trouble serve him well as he dodges his nasty orphanage director’s watchful eye in order to pursue his dream: to be a player on the Spanish national junior soccer team. Filled with zany antics, effervescent performances, and a goosebump-filled finale. In Spanish with English subtitles, recommended for all ages. …
Heartbroken and destitute, Kim Seong-geun jumps off a bridge, washes up on a small island, and must resign himself to life in the wild. A reclusive young woman in the city finds his sand-scrawled messages through her telescope, sparking a series of communications in this charming love story of misfits. …
Winner Best Actor, Luis Tosar - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience AwardsA big winner at this year’s Goya Awards, including Best Film, Cell 211 focuses on two men trapped on opposite sides of a prison riot: Malamadre, the brutal inmate leading his fellow prisoners, and Juan, a newly hired prison guard who suddenly finds himself going deep undercover to survive the revolt. …
Following the Centerpiece Gala screening of Farewell, join us at the DAR Hall on Capitol Hill for a fabulous party featuring live entertainment, dancing, cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and deserts. …
When their legion is ambushed in Northern Britain, a small platoon of surviving Roman soldiers must evade a revenge-hungry band of barbarian warriors as they travel through harsh terrain in an attempt to rescue their general and return to the safety of the Roman frontier. …
A warm-hearted foodie comedy set in a freezing climate. On a tough 12-month tour of duty at an Antarctic research station, cabin fever threatens to derail the eight-man crew. Enter Chef Nishimura and his exquisite cuisine and suddenly the long dark days start to look a lot brighter. …
A shy engineering freshman, Aaron falls for Linda, an older art student whose daughter develops her own crush on him. Charming and earnest meets occasionally raunchy and bizarre in this dizzy little love triangle by writer-director Jeffrey Fine. …
Tacoma native glass artist Dale Chihuly captures a unique image of the natural world with his glass installations while continuing to maintain a strong element of fantasy. The film explores Chihuly’s collaborative process as well as his newest experimentation with neon lights. …
After their parents are killed, 10-year-old Gulistan and her younger siblings are taken care of by their activist aunt, until she disappears without a trace. As days pass, the children have to fend for themselves on the war-torn streets of Diyarbakir, where they come face-to-face with the murderer of their parents. …
Acclaimed Chinese director Lu Chuan (Kekexili: Mountain Patrol) delivers a nuanced, beautifully shot film on the 1937 Nanking Massacre. Including the perspectives of both Japanese and Chinese characters, this visceral black-and-white epic featured on many critics’ top-ten lists for 2009. …
All tickets include the Closing Night Gala screening of Get Low. Your ticket also includes the Festival's fabulous Closing party at the Pan Pacific Hotel. Enjoy one last night of mingling with Festival guests and friends while enjoying live music, food, and cocktails. This is a night to celebrate! …
The consequences of unbridled passion unfold in Silvio Soldini’s (Bread and Tulips) poignant film about a married man and listless accountant whose boring, stationary lives are turned upside down by their clandestine affair. …
In this uplifting comedy, the former conductor of the Bolshoi, now working as a janitor, stumbles upon an invitation to play in Paris and schemes with a motley bunch of former friends for a triumphant return to the stage. From the acclaimed director of Live and Become. …
Lucy Walker’s startling look at the evolution of atomic fears and reasons for international disarmament brings the issue back to the forefront of political conversation, ultimately encouraging us all to resist the dangerous existence of atomic weaponry. …
Landscape and dreamscape meet in Crab Trap. Set in the Afro-Colombian community of La Barra on Colombia’s Pacific coast, this moody, poetic film tells the story of a young man trying to flee his past, and the clash between a remote village and modernity, represented by two intruding foreigners. …
Doka and Bonza are best friends trying to survive in the anarchic economy of post-communist Bulgaria until they are hired by rival mafia bosses trying to eliminate the competition. A humane parable that assesses the cost that small fish often pay when swimming with the sharks. …
Set-up by their well-meaning parents, Loy and Oi-Lin meet for a blind date though both have someone else in their hearts. Despite trying to sabotage the arranged affair, a flirtatious undercurrent between them swells and threatens to sweep away their carefully constructed plans in this endearing and fresh romantic comedy. …
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. …
John’s quest for romance hits the fast track when he meets Molly…until he learns about her 21-year-old son, Cyrus. Before long, John and Cyrus are battling over the woman they both love. This insightful, funny look at love from the iconoclastic filmmaking brothers blends humor and heartbreak. …
Martín, a former revolutionary in Argentina, has been living in exile in Spain for more than 30 years. When he joins old comrades in search of the remains of a fallen friend, it isn’t long before long-dormant tensions surface, and with them, suspicions, accusations, and questions of loyalty. …
In Chile, a safe-cracker and a petty thief pursue lost loves while plotting to steal back riches from the old Pinochet regime. Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Fernando Trueba mixes crime-genre pulp with political thriller undertones to create an exciting, romantic tale of life re-emerging from dictatorship in this film based on Antonio Skármeta’s celebrated novel. …
In a sweetly affecting portrayal of adolescence and its challenges, 13-year-old Yup’ik Indian Vanessa battles her own social ineptitude and stigmatization within a prep school caste system to discover the meanings of love, friendship, and community. …
A stylish black comedy about life in contemporary Belgrade that satirizes the moral malaise clouding Serbia, Devil's Town features a host of top actors as city dwellers whose lives intersect on a hot summer day while the country's tennis stars compete in an important tournament. …
Mat (Gerard Depardieu) is dragged down in a conspiracy's undertow after refusing to help his dying friend steal a shipment of cocaine. Based on a novel by a former police officer, Diamond 13 is an unflinchingly authentic neo-noir crime story. …
A playfully kitsch and exquisitely ironic documentary about a strange information war fought between the Soviet Union and Western Pop Culture in the Estonian capital city, Tallinn. Thanks to a super-tall Finnish broadcast tower, locals could find out who shot J.R. …
A gentle, comic fable that shows how one family of mulish, macho men in the Herzogovina countryside ultimately gain some much-needed self-awareness—with the help of a real donkey. …
Alfred Hitchcock stars with his doppelganger in a paranoid thriller set during the height of the Cold War. Belgian filmmaker Johan Grimonprez skillfully weaves archival footage of Hitchcock into a plot loosely based on a Jorge Luis Borges story. The result is a playful thriller about the commercialization of fear. …
As they plan revenge on a snitch who ratted them out, a small-time crime family falls prey to intergenerational strife resulting in a body count that would not disgrace a slasher flick. A gleefully transparent British homage to "The Sopranos." …
You have no idea how terrifying the housing crisis can get. Upwardly-mobile Cheng Lai-Sheung will do anything to move into a new apartment with a magnificent sea view, even if it means going around her mortgage broker and taking matters into her own gory hands. Warning: features disturbingly imaginative violence and lifestyle fetishization. …
