Open Caption Screenings
SIFF is excited to bring more open caption screenings to better welcome deaf and hard of hearing audiences, as well as anyone who benefits from viewing captions. We present as many films as possible with open captions every Tuesday and during Sunday matinees.
WHAT ARE OPEN CAPTIONS?
Open captioning is when the dialogue and sounds of a film are written as text that is overlaid on the film image for anyone in the audience to see. It is considered passive assistance, a service that is there to use or ignore.
We understand that open captions can be distracting for those who are not accustomed to using them, but in the spirit of making SIFF accessible for all cinephiles we appreciate your consideration for those who need open captions.
OPEN CAPTIONS vs. CLOSED CAPTIONS vs. SUBTITLES
As explained above, open captioning is when the dialogue and sounds of a film are written as text that is overlaid on the screen. Closed captioning is when dialogue and sounds of a film are visible through a single, personal device. Closed captioning availability differs per film and venue. Subtitles are the on screen translation from different languages which only translate dialogue and do not include audio descriptions like open and closed captioning.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES
All SIFF Cinema venues and Seattle International Film Festival external venues will remain equipped with Assistive Listening devices on days when open captioning is not offered. Check-in with the Cinema or Festival Venue Manager to locate the devices at your venue.
All SIFF Cinema venues and Seattle International Film Festival external venues are equipped with Closed Captioning and Descriptive Listening devices, but services may vary per film. Call 206-464-5830 for more information.
Late Fame
USA | 2025 | 96 min. | Kent Jones
September 11 - 24, 2026
Willem Dafoe plays a post office employee whose early book of poetry is “rediscovered” by a group of aspiring artists who adopt him as an elder statesman, flattering him but also causing him to question their authenticity.
Primetime
USA | 2026 | 110 min. | Lance Oppenheim
Now Playing
In 2006, "To Catch a Predator" host Chris Hansen sets out to make television history.
The Scout
USA | 2025 | 89 min. | Paula González-Nasser
October 9 - 11, 2026
A location scout is tasked with finding the perfect interiors for a television pilot. Over the course of a single day, she drives around New York City, interacting with strangers, taking photos of their cozy apartments and eclectic shops, while attempting to satisfy the demands of her erratic employers.
Whalefall
USA | 2026 | 106 min. | Brian Duffield
Now Playing - Oct 29, 2026
Following the death of his father (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale.
You Can See Everything
USA | 2026 | 175 min. | Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim
Now Playing - Oct 29, 2026
In this astounding new high-wire act of self-reflexivity from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, created in secret, convicted Silicon Valley fraudster Elizabeth Holmes becomes an entirely different kind of camera subject.
Wicker
USA | 2026 | 105 min. | Alex Huston Fischer, Eleanor Wilson
Opens October 23, 2026
An ostracized fisherwoman commissions the local basketmaker to weave her a husband, but when her wicker creation proves unexpectedly extraordinary, his presence ignites jealousy and upheaval that threatens their quiet village.
