Events and Talks
Celebrating film with special presentations, live Q&As, filmmaker talks, and more.
All live Q&A's, Forums, and Roundtables are FREE and will take place on Zoom. You can access these live events via the Zoom links, which can be found on each event or film detail page or on the interactive event grid PDF downloadable below.
Opening Night Celebration and Film
April 8, 2021
The 2021 Seattle International Film Festival Opening Night Celebration featuring Robert Connelly's The Dry (Australia), a neo-noir murder mystery starring Eric Bana.
Documentary Shorts Roundtable
90 min.
April 9, 2021
Documentary short filmmakers break down what it took to find their subjects and how they elevated their stories into something universal.
Documentaries as Documents
90 min.
April 10, 2021
Join us as we discuss two documentary filmmakers who told the stories of some of the pillars of American culture: Sesame Street, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams.
Kin Theory: Indigenizing Film Industry Spaces - Festival Forum
60 minutes
April 10, 2021
Tracy Rector moderates a frank and iterative discussion with two of the Sundance Indigenous Program leaders around the work of the Sundance Institute and how to expand kin relationships to the film industry.
What the Femme Roundtable
90 min.
April 10, 2021
Join five directors from this year's Festival as we talk about their films playing as part of WTF (Wild, Terrifying, and Fantastic).
Build It and They Will Come: Virtual Film Community - Festival Forum
60 minutes
April 11, 2021
Hear from the teams at Letterboxd, MUBI, and Film Festival Alliance about how they built, grew, and are able to maintain interactive film communities.
Ibero-American Documentary Roundtable
90 min.
April 11, 2021
From women’s rights, Indigenous artists, and culinary traditions to the mystery of ancient stone spheres, this roundtable will dig into four different and profoundly revealing realities in today's Latin America.
Shifting Lenses Roundtable
90 min.
April 11, 2021
From NY to LA, directing duos Celine Held & Logan George (Topside) and Kelley Kali & Angelique Molina [I’M FINE (Thanks for Asking)] talk about turning their lenses onto themselves to give a voice to the unhoused.
World Building through Production Design Roundtable
90 min.
April 12, 2021
Learn how these five directing teams created heightened cinematic worlds without a blockbuster budget.
Taiwan Films Roundtable
90 min.
April 13, 2021
Directors Chen Ming-lang (The Teacher) and Chen-ti Kuo (Final Exam), Producer Yi-Sen Ko (Get the Hell Out), and distributor Eric Chou discuss their cinematic visions of Taiwan. Presented in partnership with UW Taiwan Studies Program.
cINeDIGENOUS: Roots and Ancestors Roundtable
90 min.
April 14, 2021
Emily Cohen Ibañez (Fruits of Labor) and Christopher Kahunahana (Waikiki) discuss shaping narratives that counterbalance prevailing stereotypes and presumptions of the settler colonial gaze.
Diving into Nature Roundtable
90 min.
April 15, 2021
Take a deep dive into the natural world captured on film with director Alexis Gambis (Son of Monarchs) and director Chase Ogden (Super Frenchie).
A Tribute to Tom Skerritt
April 15, 2021
SIFF 2021 Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award Presented by Wells Fargo Private and Commercial Bank
Works-In-Progress Documentary: Walk By Me (aka Trans*Formed)
USA | Lisa Leeman
April 15, 2021
26 years after chronicling the gender transition of a successful young artist, filmmaker Lisa Leeman is surprised to find her at an equally transformative, yet wholly unexpected, crossroad again.
Activism in Short Filmmaking
90 min.
April 16, 2021
Several short filmmakers share how they inject activism into their work.
Works-In-Progress Narrative: Vera Dreams of the Sea
Kosovo | Kaltrina Krasniqi
April 16, 2021
Vera’s plans for an unexpected windfall are suddenly in jeopardy when she is forced to negotiate for her family’s future with the old-men of Kosovo's underworld.
Bold Virtuosos Roundtable
90 min.
April 17, 2021
Documentary filmmakers Cassandra Jabola, Benjamin Schwartz, and Mariem Pérez Riera talk about capturing the legacies of Amy Tan, Chuck Connelly, and Rita Moreno; virtuosos who mastered the art of being audacious.
Breaking Traditions Roundtable
90 min.
April 17, 2021
Some traditions should be respected while others should be retired or thrown under the bus. We invite you to a conversation between four dynamic directors about cross-cultural issues and changing visions.
Igniting Our Film Industry: Building a Seattle Film Commission for the Future - Festival Forum
60 minutes
April 17, 2021
CANCELED. Get involved with the Seattle Film Task Force's new Seattle Film Commission initiative to establish Seattle as a premiere place for film production.
Closing Night Celebration and Film
April 18, 2021
The 2021 Seattle International Film Festival Closing Night Celebration featuring the joyful Calan dramedy Rosa's Wedding (Spain), directed by Icíar Bollaín.