Independent journalists fight for survival in this era of corporate and billionaire control of the media, coupled with vitriolic political attacks on the press. An Iranian village councilwoman sparks controversy when she urges young women to question patriarchal authority. The victims of a catastrophic psychological gender experiment discover a tragic truth. A plucky and determined flight attendant triumphantly rescues orphaned cats from the streets of Doha, Qatar.
These are just a few of the subjects that will be explored during SIFF’s fifth annual DocFest, a 14-film sojourn into feature-length documentary storytelling, running October 16–23 at SIFF Cinema Uptown, with one special screening at SIFF Downtown on October 19.
For Stan Shields, SIFF’s associate director of festival programming, DocFest is a source of pride. He’s helped lead the programming of the weeklong festival since its birth in 2021. Once again, he’s crafted an eclectic smorgasbord of nonfiction stories from all around the globe for audiences to enjoy.
Here are the edited transcripts of what he had to say in our conversation:
Sara Michelle Fetters: How much fun is it to program a weeklong documentary festival?
Stan Shields: With the main May festival, we receive so many great films, and there’s always that brutal last couple of weeks when I have to go to the documentary committee and say, ‘We have some many wonderful films here, but we can only play a portion of them. You all have to walk out of this meeting sacrificing one of your favorites.’ That’s a tough conversation to have. But DocFest is this opportunity to bring some of those films that missed [SIFF] back to our screens. It is also this great opportunity to showcase films we would not have been able to program back in May, films that are receiving a late-year release or just weren’t available to us earlier in the spring and summer. Films that maybe just premiered at Venice or Toronto, and that’s exciting.
SMF: I think some audiences cringe a little bit when you say the word “documentary.” It’s as if they look at these films as homework. Sure, you’re going to learn something, but documentaries can also be extremely entertaining.
SS: It’s hard for me to grasp and put my head around that, because I love documentaries. I’m looking at them all the time. But I can’t tell you how many times, after a screening, I have someone come up to me and say, “I never knew how cool documentaries are!” That’s a terrific feeling, and that’s why we’re here. It’s what SIFF exists for. SIFF is here to promote the idea that people can have incredible film discoveries anytime... And with DocFest, it’s an ideal opportunity to dedicate yourself as an audience member to the form. There just aren’t a lot of opportunities to do that. Documentaries can be about anything, and the [number] of subjects we get to cover in just this festival is so impossibly vast.
SMF: It is especially true with DocFest. The array of stories from around the globe you’re able to showcase over the span of a single week is something else.
SS: Absolutely. It’s our primary mission. Every year we try to cover as many topics as possible. Diversity of stories is important to me. Diversity of filmmakers, diversity of culture — this all matters. Seven countries are represented over the course of the 14-film festival this year.
SMF: Outstanding. Just looking at the lineup, you can give your audience an exhilarating case of vertigo with the stunt-filled aerial documentary Space Cowboy, and then take them right into the heart of the war in Ukraine with Love+War. You’ve got food documentaries (Mugaritz: No Bread, No Dessert) coupled with stories focused on gender, identity, and LGBTQ+ equality (A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint, The Secret of Me). And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
SS: I think there are two different lenses I’m always looking through when I program the festival. The first is: I’m always wanting to focus on two of the words in our organization’s title: “Seattle” and “International.” What are the things that are being discussed here in Seattle, and what are films that can expand our conversation on those topics?
The other question I’m always asking myself when we program is: what are the topics that documentary filmmakers around globe are focusing on right now? What I saw this year is that a lot… are looking at journalism — and more importantly, investigative journalism — in a way that is incredibly timely. They are looking at the state of the press, the state of journalism, and while these films do not necessarily talk about the same thing, I do think you can make the case that they’re in the same room. They rhyme.
SMF: When you find a theme like this, how cognizant are you of not just ringing the same bell over and over? That you’re able to showcase stories that relate to that theme, but from across the spectrum, just not a just on a small sliver of it?
SS: Very. When I’m trying to write a description of a film or attempting to break down what it is about, I tend to ask myself if what I’m writing is repetitive. If it is, I tend not to follow up with a second draft. It’s time to look for other stories.
Last year we ended up with three films that were music docs, and I admit I felt a little guilty about that. But they were all extremely different and unique. They each had their own stories and… unique filmmaking style. They were different enough that… there was nothing repetitive about them. That’s what you aim for, I think, when you find a theme that you want to focus on during the festival.
SMF: We’re in a moment when our ability to talk about certain issues is in danger of being stifled. People are either afraid to talk out in the open, or a vocal, powerful minority is committed to stopping the conversation. That makes events like DocFest more necessary than ever, doesn’t it?
SS: It’s certainly as necessary as it has ever been. I think that it’s one of the functions of an arts organization, especially an international arts organization: to bring those conversations out into the open. These are the conversations happening in the world right now, and while I can’t force you to take part and engage, I can give you the opportunity to do so if you want to grab it.
SMF: And when those conversations do happen, what do you hope transpires?
SS: One of the guest opportunities we have this year is with the documentary Speak., a film about the national speech and debate championship. The filmmakers are going to be here, and they’re trying to arrange to have some of those students present as well. Those kids are all making speeches about how to change the world. And how to make the world a better place for yourself and for others is, I think, a theme that runs through the entire festival. Those would be great conversations to continue during and after DocFest.
SMF: Where do you see DocFest going next? Will you continue to captain this ship as long as SIFF keeps you at the helm?
SS: This is the fifth DocFest. It was the first thing we did when we reopened our doors after the pandemic. DocFest had been a conversation between [SIFF artistic director] Beth Barrett and me for quite some time, as documentary films have been some of the highest rated, most talked about, and best attended during the primary festival, going back several years. We knew Seattle was hungry for these films and wanted to engage in these conversations, and I think we have been proven right about that.
Doing this festival just seemed like part of our purpose and our mission. I don’t see DocFest going away any time soon, and I plan on being a part of its programming for as long as I can.
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