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 Seattle and beyond has to offer and a fantastic surprise to boot. If you haven’t already heard, SIFF has acquired the recently defunct Cinerama located smack dab in the middle of Belltown. You should have heard the roar from the crowd, it was joyful and infectious, not dying down for several minutes. When newly minted Executive Director of SIFF, Tom Mara, revealed the secret his entire team had been dying to tell, he couldn’t contain his excitement even taking a stoic moment to look up at the screen and let it soak in.

We were also treated to the opening night film, Past Lives, with a Q&A afterward with it’s charmingly delightful Director Celine Song.

As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words so I’ll leave the talking to the gallery below. It was quite a night and a hell of a party. I’m so excited for this coming week and all it has to offer.