In the latest from Catalan auteur Ventura Pons, Anna returns home to Spain from a stint in Africa working as a nurse on the front lines of a violent conflict. Drawn into a powerfully sexual and codependent relationship, she struggles to break free from her demons. …
John Ford’s first color film portrays Revolutionary War-era frontier America. The struggle for independence and self-determination is personified in the story of one homesteading couple, the Martins (Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert), who face down scheming British and marauding Indians. …
Fresh from a tour of duty in Iraq, James returns to face a new battle—settling down in his small Texas hometown. Despite support from his wife, family, and friends, his inner struggles threaten to derail his efforts to rebuild his life. …
This exotic and heartwarming story of tradition and self-discovery is a cinematic feast of sweeping Mongolian landscapes. Bazarbai, a 12-year-old nomad, dreams of life in the big city, but his journey, in the company of his father’s eagle, reveals the path to his true home. …
Two disconnected brothers are suddenly reunited when they play opposing roles in a racially-motivated beating: Georgi participates in the violence, while Itso witnesses the act and rescues the victims. Only by coming together will the two brothers find what they really want out of life. …
Caught in a race against time, 7-year-old Nat is the only one who can save storybook characters like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan from fading into oblivion. With its creative narrative, colorful animation, and an uplifting musical score, Eleanor’s Secret will win the hearts of readers and film lovers alike. In English, recommended for all ages. …
Unsatisfied with his job as a TV writer, misunderstood by his wife, confused by his children, and constantly berated by his grumpy father-in-law, Ned's is at a crossroads in is life. Liev Schreiber leads this droll and sincere film that also stars Helen Hunt, Carla Gugino, Brian Dennehy, and Eddie Izzard. …
In this evocative, dream-like piece, a bus loaded with women in the heart of the Lebanese hinterland, makes an unusual road trip. Mixing real politics and stark absurdity, writer-director El-Horr announces herself as a major new voice in Middle Eastern cinema. …
In this smart dramatic comedy that impishly bills itself as “a relationship movie about premature ejaculation,” successful businessman and sexual sad-sack Kevin learns a thing or two about romance when he is introduced to the sexy Hayaam. Funny, pithy and profane in equal measure. …
Specially programmed for the young and the young at heart, this international blend of animated and live-action shorts will enchant and invigorate the entire family. …
A winning farce with a heart of coal, Vivi Friedman’s The Family Tree is full of pitch black humor and a lacerating wit that spares no one. With its sharp dialogue, this darkly comedic exploration of family values is a refreshing antidote to the saccharine fare currently clogging the multiplexes. …
Actors-directors Emir Kusturica and Guillaume Canet co-star in an absorbing true story about a KGB colonel who gives top-secret documents to an ordinary French businessman working in Russia, helping to hasten the end of the Cold War. Though it’s international in scope, the film also explores the impact of espionage on two individuals and their families. …
Aziz is a confident and handsome elderly man who sets out on a mission to find a new wife. From the director of SIFF hits Jalla! Jalla! and Kopps comes a heart-warming and multicultural comedy about love, friendship, and misguided communication between the sexes. …
Jacques and Mark are cops who just don't get along. Unfortunately they are also father and son. When they are assigned as an undercover team to infiltrate an outdoor adventure group-therapy camp for fathers and sons, hilarity ensues in the highest grossing French language film ever released in Canada. …
An outstanding family drama in which depression and the travails of film producers and their families are paid tender homage in Father of My Children. Inspired by the life and tragic death of revered French producer Humbert Balsan, it’s guaranteed not to leave a dry eye in the house. …
An ex-convict attempts to reconcile with his rebellious son despite Oedipal complexes, police corruption, and a parched, unforgiving landscape. A lean, mean debut feature set in rural Hungary, writer-director Viktor Oszkar Nagy uses precision editing, sparse dialogue, and a stark storytelling technique to forge the complicated father-son relationship. …
The first (and second) rule of fight club: You don’t talk about fight club. An unnamed insomniac (Edward Norton) and charismatic sociopath Tyler (Brad Pitt) bond over their hatred for consumerism and form fight club, a secret underground organization where men can express their deepest aggressions through violence. …
A missed flight prompts an identity crisis for Felicia when she finds herself not just stranded at the airport, but caught somewhere between Eastern and Western Europe, between childhood and parenthood, and between home and away. …
Modern medicine and old-fashioned superstition collide in a medical drama about a doctor who discovers he holds the power to heal in his hands. His gift, however, comes at an enormous cost, and the doctor must choose between saving the lives of the few he loves, or of the many he doesn’t. …
Alžbeta and Tina are sisters bound by jealousy and love, with an unspoken history hovering over them like a dark cloud. It is this history that compels Alžbeta to refuse Tina’s help in finding a better life in contemporary Dublin, until the day arrives that forces them to confront their common past. …
A thirty-something married couple take a pretty simple dare—to sleep with someone else for one night—but can they go through with it? This honest, funny exploration of relationships examines the fragile levels of trust between a couple that thought they were safe, and how little it takes for self-doubt to completely change everything. …
Herve’s got acne and Camel is sporting a mullet, but these 14-year-olds would like nothing more than to get involved with one of the girls at school...if only they could talk to them. Director Riad Sattouf has succeeded in taking the teen sex comedy to a new level of hilarity and relevance in The French Kissers. …
Unashamedly romantic, unafraid of the consequences, and causing a stir in its native Brazil, this bold melodramatic film delves into a passionate relationship between two brothers. This is not a gritty, low-rent, morality tale; the sun is forever shining, everyone thrives in a wealthy lifestyle, and the adult brothers are pin-up worthy gorgeous. …
From Thailand to a heated back alley chase, 1950’s Queens to modern day fairy tales and fantasies, gay life in all its twists. …
Winner SIFF 2010 Youth Jury Award for Best Films4Families FeatureYoung Tolly discovers he has an ability to see his ancestors’ ghosts. Soon, he’s traveling through time to the early 1800s where he uncovers an antique secret that threatens to upset the balance of history. A rare visual treat that evades expectation. Recommended for ages 5+ for ghostly presences and some intense sequences …
SIFF is proud to present FutureWave Shorts, a program of new films created by filmmakers younger than 19 years old whose talents celebrate the creative possibilities of the art form. …
A fascinating documentary account of the Catalan chicken farmer who became “Garbo,” an extraordinary Spanish double agent who helped change the course of history during World War II. His career peaked in 1944, when he succeeded in diverting German defense forces to Calais while the Allied landings were taking place in Normandy. Winner of the Spanish Goya for Best Documentary. …
A breathtakingly poetic meditation on the history of the American South told with maps, dreams, and prayers, along with award-winning cinematography. This experimental documentary charts the surrender of rural landscapes to urban cityscapes as the invention of the interstate throws everything out of balance. …
