After being one of the first festivals of 2020 to go into hibernation when confronted with the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Seattle International Film Festival is returning in (mostly) virtual format for 2021. Running from April 8-18 (early and abbreviated for SIFF, but still a long festival by most standards), most films will be available to at-home festival goers through their screen of choice. We chatted about our first reactions to the virtual festival, suggested strategies for approaching the program, and make some quick picks.
Month: March 2021
Nobody shows Bob Odenkirk isn’t too old for this shit
An over-the-top action film that plays it all with a knowing wink, Nobody isn’t going to reinvent the wheel of action cinema. It instead opts to blow it to smithereens and have a wicked smile on its face while doing it.
Will your day be enhanced if you watch Enhanced?
Expect some goofy, cheap genre fast food fun, served up with a smidge of polish and not much else, and you won’t be disappointed.
SXSW 2021: The Hunt for Planet B
If you have plans for Halloween cancel them… or at least make sure to leave time to watch the launch of the James Webb telescope. If that sentence doesn’t excite or even interest you, it will after you watch The Hunt for Planet B.
SXSW 2021: The Fallout
Megan Park’s coming-of-age film starts like a typical high school day that takes a dark turn that’s also increasingly tragically common. The result ing story of the aftermath of a school shooting is a nuanced and emotionally riveting piece of storytelling that won audience and jury awards at this year’s SXSW film festival.
SXSW 2021: Ninjababy and Our Father
Each of these films focuses on the relationships we have with our parents: one from the perspective of the parents and the …
SXSW 2021: Executive Order, a harsh truth that’s not far off from reality
This was my most anticipated film of SXSW. Not only does it star a brilliant Brazilian musician, but the narrative has potential to ignite serious discussion (heated and otherwise) regarding the slippery slope of race-based political agendas.
SXSW 2021: Ma Belle, My Beauty and See You Then
I was delighted to see more than one quality full-length film not only include LGBTQ, but also women of color prominently featured. …
SXSW 2021: Kid Candidate, Oxy Kingpins, WeWork, United States vs. Reality Winner
Whenever I’m feeling indecisive at a film festival, I tend to default to documentaries. The highs may not be as high as with a surprisingly revelatory narrative feature, but the lows are rarely as low as a complete indie disaster. Reviews from four pretty-good documentary premieres from this year’s SXSW fit the bill with stories of would be public servants and scam artists.
SXSW 2021: Select Short Films
I think I’m the only staffer at The Sunbreak that relishes the quick thrill of short films whether animated, dramatic, documentary, or horror. I had a limited time to spread that relish this time around so I chose to focus in on the animated shorts. Below are some of my favorites.