Festivals Reviews SIFF

SIFF 2022: Sweetheart Deal is a moving story of heartbreak and tragedy on Aurora Avenue

Sweetheart Deal is 98 minutes of tragedy and heartbreak but it also felt so vital and important to tell the stories of these women who suffer from so much abuse and marginalization. “Sex work is work” and “my body, my choice” are good, rhetorical, platitudes (that I believe) but they are also too vague to meaningfully represent anyone whose choice and autonomy are often taken out of the equation, often by situations far beyond their control. 

Festivals Reviews SIFF

SIFF 2022: Opening Weekend Picks

It’s here! SIFF returns to in-person (and online) format this year beginning on Thursday night with a screening of Navalny at the Paramount followed by a gala in the street (like audiences and juries, the vital and thrilling documentary wowed us at Sundance; it’s a home run for a SIFF opener). By now, we’re all used to outdoor dining; so the springlike weather with its cool temperatures and ever-present threat of showers shouldn’t pose too much of an imposition. This is a city that knows well the virtues of layering so a little weather shouldn’t dampen the mood of a crowd eager to celebrate the return of its signature film festival. 

Below, we each highlight a few films to look forward to in the opening days of the festival as it kicks into full gear on Friday.

Festivals SIFF

SIFF 2022: Quick Picks, Tips, and Tricks

Starting today, tickets and passes are now available to the public for the 48th Seattle International Film Festival. Running from April 14-24th, the eleven-day festival features hundreds of films playing in-person in venues across the city, with more than half of the selections also available online. We’re still soaking up the trailers, digesting the full lineup, and strategizing the best ways to get the most out of this year’s event, but we thought we’d start by each highlighting a film (or two) from the program that we’re most excited to see or recommend.

Festivals SIFF

SIFF 2022: It’s Alive

At long last, a sense of “semi-normalcy” for Seattle and Springtime. After last year’s fully-virtual festivities, the 48th Seattle International Film Festival is upon us, restoring to our fair city an excuse to venture back out into theaters (or to watch from our homes) for eleven straight days and nights. Yes, this April 14-24th sprint is somewhat slimmer than the monthlong marathons of yore, but honestly, it feels a little bit healthier for all parties.