Thirty years after his death, Glenn Gould remains one of the most fascinating cultural icons, and best selling classical artists, of the last century. A riveting exploration of the incongruities between the flamboyant public persona and the private reality of this enigmatic man. …
The godfather of undead cinema returns with his sixth zombie film as two rival families feud on a remote island—one wants to destroy any and all walking dead, while the other holds back in hopes of finding a cure to return their undead relatives to life. …
Just in time for the U.S. Census, this documentary follows the emotionally charged history of voter redistricting battles across the country. By following a California referendum campaign against gerrymandering, the film shows how incumbent Republicans and Democrats alike have stifled the Democratic process. …
Winner Best Documentary (Tie) - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience AwardsAn inspiring testament to the tenacity and brilliance of Seattle artist Ginny Ruffner’s revolutionary artistic achievements, as well as her miraculous and determined recovery from a near-fatal car accident. This is sure to inspire you see the world from a new and unexpected perspective. …
Driving south on a mission to resolve psychological scars from his childhood, 27-year-old Sammy picks up brother and sister, Léa and Mathieu, to avert boredom. Soon they both have the hots for him and the French road trip takes on a highly charged erotic atmosphere. …
A daring look at society’s obsession with appearances as five “gordos” interact in group therapy. An ordinary setting provides insight into their weighty issues, as Gordos mixes satire, absurd comedy, and teen angst in this witty tale about guilt, fear, love, and passion. …
Special Jury Mention - SIFF 2010 New Director CompetitionAfter a tragedy at work, successful banker Frederik turns criminal mastermind in an effort to give his life new meaning. He hooks up with old friend, and ex-con, Vince, forming a bank-robber partnership. But the adrenaline high turns violent when Frederik’s attempts to win back an old flame may have gone too far. …
“I got chills. They’re multiplyin…” Complete with catchy tunes and zippy choreography, Grease takes us back to the romance of the 1950s, when making out under the dock and staying out past ten o’clock meant true love. Join the Rydell High gang for a rambunctious sing-along to one of America’s most beloved musicals. …
This bold feature hones in on a confused 19-year-old, Ari, brilliantly played by Alex Dimitriades. Over a 24-hour period, Ari fearlessly confronts both his sexuality and repressive Greek upbringing with a restless exploration of his proclivities—erotic and otherwise. This uncompromising work is bound to provoke debate in its frank depiction of a young man moving from one encounter to another in hi …
Winner Best Film - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience AwardsDisenchanted with life’s hypocrisies, 11-year-old Paloma plans to end her life on her next birthday. For her remaining 165 days, she films her gilded Parisian apartment building world, discovering that some of its inhabitants are not who she judged them to be. An unlikely trio of friendships develops, and hope blooms, in Mo …
A riveting account of one of the greatest films never made provides masterful insight into the creative process in this story of how Clouzot’s intended masterpiece hit the rocks three weeks into production. Told through stunning footage locked away for the past 40 years. …
In 16th-century France, with the country in disarray after years of conflict between Catholics and the Protestant Huguenots, lowly prince Henry of Navarre finds himself up to his neck in betrayal and intrigue at the French court in this rollicking biopic of the future King Henry IV. …
Family secrets start unraveling when Audrey finds the diary of her grandmother Louise, who, according to family legend, left her family and never returned. A surprisingly subtle portrait of three women bound by their past, this family drama is also an unlikely ghost story with a thriller hidden underneath. …
A young woman awakens from a drug binge to discover her boyfriend has overdosed and that she’s pregnant. Finding sanctuary at her would-be mother-in-law's house by the sea, she is strangely drawn to her boyfriend's younger gay brother, leading to unexpected, life-changing decisions for both. A striking, unsettling drama with indelible characters. …
Moscow, 1955. Incurring the wrath of all the grim-faced Soviets in Russia isn’t enough to stop a group of splashy young swingers from showing their true colors. Hipsters is a tender love story wrapped in an infectiously fun, MGM-inspired Technicolor musical. Winner of seven Niki awards (Russian Academy Awards®). …
Sam Gold (Jesse Eisenberg, Zombieland) is a 20-year-old Brooklyn Hasid planning to become a rabbi and marry the daughter of a local family—until he gets drawn into an Ecstasy smuggling scheme that uses young Orthodox Jews as its mules. An incredible story inspired by actual events. …
As long as movies have entertained the public, ‘sex’ has been part of the formula that has helped studios bring the public to the theater. Using a wide assemblage of film clips exploring the battle of the birds and bees, Seattle University professor James Forsher describes a nostalgic look at the sexy and sometimes slimy world of human passion on the silver screen. …
James Franco is Allen Ginsberg, poet laureate of the Beat generation, in this celebration of the work that captured a cultural moment and defined a literary scene. Academy-Award winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman blend narrative, documentary, and animation for a kaleidoscopic portrait of the man and his art. …
Chile’s rural population lives a hardscrabble life, yet hopes and dreams thrive. A first-feature debut, Huacho presents an intimate portrait of the individual lives and aspirations of three generations of a peasant family, revealing their resourcefulness, secret skills, and private hopes that keep hardships in check. …
A revealing portrait of octogenarian media mogul Hugh Hefner that looks beyond the walls of the Playboy mansion and contrasts his controversial lifestyle with his battles for racial equality, abortion rights, sexual freedom, censorship, and social justice. …
A provocative and hallucinatory film, artfully combined with pop music, is narrated by a nameless young Sebastopol man who signs himself into a psychiatric clinic in order to avoid being drafted into the army. …
In one of her most absorbing performances, Tilda Swinton plays a Milanese magnate’s trophy wife whose attraction to her son’s friend sets her on a collision course with propriety. This superb melodrama reimagines the form with bold originality and not a hint of irony. …
Written when he was just 17 years old and directed when he was 21, Xavier Dolan’s hilarious, corrosive, and ultimately touching debut drama about a gay teen’s embattled relationship with his manipulative mother captured a trio of prizes at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. …
Blend one part Twilight, two parts “Glee,” and a pinch of High School Musical and you’ve got I Kissed a Vampire. Sink your teeth into this electric new musical about love bites with a magnetic cast and 17 bloodthirsty songs. …
Influenced by real life events, Director Fabián Hofman weaves a nostalgic and moving account of two brothers coming of age, then separated in a military coup during Argentina’s tumultuous period of ruthless dictatorship in the late 1970s. …
In the course of just one day in contemporary Uganda, we venture into the seemingly unrelated lives of a child soldier, a maid, and a hip hop dancer. A refreshing snapshot of a country settling into a new national identity with richly drawn characters and vivid cinematography. …
Is this the real life? Is it just fantasy? …
Tamra Davis’ heartfelt homage to her late friend, whose incandescent talent made him the first African American star of the international art world. Includes insightful interviews with those who witnessed the phenomenon, along with seldom-seen examples of Basquiat's work. …
