SIFF DocFest
SIFF's inaugural documentary film festival
September 30–October 7, 2021
Tickets on sale now! The old adage “truth is stranger than fiction” could not be more timely or true this year. Join us for SIFF’s inaugural DocFest, a celebration of all films documentary, with stories of people you know, stories that will floor you, and stories that will make you look outside yourself. Moving from the thought provoking to the tenacious, with stops at tearful and tense, DocFest kicks off the new year of SIFF.
Tickets: $14 | $9 (SIFF members)
Purchase individual tickets on each film detail page.
Passes: $100 | $75 (SIFF members)
IN THEATERS
SIFF Cinema Egyptian: Sep 30–Oct 4, Oct 7
Proof of vaccination will be required.
STREAMING
SIFF Channel: Oct 4–7
Passholders will be able to view DocFest virtually on the SIFF Channel from 12:01am on Monday, October 4 to 11:59pm on Thursday, October 7.
Films are restricted to Washington State viewers with the following exceptions, which are available to all US audiences: North by Current, Storm Lake, Try Harder!
In-person screening only (not available virtually): Flee, The Sanctity of Space
A-ha: The Movie
Norway | 2021 | 109 min. | Thomas Robsham
September 30, 2021
When the Norwegian trio A-ha burst on the scene with 1985’s iconic “Take On Me,” the synth-pop musical landscape was changed forever.
Becoming Cousteau
USA | 2021 | 93 min. | Liz Garbus
October 3, 2021
Two-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus takes an inside look at Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s life.
The Conservation Game
USA | 2021 | 110 min. | Michael Webber
October 3, 2021
The story of Tim Harrison, a retired cop who makes a bombshell discovery while undercover at an exotic animal auction.
Flee
Denmark | 2021 | 90 min. | Jonas Poher Rasmussen
October 1, 2021
The story of one man's extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan, recounted mostly through animation. World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary (Sundance 2021).
The Hidden Life of Trees
Germany | 2020 | 101 min. | Jörg Adolph
October 3, 2021
Best-selling author Peter Wohlleben tells us in an entertaining and enlightening fashion about the solidarity and cohesion of the trees.
In Balanchine’s Classroom
USA | 2020 | 88 min. | Connie Hochman
October 2, 2021
In Balanchine’s Classroom takes us back to the glory years of George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet through the remembrances of his former dancers and their quest to fulfill the vision of a genius.
The Neutral Ground
USA | 2021 | 82 min. | CJ Hunt
October 3, 2021
A documentary about money, monuments, and how to break up with the confederacy.
North By Current
USA | 2021 | 86 min. | Angelo Madsen Minax
October 2, 2021
A director’s exploration of criminal justice transforms into a kaleidoscopic journey into family and trans identity, exploring the fine line between truth and fiction that exists in every family.
The Rescue
USA | 2021 | 114 min. | E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
October 2, 2021
From Free Solo directors E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin comes the against-all-odds story of the dramatic 2018 rescue of a boys soccer team trapped deep inside a flooded cave in Thailand.
The Sanctity of Space
USA | 2021 | 102 min. | Renan Ozturk, Freddie Wilkerson
October 7, 2021
Lured by a black-and-white photograph, three renowned climbers pursue the ultimate adventure and show us why humans must explore.
The Squad #NOTHERETODANCE
France | 2020 | 87 min. | Stéphanie Gillard
October 4, 2021
From the football pitch to the changing room with Olympique Lyonnais, the world’s best female footballers, in a riveting film about team spirit, respect, and recognition. Featuring players from Seattle’s own OL Reign.
Storm Lake
USA | 2021 | 85 min. | Jerry Risius, Beth Levinson
October 1, 2021
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Art Cullen and his family fight to unite and inform their Iowan farming community through their biweekly newspaper, The Storm Lake Times—come hell or pandemic.
Try Harder!
USA | 2021 | 85 min. | Debbie Lum
October 2, 2021
With humor and heart, director Debbie Lum takes us to the reality of the American college application process and the intersection of class, race, and educational opportunity.