This past Christmas, I bought my nephew Josh a 20-pack gift certificate to the Seattle International Film Festival and we’ve been surfing the SIFF movie sorter finding all kinds of films that are on both of our “must see” lists. Last night we saw a Midnight Adrenaline showing of “I Sell the Dead.” Yes, more zombie movies are on my list to see with Josh including “Zombies of Mass Destruction” (filmed in Port Gamble, WA) and Dead Snow.
This afternoon, I took a four-pack of teenagers to see “Spring Breakdown” and star Rachel Dratch (from Saturday Night Live) was there for a meet and greet. It was hilarious! Josh had a chance to meet Rachel and get her autograph and I must say he practically levitated for the rest of the day. After Spring Breakdown, we raced to the Uptown on Queen Anne to get in line for “Paper Heart” starring Charlyne Li and Michael Cera. It’s a documentary/comedy/romance about Charlyne’s real life quest to find out why she doesn’t believe in love. The film was wonderful and everyone with my group gave it a 5 on the 1-5 rating scale for the audience choice award. Tomorrow both my nephews and I will be heading down to the U District again to see Kevin Spacey in “Shrink.”
I don’t spend all my time with teen-friendly films and neither should you. For gratuitous sex and violence, I’ll be catching “Dowloading Nancy” with my gratuitous-sex-and-violence-film-festival-buddy Ron. Our pact is to ONLY see movies with gratuitous sex and violence each year. I try to see the opening and closing night galas with my friend Kyoko who always entertains me with stories about what it was like when she was a UW student in the early 70s when the film festival was first getting started.
Another favorite genre is horror. Josh and I will be catching “Deadgirl” which created a buzz at the Toronto Film Festival and “The Hills Run Red.” I wish I had time to see more psychological thrillers but alas, business calls. If only I could take three weeks off work every year. You can search the SIFF film sorter by website by genre, program, director, country or venue. The calendar will give you a quick look at what films are playing where and when every day. SIFF even has an iPhone app for the festival. I recommend buying tickets online and printing your ticket vouchers in advance. That way if the movie you want to see is sold out by the time you arrive, you’re rewarded for planning ahead by exchanging your vouchers for tickets at will call and get in the ticket holder line! All the SIFF volunteers have been amazing at helping me with various questions. My only complaint is having to constantly pay for parking at every venue which really adds up.
Come say “Hi” if you see me at Four Boxes, West of Pluto, Burning Plain, Worlds Greatest Dad (filmed in Seattle), Cold Souls, or The Clone Returns Home and I hope everyone is enjoying our awesome weather this weekend!
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Check out “Audience of One,
There’s a film not at SIFF that everyone should definitely check out. The English Surgeon is opening June 19th at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle. It’s a documentary following the Humanitarian efforts of an English Neurosurgeon in the Ukraine. In an area with a lack of equipment, funding, and sanitary conditions, Marsh manages to save lives out of the goodness of his heart. Watching the Moral dilemmas he must face as he deals with mortality is truly eye opening and speaks volumes about Humanity. This is a definite must see.
http://www.TheEnglishSurgeon.com
There’s a film not at SIFF that everyone should definitely check out. The English Surgeon is opening June 19th at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle. It’s a documentary following the Humanitarian efforts of an English Neurosurgeon in the Ukraine. In an area with a lack of equipment, funding, and sanitary conditions, Marsh manages to save lives out of the goodness of his heart. Watching the Moral dilemmas he must face as he deals with mortality is truly eye opening and speaks volumes about Humanity. This is a definite must see.
http://www.TheEnglishSurgeon.com
Hi Alex,
I will definitely try to make this film. I love films with moral dilemmas. Might even take my other nephew who is heading off to the UW this fall to medical school. How long is the run at NWFilm Forum?
On that note…
“In a Dream” is coming to Seattle! June 13-18th at the NW Film Forum.
“As a portrait of a sweet but slightly fractured man, it’s one of the most unexpectedly touching documentaries I’ve ever seen.” —Cinematical
Its an amazing Doc about family, codependency, addiction, and artistic consciousness–the way the dreaminess, otherness, and essential egocentricity of an artist can crash against the needs of family life. Can the same person who creates breathtaking visual art destroy a family with his blindness to the simplest needs of other? Its a deeply psychological film, and also a beautiful one.
Check it out!