This tale of showbiz and survival takes the audience on a year-long ride with the legendary Joan Rivers, now 76 years old. It peels away the mask of an iconic comedian and exposes her struggles, sacrifices, and joy in living life as a ground-breaking female performer. …
Framed by the masked master thief K-20, circus acrobat Hekichi Endo escapes from prison seeking only to clear his name. Instead, with the aid of the thieves’ guild and society princess Hashiba, he assumes K-20’s identity and becomes embroiled in a swashbuckling adventure to recover Nikola Tesla’s newest invention. …
Set on a Japanese crab-canning ship in the early 1900s, Kanikosen is based on a novel recently retold in Manga. The ship’s enslaved workers rebel against their tyrannical employers for their own survival and liberty in this beautifully captured, sometimes bizarrely funny film that probes a fascinating era in Japanese culture. …
When Katalin’s husband finds out that she was raped shortly before their marriage, he throws her out of the house prompting her to embark on a journey through the Carpathian Mountains in search of her attacker. This dark fairy tale of revenge and its cyclical violence unfolds in ways that seem both surprising and inevitable. …
Sparse in dialogue but rich in visuals, Khargosh centers on ten-year-old Bantu who becomes a messenger for two young lovers. Carrying letters and arranging rendezvous, he enters a world of love and romance that he barely understands. …
Winner of SIFF’s 1998 New Directors Showcase, Land Of The Deaf tells the story of a deaf nightclub worker and a gambler’s naive girlfriend, as the two hide out together and dream of a better life. Director Valery Todorovsky creates a poignant testimonial to the power of love and survival in the chaos of 1990s Moscow. …
The Last Campaign tracks Booth Gardner and the Washington State Death With Dignity campaign over the final six weeks leading up to the 2008 election, following the debates the campaign provokes, as well as the toll that it takes on Gardner’s health. Academy Award®-nominated film followed by discussion with a panel of experts. …
In this moving documentary that puts a human face on China’s ascendance to economic power, Changhua and Sugin Zhang join 130 million other migrant workers on the New Year trek—the one chance a year to see the loved ones they were forced to leave behind. …
Leaves of Grass follows a twisting path merging crime drama and drug comedy in pursuit of answering one of our oldest questions: What does it truly mean to be happy. When Ivy League professor Bill Kincaid receives news his estranged twin brother, Brady (both played by Edward Norton), has been murdered, he travels back home to Oklahoma to find that his brother's death is greatly exaggerated... …
Steeped in mid-life ennui, Suzanne (Kristin Scott Thomas) goes back to work as a physiotherapist. But when she meets Ivan, a contractor hired by her husband, the two become swept up in an intense, passionate affair that leads to blackmail and revenge in this captivating, tempestuous drama. …
After Leo and his girlfriend break up over his impotence, he retreats to a rented room and cruises the Internet for gay alternatives. There he meets Seba—attractive, kind, and comfortable with himself. But is it enough to bring Leo out of the closet, and out of his room? …
When pardoned life-sentence prisoner Leila reluctantly takes a job at a parsonage answering letters for blind Father Jacob, each of them finds strength in the other’s frailties and redemption when least expected. Visually lush, with a beautiful piano score, the film’s grace lies in the hearts of its multi-dimensional characters. …
Brimming with Solondz’s signature deadpan humor, Life During Wartime skirts the uncomfortable line between pathos and tragedy as it follows the Jordan sisters (Allison Janney and Ally Sheedy) through their dark days in sunny Miami. …
Film director Ku has never had a hit movie though he’s a critics’ darling both at home and abroad. A series of awkward encounters with old friends and their wives starts to point out the shallowness of Ku’s life and relationships. Director Hong Sang-soo’s most overtly funny film to date. …
After an aging soldier (Jackie Chan) survives a battle that decimates the rest of his army, he stumbles upon a golden opportunity when he captures a young enemy general. Hoping he will earn a sizeable reward, the soldier begins a long, strange journey back to the his homeland with his captive. …
Special Jury Mention - SIFF 2010 FIPRESCI JuryRecently widowed Laura becomes ensnared in a series of bizarre lies as she tries to reconnect with her son, her family, and an old flame—who happens to be her sister’s husband. This warm-hearted dramedy takes a clear-eyed look at the past in order to better see the future. …
The wealthy, pasta-producing Cantone family is well respected in their beautiful Baroque town of Lecce in southern Italy. But situations spin out of control when Antonio, the eldest son, comes out and is subsequently banished by his parents, leaving younger brother Tommaso as the family’s only hope for the future. …
Forced to take their cigarette breaks outdoors, groups of smokers called “hot pot packs” spread the daily gossip in the back alleys of Hong Kong. There, the aptly-named Chimney meets Springer, a local cosmetics salesgirl. As smoke gets in their eyes, one thing leads to another. …
The Maldives have been breaking hearts and melting faces with their Northwestern brand of country rock since 2006. Their music is made of blue jeans and brown beards, fiddle tunes, and moonshine. They will provide musical accompaniment for cowboy legend Tom Mix's silent 1925 film, Riders of the Purple Sage. Adapted from the sensational novel by Zane Grey (1911), this 1925 silent film starring cowb …
The inspirational true story of a boy’s extraordinary journey from poverty to international stardom. From a grueling apprenticeship as a classical dancer in communist China, to the glory of creative freedom in America, Mao's Last Dancer captures the intoxicating effects of first love and celebrity, the pain of exile, and ultimately the triumph of individual endeavor over ideology. …
Winner Best Documentary - SIFF 2010 Grand Jury PrizeRecovering from a brutal attack, which robbed him of 38 years of memories, accidental artist Mark Hogancamp creates dioramas of the fictional World War II Belgian town of Marwencol in his backyard, and then photographs them to stunning effect. Using GI Joe dolls, the characters are based on people in his life, most of whom he can’t act …
Daniel, a 34 year-old man with Down Syndrome, falls for a woman who has never been loved in a multi-award winning social comedy that questions traditional notions of what is considered physically normal. …
Mediterranean Food is a delightful romantic comedy prepared with the finest ingredients: a pure heart, a sexy cast, and delectable haute cuisine. This cordial love triangle among an impulsive woman, her undemanding husband, and her seductive mentor offers a tribute to Truffaut’s Jules and Jim and Billy Wilder’s Sabrina. …
Director Keith Bearden creates a quirky universe of underdogs that includes ex-porn-star Monica (Kim Cattrall) and awkward teenager Tobe, who’s been collecting her career ephemera and hopes to save her from her trailer park existence. Like Little Miss Sunshine and Napoleon Dynamite before it, this winning comedy is unexpected and bittersweet. …
Bazil is a gentle-natured but unlucky man with a bullet lodged in his brain. Together with a motley crew of wacky new friends, he devises an intricate revenge plot against the giant weapons manufacturers responsible. From the hyper-imaginative director of Amélie comes a wild and whimsical David-and-Goliath tale. …
Winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival and nominated for an Academy Award®, this striking and supremely stylish drama deals with the aftermath of Peru’s violent civil conflicts through the story of simple maid Fausta and her attempts to come to grips with her illness of fear. …
