Picks for the second half of the Seattle International Film Festival, plus a rundown of the guests who will be in town to support their films.
Month: May 2023
SIFF interview: Documentary filmmaker Penny Lane is a Good Samaritan
I believe most writers, especially those of us who cover the arts, have a small “dream interview” list, people that we’d love to talk to, should the stars align. High on my shortlist for about a decade has been documentarian Penny Lane. She’s directed some of the most unique and memorable documentaries in recent years, full of vivid characters. Some of her most notable films include Our Nixon, Nuts!, Hail Satan?, and Listening to Kenny G. She’s like a Gen X Errol Morris and she’s amazing.
SIFF 2023: Shout at the devil with Even Hell Has Its Heroes and Satan Wants You
Short reviews of two documentaries: Even Hell Has Its Heroes, about the NW rock band Earth, and Satan Wants You about the Canadian roots of the Satanic panic.
SIFF Interview: Director Megan Griffiths reflects on Year of the Fox and the Seattle film scene
Yet again local (and beloved) director Megan Griffiths has a SIFF favorite on her hands. Year of the Fox is set in Aspen, CO where Ivy (Sarah Jeffrey) is on the cusp of womanhood but hesitant to grow up too fast. Unfortunately with her parents imminent divorce, a father far too distracted by the opulent world of Aspen “royalty” and her mother dealing with the fallout of not only losing marriage but the life she’d always known. Confronted with the harsh realities of the very real caste system that still exists in our country, toxic masculinity, and the realization that her dad may not be the man he’d convinced her he was… she’s forced to figure it out on her own. I don’t know about you, but at her age, I wouldn’t have been able to feed myself much less upend my whole reality and come out the other side in one piece.
SIFF 2023: teen angst with ANU and I Like Movies
Short reviews of SIFF films, both about kids having a tough time.
SIFF 2023: Meaningful vacations in The Eight Mountains and Chile ’76
Reviews from the Seattle International Film Festival.
SIFF opening night glitz & glamour
For the first time in a few years, the opening night gala for the Seattle International Film Festival felt almost too fancy for the likes of me to attend. It was the place to be, get dressed up, celebrate all that film in Seattle and beyond has to offer and a fantastic surprise to boot.
SIFF 2023: NW Connections: Poets and Puns
Two local documentaries, both making their world premieres at SIFF, are reviewed (and recommended!).
SIFF 2023: Recommendations for Opening Weekend
It’s here! SIFF opens its 49th annual festival on Thursday night with Celine Song’s exceptional debut feature Past Lives. Here at the SunBreak, we’re excited to dive back into the city’s biggest festival for film fans. To help you navigate the deluge, we each identified a few recommendations for films screening over this coming days.
A poignant portrait of real life versus art in The Worst Ones
In an attempt at authenticity in his new film, the director, Gabriel (Johan Heldenbergh), seeks out youth from a housing project in a rural suburb in France. One young boy, Ryan (Timéo Mahaut), is the focus of the film and while he creates the mystique and gritty character they’re looking for, he’s already neglected by an unstable mother, having trouble in school and barely hanging on by the merciful love of his older sister.