Glass Art Society Film Festival: Opening Night

6:30pm | SIFF Film Center 

Presented by Glass Art Society and Chihuly Garden and Glass 

The Glass Art Society (GAS) in partnership with Chihuly Garden and Glass invite you to join us for the opening night of the 2025 GAS Film Festival. Enjoy the intersection of glass and film. Enjoy light snacks with words from Executive Director of GAS, Brandi Clark and Executive Director of Chihuly Garden and Glass, Michelle Bufano. Followed by the showing of the winner of the 2025 GAS Film Festival.

The Glass Art Society (GAS) in partnership with Chihuly Garden and Glass invite you to join us for the opening night of the 2025 GAS Film Festival. Enjoy the intersection of glass and film. Enjoy light snacks with words from Executive Director of GAS, Brandi Clark and Executive Director of Chihuly Garden and Glass, Michelle Bufano. Followed by the showing of the winner of the 2025 GAS Film Festival.

About the Film:
Te Rongo Kirkwood: The Seer, the Seen, the Seeing is a multi-dimensional installation that represents the artist’s most personal series in glass to date. Drawing from Māori weaving practices, Kirkwood has created a kākahu (cloak) made of glass and woven fibers, alongside a Puru hau (sacred ritual vessel) in blown glass. These two works are central symbolism to a film featuring Kirkwood and her father, set against the backdrop of their ancestral lands at Piha beach on New Zealand’s west coast.

Watch Trailer

“I find it difficult to express my internal experience through words, so I turn to art to explore the layers of complexity of being alive, seeing, and perceiving,” said Kirkwood. “Recently, I've been using imagery and film to engage more directly with my work, I want to express nuance and connect on a deeper level. I love how each viewer resonates with art in their own way, bringing their unique lens of perceptions and life experiences.”