Reminiscent of 9 to 5 with a touch of Heathers, this twisted, black-humored fairy tale of murderous proportions follows mild-mannered secretary, Sarah Jane McKinney, who discovers her talent for murder is the fastest way up the corporate ladder. …
Exhibitionism, voyeurism, jealousy, lust. The debut feature from Academy Award®-nominated director Dana Adam Shapiro (Murderball), Monogamy explores the fine line between love and obsession by expertly blending elements of a psychological thriller with character-driven drama to create a truly unique, wholly original hybrid. Dark and uncompromising, Monogamy is a movie not easi …
A young married couple attempts to deal with an unthinkable tragedy in this uncompromising debut feature. Shot in and around Seattle, and full of gritty realism, Morning establishes Mitacek as someone to watch. …
A stunning account of religious madness, sexual repression, and individuals crushed by external forces, Mother Joan of the Angels follows Father Joseph as he battles…with nuns possessed by devils. Based on a true story, the film was initially banned by the Catholic Church. Recently restored through the KinoRP project. …
At an altitude of 18,000 feet, Alaska’s Mount St. Elias is the destination for a trio of mountaineers determined to reach the mountain’s summit, and then to ski back down. Mount St. Elias documents their journey to one of the world’s most dangerous mountains as they trek the fine line between bravery and madness. …
The tribulations of white farmer Mike Campbell and his family in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe are brought to chilling life in this riveting Academy Award®-shortlisted documentary. After Mugabe’s 2000 “land reform” announcement led to farmers being assaulted and chased from their land, the Campbell clan vowed to fight. …
The simple story of an embittered invalid adjusting to a new nurse is the frame for an inventively crafted meditation on family, class, politics, and the cosmic scheme of things in this audacious and award winning first feature. …
Paula and Ezequiel, two down and out strangers with their own hardships, find love via the most unlikely of mediums: on hold music. This Argentinean directorial debut gives a fresh and quirky take on how relationships can bloom out of the most unlikely, and unruly, of situations. …
A middle-class Melbourne mom recovering from a brain aneurysm is advised: “no orgasms for the time being.” Over the next year she and her husband navigate life’s big (and little) questions in this endearing comic drama. …
SIFF 2010 FIPRESCI AwardSet in Philadelphia during the summer of 1976, Tanya Hamilton’s debut feature—with its retro-soul score by The Roots and a script of uncommon intelligence—captures the seething tensions of a city and its people in their attempt to reconcile their tumultuous past with a hopeful future. …
A Hitchcockian thriller in which a blonde, a doctor, a rejected lover, a lawyer’s wife, a priest, and a Holocaust survivor ride the overnight train to the seacoast. A psychological portrait of hunger and desire, the train’s claustrophobic atmosphere takes its toll as the passengers are consumed with suspicion. Recently restored in the KinoRP project. …
Stuck in limbo in Tijuana after he’s conned by an unscrupulous ‘coyote,’ Andres finds himself enmeshed in the lives of two women who befriend him in this sensitive, slyly humorous look at the new difficulties caused by economic migration. …
From heroic documentary to hitmen, with a lotto win gone wrong for good measure, these NW filmmakers cover a lot of ground. …
A moving account of the teenage years of John Lennon and his short but intense reconnection with his flighty, alluring mother, Julia, as he takes his first faltering musical steps along the road to Beatledom. …
Sundance 2010 award winner, The Oath, centers on brothers-in-law, Salim Hamdan and Abu Jandal, whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a course of events that would lead to Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo Bay, and the U.S. Supreme Court. …
Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City. …
A classic 1954 American story of mob violence and corruption among longshoremen. Winner of eight Academy Awards. …
Embittered fisherman Syracuse’s catch of the day nets a mysterious half-dead girl whom his daughter Annie is convinced might be a mythical “selkie” (half-human, half-seal) in this hopeful and captivating mix of small-town comedy and fantasy. …
All tickets include the Opening Night Gala screening of The Extra Man. Your ticket also includes the fabulous Gala party following the film. Join us as we celebrate the kick-off of the 25-day Festival with hors d'oeuvres, desserts, cocktails, and live entertainment. …
An imagined encounter between the aging Stalin and a young female doctor with healing hands, brought in after his own physician has been “purged” adds further speculation to the questions surrounding his death. …
In the tradition of sassy social comedies, and playing like a combination of Calendar Girls and Young@Heart, this charming comic drama is a coming-of-old-age story about a classy woman who rediscovers life and love when it seems too late. …
Veteran filmmaker Cheryl Dunye uses flashback, split-screen, and assorted documentary-style techniques to tell the story of four middle-aged lesbians attempting to cover up the murder of a much younger friend in this hybrid thriller that explores gender, sexuality, and identity. …
And then, quite suddenly, all hell broke loose. …
Grumpy Reuven has been living with optimistic Pierluigi in Paris for decades. Now retired, Reuven wants to return home to Israel, but leaving Paris is too much to bear. Funny and poignant, this character-driven doc explores how the language of love is spoken more with gestures than words. …
Young Welsh couple Gwen and Rhys are traveling to Patagonia in hopes of mending their troubled marriage. Elderly Cerys and her nephew are on a reverse course, traveling from Patagonia to Wales in search of her mother's homeland. Their stories blend in intimate moments set against panoramic landscapes. …
Faced with financial ruin, poor farmer Natha learns of a program that would benefit his family if he commits suicide. A media frenzy breaks out when news gets around that he is seriously considering this desperate option in this Capra-esque, Indian style comedy. …
In Gyeney's clever brainteaser, a man who claims to hail from the future travels back in time to set things right. As with Primer and Timecrimes, the director eschews special effects to spin speculative science fiction in which nothing is quite what it seems. …
Outcast Mara attends her high school reunion hoping for a second chance with her first love in this off-beat dramatic comedy from Seattle filmmakers Lindy and Kris Boustedt. The film’s fearless performances and complex narrative will keep you talking long after the credits roll. …
Michael McCrea’s bad night gets worse when Dublin gangster Darren Perrier sends thugs to collect on his debt. Unfortunately, one of the goons ends up dead, forcing Michael, his best friend, and his father to go on a 24-hour spree to pay Perrier back. A Guinness-black comedy in the tradition of Layer Cake. …
A tragic-comic re-telling of the story “Ivan the Dunce.” Petya, a handsome, mentally challenged young man, plays at being a small Soviet town’s traffic cop…He even wears a police uniform and holster but carries no gun. All is well until a few prisoners escape from a nearby Gulag camp prompting Petya to set out on the chase of his life. …
Pull out that mix tape you made your middle school classmate and relieve the days of young love, lust and experimentation. First aid kits provided. …
Love, sex, and desire get a run for their money in this outrageous, racy slapstick set against the sweet strain of romantic angst. With little patience for her nutty boyfriend’s fantasies about other women, Ariane suggests that her man takes his fantasies to the next level. The comedy of errors rolls as he does his best to go all the way with his amour. …
