Two of Seattle's best, if sadly frequently unheralded, film festivals kick of next Thursday, April 25, and both promise a weekend overflowing in inventive, offbeat, and creatively original cinematic delights.
The 21st Seattle Black Film Festival (SBFF) soars to life at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Art Institute with a gala screening of director Contessa Gayles's award-winning musical documentary, Songs from Hole. And the 17th National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) embarks on its hybrid and in-person schedule with a sparkling opening night event sponsored by MoPOP at SIFF Cinema Uptown.
SBFF
The SBFF slate is a dynamic selection of features, documentaries, and shorts from all over the world. The lineup includes the first-ever Sudanese film to play at the Cannes Film Festival, director Noor Amiry's stirring drama of loss, heartbreak, and tragic mistakes, Goodbye Julia; a 50th anniversary screening of Mel Brooks's legendary Blazing Saddles; and a pair of short films created by the Northwest Film Forum's own Netsanet Tjirongo, the animated Savi the Cat and the gentrification doc Vanishing Seattle: Queer the Land.
There are two venues for this year's SBFF: the festival's traditional home at the Langston Hughes Performing Art Institute and the venerable Washington Hall in Seattle's Central District neighborhood. Once again this will be both a hybrid and in-person event, and tickets, festival passes, and additional information can be found at the Langston Hughes website, https://www.langstonseattle.org/sbff
Be sure to take a close look at the schedule, however, as select titles are in-person only and will not be available for online viewing.
NFFTY
Once again, NFFTY takes over two of the three screens at SIFF Cinema Uptown and features a dizzying collection of shorts crafted by a diverse collection of filmmakers from around the globe aged 24 and younger. Opening night alone showcases offerings from the United States, Luxembourg, and Iceland. LGBTQ+ audiences should make a special effort to check out Natalie Jasmine Harris's bewilderingly heartfelt Grace and Ella Greenwood's poignant and powerful two-hankie melodrama, Twofold. Both films are knockouts.
As always, NFFTY offers guests the opportunity to take part in several panels and guest speaker events. Alumnus Sean Wang returns to Seattle to chat about getting nominated for an Academy Award and having his feature-length narrative debut Didi premiere at this past January's Sundance Film Festival (note: Didi will also be playing as part of the 50th annual Seattle International Film Festival on May 18 and May 19). Other events include an evening with award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and poet Raven Jackson, a tutorial from the Vancouver Film School on crafting the perfect pitch, and acclaimed Danish filmmaker Ege Heckmann discussing the "Green Revolution" in the film and television industries.
For tickets, a full calendar of events, and additional information head on over to NFFTY's website, https://www.nffty.org/2024-tickets
Pass prices vary between events and span the gauntlet from all-access to individual screening options, with those aged 24 and younger receiving a significant discount.