The breathtaking pace of technology has moved us ever closer to making artificial intelligence a reality. Plug & Pray visits the labs and minds of scientific experts who are at the forefront of A.I., and also critically questions their scientific faith in technological supremacy. What are the consequences for humankind? …
Yonfan’s sumptuously made drama looks back to 1950s Taiwan, when anti-communist feeling was at an all-time high, to tell the fairy tale-like story of two young sisters whose parents are arrested as communist spies. Stunning cinematography, luscious set design, and a plot with more than a few twists. …
Welcome to the adventures of Princess Lillifee, a fairy who rules over Pinkovia. When the townspeople get angry because the other fairies are abusing their powers, Princess Lillifee needs to make everyone happy again. A treat for all children who love magical fantasy. In English, All ages. …
Notable for its fresh approach and distinct art direction, this fateful love story, set in Prague during the late 1930s and subsequent Nazi occupation, focuses on radio journalist Emil, who is deeply in love with his glamorous Jewish movie star wife Hana. …
A contract good until death, decades old cases, bullies, and war - keep your pistols close! …
Bees are a barometer of the health of the world, and with the current Colony Collapse Disorder, the buzzing insects are in a state of emergency. This eagerly anticipated new work from eco-conscious director Taggart Siegel (The Real Dirt on Farmer John) creatively explores the global honeybee crisis as a catalyst for change. …
A nail-biting thriller about Ivan, a rich industrialist, kidnapped and brutally treated by his captors. They demand a huge ransom and play a high stakes cat and mouse game with the police as the board of Ivan’s company weigh up how much he is really worth to them. …
Smart, funny, and anchored by a quartet of sterling performances from some of Sweden’s top actors, Jorgen Bergmark’s tragicomedy is about a marriage counseling couple who find themselves in deep water when the husband falls for his best friend’s wife. …
Winner SIFF 2010 Youth Jury Award for Best FutureWave FeatureServing as a lightning rod for social activism, ReGENERATION blends the personal perspectives of musicians, conservative families, and suburban high school students to inspect and intentionally disturb the climate of social apathy facing today’s youth and young adults. Narrated by Ryan Gosling, featuring Howard Zinn, No …
Through vintage photos, probing interviews, and clips from hundreds of hours of rare film and audio recordings, Rejoice and Shout honors and celebrates the 200-year musical history of African-American Christianity, from the roots of gospel music on slave plantations to today’s modern soul and R&B acts. …
Between 2007 and 2008, Sebastian Junger (author of "The Perfect Storm") and Tim Hetherington made ten trips to Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, where they dug in with the soldiers of the Second Platoon over the course of their 15-month deployment. The result is a searing portrait of the present-day combat experience. …
Winner Best New Director - SIFF 2010 Grand Jury PrizeA darkly comic story of three generations of Polish women and the mysterious young man whose presence sparks a series of surprising events that change all of their lives. Awards for Best Film, Actress, and Cinematography at the Gdynia Film Festival; FIPRESCI Award at the Warsaw Film Festival. …
The principals of Jar City (SIFF 2008) reunite in this tight thriller about an ex-con lured into one last job smuggling booze. This film is being remade as a vehicle for Mark Walhberg under the direction of current star Kormákur. …
Eclectic musician David Byrne took the opportunity of his 2008 and 2009 Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno tour to blend modern dance with the stage show. This sexy and transfixing concert film blends exhilarating performances with intimate interviews detailing the creative collaboration behind the show. …
Director Jean Renoir succeeds in beautifully capturing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth in this first Technicolor film made in India. The River takes place in 1946, a story of first love seen through the eyes of a young British girl whose upper-class family lives near the Ganges. …
Based on a true story and infused with adrenaline-stoked action, The Robber is a psychological portrait of an endorphin junkie with two uncontrollable obsessions – running marathons and robbing banks. His training for the former keeps him in perfect shape until his increasing need for a fix lays him open to discovery. …
Poor Yoshie lives in the shadow of older sister Kikue, a fast rising star at the local geisha house. But when the local steel baron abducts the pair, transforming them into cybernetic-enhanced geisha assassins, the sisters gleefully elevate their sibling rivalry into a technological arms race to win his heart. …
In the late 1960s between ska and reggae, rocksteady defined Jamaican music. Forty years later musicians Hopeton Lewis, Marcia Griffiths, and Ken Boothe reunite to tell their stories and record an album of their greatest hits. …
On an early summer’s evening, Natasha meets Alba on the streets of Rome, only to end up in Alba’s hotel room. Throughout a night of passion, the two women reveal their closely kept secrets to one another in director Julio Medem’s (Sex and Lucia) newest contemplation of life, love, and romance. …
Using an animated history of the Art Brut movement as a loose structure, Rouge Ciel features works from around the world—ranging from Henry Darger to Gabriel Joachim Dos Santos—and combines interviews with artists, curators, and collectors to showcase these creators of a wholly new visual vocabulary. …
Despite his keen wit and intellect, wheelchair-bound Ben hates his confined life. But when his new assistant, Christian, introduces Ben to his long-time love interest, the three become entangled in an emotional, and somehow dangerous, ménage à trois. …
One of the year’s most cinematically satisfying films, this unconventional love story of two Aboriginal teens from a dusty settlement in the Central Australian Desert is full of fascinating ethnographic detail, gentle humor, and breathtaking cinematography. Winner of the Camera d’Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and numerous other prizes. …
Free your mind… but keep your mouth shut …
Jose Padilha's eye-opening new documentary centers on the popular field of Yanomami Indian studies, but they aren’t the tribe in question. The secrets being exposed are those of the tribe of intellectuals and academics who have built their reputations and careers by studying the Yanomami. …
Laugh-out-loud mockumentary Senior Prom follows teens from Mountlake Terrace High School as they lampoon stereotypical teenage romantic situations around the seminal social event of prom. Directed by 17-year-old Nicholas Terry, this refreshingly wise film is a celebration of the quality of youth filmmaking in the Seattle area. …
Visconti’s masterpiece of passion and betrayal unfolds during the last days of the Austrian occupation of Italy. This tale of illicit love between a wealthy Italian Countess and a younger Austrian officer, complete with luxurious sets and stunning locations, offers pure operatic drama. …
Twenty-something Barlam, messed up by his dysfunctional family, sets out to search for himself in the murky world of local hookers and junkies in this highly kinetic coming-of-age story set in the near future in El Paso, Texas. Impressive debut from Mars Volta music phenom, Omar Rodriguez Lopez. …
A towering performance by Andy Serkis as the 1970s mercurial, profane, proto-punk rocker Ian Dury elevates this blistering biopic to instant classic status. Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll is a glorious celebration of an endlessly fascinating character and the unpredictable highs and lows of his singular career. …
John Cassavetes’ directorial debut bristles with the raw energy and edgy improvisational performances that would characterize his later work. Shadows revolves around the New York City jazz scene of the late 1950s and the lives and loves of three African-American siblings who live together in Manhattan. …
SIFF’s annual celebration of the short subject kicks off with a dynamically varied program examining the breezy joy and tremendous complexity found in the best short films. …
It's 1983 in small-town Texas and 19-year-old Ritchie can't make a decision about his future. His friends, family, and love interest (Ashley Greene, Twilight) encourage Ritchie to quit the dead-end job and go to college, but splitting his time between his job at the local roller rink and his friends, he clings to his carefree high school past. …
This surreal comedy about a pair of mismatched traveling salesmen, armed with a secret “Procedure” to clean out the troubling skeletons from other people’s closets, makes no bones about it—it isn’t quiet as easy to sweep away our own secret past. …
Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas) is feeling his age, but you wouldn’t know it from the company he keeps. A former mogul with a chain of car dealerships, until legal troubles knocked him out of business, Ben now keeps a grip on the world through his relationships with women – many women. …
The stories of four Portland-based characters intersect through their common search for human connection. A feature debut for director Matt McCormick, this warm and poetic film also marks the acting debut of The Shins’ front man James Mercer and features Carrie Brownstein of the band Sleater-Kinney. …
Shortly after the fall of Saddam Hussein, a young Kurdish boy and his grandmother set out to find his father (her son), arrested and missing since the Gulf War. A beautiful, melancholic testament to Iraq, and a deeply humane vision of a people in search of the way forward. …
The going is tough for luckless Zinos and his warehouse diner, made worse by a sour-faced tax collector. In a desperate gamble he hires the local chef du jour, whose eclectic concoctions literally seduce the clientele in this fizzy feel-good house party of a movie. …
In the posh Southern District of La Paz, a large house and garden are home to a family and its Aymaran servants. But change is in the air. This suspenseful upstairs-downstairs tale is set against the backdrop of the larger social upheaval taking place in Bolivia. …
In this 21st century creature feature, two young scientists willfully ignore society's ethical boundaries, and achieve fame by splicing the DNA of different animals into the human genome to create a new species. However, their creation rapidly develops into a beautiful, yet deadly, winged chimera. …
Set in China circa 1930, Bu Wancang’s silent comedy of manners is based on Shakespeare’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” complete with star-crossed lovers, and mistaken identity, and offers a glimpse of China before the Cultural Revolution. Live piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin. …
Prolific tunesmith Stephin Merritt, of The Magnetic Fields, brings this gorgeous 1916 classic to life with his new, original score in live accompaniment to the film’s new 35mm print. Billed as “the first submarine photoplay ever filmed,” this pioneering adaptation of Jules Verne’s 1869 novel makes a perfect muse for notoriously wry singer-songwriter Merritt, who will be joined by …
A hulking giant of a man embarks on a quest for redemption after several mysterious wounds cause his hands to bleed inexplicably. A beautiful, haunting and lyrical film based on the graphic novel by Lorenzo Mattotti and Claudio Piersanti. …
Documentary directors Ayala and Fallshaw’s intended feel-good documentary about family reunions in north African refugee camps shockingly turns into an exposé of systematic modern slavery that pitches them into a huge international controversy. …
Personal art, tea, immigration, and inflatable bozos are spotlighted in this collection of thoughtful stories from around the world. …
Called the “the Cole Porter of his generation,” Stephin Merritt has been composing indie pop masterpieces for the past twenty years. Through decades of footage, the film traces The Magnetic Fields’ 20-year relationship that has led to one of the greatest bodies of work in the American Songbook. …
When Malik returns home to Tunisia after living in France he must face his anxieties about his mother’s discovery of his homosexuality. But everything he knows changes when he begins a relationship with the family’s handyman, Bilal. First-time director Mehdi Ben Attia creates an insightful portrait of gay life in Tunisia. …
A searing portrait of Tehran’s seamy side—a world of child trafficking, smuggling, and gangs. Tehroun combines the genres of social drama, crime thriller and black comedy to tell the story of Ibrahim, a professional beggar who loses his rented child-prop. …
Peter Karena, his wife Colleen, their six children, and many horses live almost wild in the stunning beauty of New Zealand's rugged Ruahine Mountains. Until, that is, Peter's escalating battle with his own father has profound consequences for the whole clan. …
In Mar Coll’s evocative film, which won the Goya Award for Best New Director, Lea returns home to Catalonia to attend her grandfather’s funeral. A melancholic 21-year-old girl, she and her emotionally detached family are forced to deal with implicit problems, leading to Lea’s own self-realization. …
In the 1970’s, Kashmere High School band director Conrad Johnson turned his band into an international funk sensation. Now thirty years later, his students return to pay tribute to the man who changed their lives. …
After being violently beaten and left for dead, a group of violated vixens turn into deadly divas and, with newfound confidence and courage, slash their way to vengeance in this controversial slice of grindhouse transploitation. …
Football star Pat Tillman gave up his career for the Army Rangers in 2002. His death in 2004 in Afghanistan provided the media with a perfect opportunity to manufacture an image of the unflinching American hero. Manufacture they did, and Tillman’s cause of death was falsified and glorified in an embarrassing example of modern military propaganda. …
Winner Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision, presented by Women in Film/SeattleFinally, a documentary film about yodeling lesbian twins. After 30 years of campy humor, political protest, sweet country singin’, and yep, yodeling, sisters Jools and Lynda are New Zealand’s Topp film export and mainstream movies’ newest mavens. …
This endearingly eccentric animated feature tells the story of Champion, his grandmother, his obese dog Bruno, and his love of bicycling. When Champion is kidnapped, grandma employs vaudeville triplets with a wacky knack for settings right. The delightful Academy Award@-nominated music stars as the voice for all the characters. …
A privileged Montreal teen believes he’s the reincarnation of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and acts accordingly, in this high-concept teen comedy from Canadian writer-director Jacob Tierney (Twist). Both cartoonish and cerebral, The Trotsky is studded with in-jokes referencing history, multi-cultural life in “La Belle Ville,” and film history. …
Brooding and violent, Tsar is a brief glance into Ivan the Terrible’s heart of darkness as the reigning tyrant, plagued by fanaticism and mental instability, battles over duty and friendship with the head of the church. Peppered with gripping action, the film’s rich production and atmospheric images are more impressionistic than historical. …
Hillbillies Tucker and Dale have found their perfect “fixer-upper” cabin, but remodeling is never easy, particularly when a group of college co-eds on Spring Break start killing themselves off all over your property. …
Special Jury Mention - SIFF 2010 New Director CompetitionCarla is questioning her marriage and her life. When her frustrated husband abandons her on the side of a road, she heads to a nature preserve for a little self-discovery. Moving in unexpected directions, Turistas’ twists and turns lead back to an organic, stunning story. …
From the Breakdancing World Championship in South Africa to the world’s streets, six competitors fight for the chance to be called “the best.” Allowing the audience access to the psychological terrain of the competition and the kinetic frenzy of breakdancing, this intense, global, and soulful dance film captures the b-boys’ extraordinary, youthful skills. …
True to real life, Turtle: The Incredible Journey follows the 25-year adventure of young turtle as it grows and experiences the exquisite beauty of the oceans. More than just a travelogue, director Nick Stringer weaves such issues as water pollution and commercial fishing into the narrative, demonstrating how they affect our undersea friends. …
When his hereditary disease starts to worsen, Mikko has to face up to telling his children they could be affected in this empathetic family drama. Will they be able to cope with the news that this bombshell in their past may govern their future? …
A promise, an old horse-head violin, and an ancient lost song lead classical singer Urna back to Outer Mongolia. Traveling across the steppes we meet musicians, shamans, a violinmaker, and ordinary Mongolians who, each in their own way, yield up precious secrets about the song of Genghis Khan’s two horses. …
Rachel and Theo are no ordinary twins. They share the ability to communicate telepathically—a power they will need when they meet the peculiar Mr. Jones (Sam Neill) and learn about the massive, malevolent beasts about to awaken from beneath Auckland’s volcanoes. …
Set in a Peruvian fishing village, Undertow starts off as something of a seaside Brokeback Mountain. Miguel and wife, Mariela, are expecting their first baby. But Miguel is also in love with Santiago, and after a tragic accident he must choose between his reputation and doing right by his lover in this sexy, haunting love story. …
Half-brothers Yanne and Axel are separated as young children. Their upbringings take them on very different paths, only to be reunited by the feisty Polish maid and waitress, Maria. The results are not quite as expected in this distinctly comic drama. …
Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Sam Green and musician Dave Cerf present a live screening/performance of an imaginative and probing inquiry into our abandonment of the utopian ideal—and the possible reasons why. Poetic imagery in combination with solicited audience interaction make this a truly original cinematic experience and a documentary like no other. …
A smart and intriguing film-within-a-film comedy about love and friendship among a quartet of Barcelona soul seekers. The characters travel playfully in and out of one another’s lives while the film’s narratives take us into the gray area between living and acting to look at what makes up a romantic comedy. …
A father comes to Hong Kong to avenge his daughter, whose family was murdered. Officially, he’s a French chef. Twenty years ago, he was a killer. Vengeance is a moody, noir-ish tour-de-force, starring French pop icon Johnny Hallyday. …
In this sparkling comedy, vivacious Violet (Natalie or Mindy Cohn from The Facts of Life) acts as queen mother for her gay friends, offering gossip and support, but she wouldn't mind a little romance for herself. Through a series of blind dates, she realizes that true love was right in front of her the whole time. …
Acclaimed documentarian Chuck Workman raids the vaults for this tribute to curator Jonas Mekas of the Anthology Film Archives. Using rare clips, archival footage, and interviews with forward-thinking directors like Kenneth Anger, Ken Jacobs, and Robert Downey, he simultaneously illuminates and celebrates an under-appreciated art form. …
Filmed in austere black-and-white, this story of the generation who lived through the entire Soviet period is told through Juzik and the landmarks of his life: his village childhood, work in Soviet Klaipeda, thrilling eroticism, and a final, fatal love. …
In Waiting for "Superman", Academy Award®-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim tackles another inconvenient truth: the failure of the public education system in the wealthiest country in the world. Winner of the Audience Award for Best U.S. Documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. …
Winner Best Documentary (Tie) - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience AwardsPhotographer Vik Muniz returns to his Brazilian homeland to develop an art project in the world’s largest garbage dump. An audience award-winner at both Sundance and Berlin, Waste Land is a moving look into the lives of mercilessly impoverished garbage-pickers and the power of art to transform them. …
Five films about overcoming the odds— now with ninjas! …
In this highly entertaining and riotous romp, a young couple gets more than they bargained for at their bourgeois wedding in the country. Stepmothers, former lovers, a gay couple, illegitimate children, and family secrets all threaten to derail the festivities. …
When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way… and when it’s a classic like West Side Story, it’s a must to see on the big screen with brilliant sound and dazzling picture! Directors Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise updated Romeo and Juliet to mid-century Manhattan …
Before Nirvana was Grunge, before Sir Mix-A-Lot’s Baby had Back, the Emerald City of the ’60s and ’70s was home to a flourishing funk and soul scene. Director Jennifer Maas takes us into this rediscovered era when groups such as Black On White Affair; Cold, Bold, and Together; and Cookin’ Bag were the local music icons. …
When a young Turkish-German woman, Umay, can no longer stand her husband's ill-treatment, she flees from Istanbul with her five-year-old son into the arms of her family in Berlin. But love, affection, and loyalty may not be enough as they struggle to reconcile Umay's willful self-determination with the social system that governs their lives. …
According to African legend, white lions are messengers of the gods. Shot with real lions on location 50 miles outside Johannesburg, South Africa, the film draws an intimate portrait of a rare white lion's journey to survive alone on the wild African plains, and a young boy's destiny to protect this magnificent creature at all costs. …
Take a sweet South African road trip through the hills and valleys of love, friendship, and post-apartheid culture clashes. Elvis and Ayanda are getting married. Elvis just needs to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town for the big event. Winner of the Audience Award at the Mill Valley Film Festival. …
When Erik’s girlfriend leaves him to attend a weekend medieval re-enactment game, he follows in hopes of winning her back. But as Erik, with the help of his Viking chieftain brother Bjorn, treads deeper into the game in search of his love, he inadvertently disrupts the fantasyland’s delicate balance of make-believe. …
The Wildest Dream uses astonishing visuals to tell the intersecting stories of George Mallory, the first man to attempt a summit of Mount Everest, and Conrad Anker, the mountaineer who finds Mallory’s frozen remains 75 years later. …
A stylish, thorough investigation into the troubled and fascinating life of William S. Burroughs, this is the only posthumous feature-length documentary about the legendary beat author, featuring interviews with Patti Smith, John Waters, and more. …
Winner Best Director, Debra Granik - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience AwardsWinner Best Actress, Jennifer Lawrence - SIFF 2010 Golden Space Needle Audience AwardsWhen Ree's outlaw father disappears, her family home in the Missouri Ozarks is on the line. Facing destitution for herself and her family she embarks on a heroic quest across the county to confront her kin, bre …
A quietly comic look at a Madrid housewife's attempt to escape from her mundane and tedious existence. After her husband goes to bed one night, she packs her suitcase, dons a black wig, and sets out on a night-long odyssey in search of adventure. …