Seattle International Film Festival once again arrives bringing a spectrum of cinema from across the world. In working through the program, this year continues the decade long diversity dip seen in the per-capita of all things cutting edge foreign cinema, auteur, arthouse and experimental. These were content agendas that once had prominence within SIFF, on occasion approaching the programming on offer in Toronto and New York. Those times though, are now decades in the past. That said, it's worthy of note that this year's festival isn't as painfully omissive as 2011 or 2010 for that matter. We saw string of years that suggested relief from the lackluster programming described above which waned a bit in 2012 and a further positive trend in that direction in 2013. For the 2014 festival, their 40th Anniversary was celebrated with SIFF's strongest programming in almost a decade, suggesting a renewed vision for the festival. This year continues the trend away from the previously seen glut of middle ground contemporary romances and knowingly clever dramas for the sub-Sundance sect. One can speculate that this middle road approach to programming, which returned in 2015 and 2016 after it, has been taken to entice some imagined Northwest demographic out of their suburban hobbles and inner-city condos. With the inclusion of showcases in the outlying areas of Bellevue and Kirkland indicative of such. One can't help but consider these factors alongside the changing economic and cultural landscape of Seattle and what may be SIFF's bid at strengthening financing ties with it all.
Seattle International Film Festival in the past has existed as a focal point of visionary cinema curatorialship, with the resources, funds and legacy to be a hugely influential institution. One can can adduce that even San Francisco and Portland continue to program festivals of a caliber that SIFF has seemingly un-learned. We can observe, year in and year out, that Seattle continues to go astray of the standard of the international festival circuit embodied by New York, Cannes, Toronto, Rotterdam, Vienna, Venice, Berlin and Locarno. But there remain a handful of legitimate, original, well crafted cinema to be found in here too. Largely culled from the Contemporary World Cinema, Asian Crossroads, Archival Presentations, Midnight Adrenaline, Alternate Cinema, Documentary Films, FutureWave, and New Directors sections, this year I was able to generate an approximate 25 films of interest or gravitas. These run the spectrum from directors of note, archival restorations and new developing artists. As a consequence the majority of the titles listed below are simply films of curiosity, rather than considered essential viewing. Not the least compelling year in recent memory, but not approaching the par established with SIFF's own stellar run spanning the decades of 1987-2007. Nonetheless, I continue to be enthused about their home at the SIFF Cinema Uptown and expanded screens between the recently acquired SIFF Cinema Egyptian and Film Center. Their curation for these year-round venues has exhibited the scope of SIFF, with a visionary course forward for the institution once exemplified in the short-lived Recent Raves series. As the series has been discontinued in the past year, SIFF's venture down this path appears to have come to a conclusion.
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Friday, May 19
------------------------------
7:00 PM - Emiliano Torres "The Winter"
Majestic Bay Cinemas
WINT0519
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, May 20
------------------------------
4:00 PM - Hirokazu Kore-eda "After the Storm"
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
AFTE0520
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, May 20
------------------------------
9:00 PM - Bill Morrison "Dawson City: Frozen Time"
SIFF Film Center Festival
DAWS0520
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Sunday, May 21
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11:00 AM - Jean Pierre & Luc Dardenne "The Unknown Girl"
AMC Pacific Place 11
UNKN0521
https://myaccount.siff.net/tickets/buy.aspx?fid=348&id=39280
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Monday, May 22
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9:30 PM - Hong Sang-soo "Yourself and Yours"
Majestic Bay Cinemas
YOUR0522
https://myaccount.siff.net/tickets/buy.aspx?fid=348&id=39751
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Tuesday, May 23
------------------------------
9:30 PM - Norihiro Niwatsukino "Suffering of Ninko"
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
SUFF0523
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Wednesday, May 24
------------------------------
9:30 PM - Andrzej Wajda "Afterimage"
AMC Pacific Place 11
AFTE0524
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Thursday, May 25
------------------------------
9:30 PM - Xavier Dolan "It’s Only the End of the World"
AMC Pacific Place 11
WEIR0525
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Friday, May 26
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7:30 PM - Julian Rosefeldt "Manifesto"
SIFF Film Center
MANI0526
https://myaccount.siff.net/tickets/buy.aspx?fid=348&id=39312
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Saturday, May 27
------------------------------
11:00 AM - Alexander Korda "The Marseille Trilogy: Marius"
AMC Pacific Place 11
MARS0527
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, May 27
------------------------------
6:00 PM - Andrei Konchalovsky "Paradise"
Lincoln Square Cinemas
PARA0527
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, May 27
------------------------------
12:00 AM - Yoshihiro Nishimura "Meatball Machine Kodoku"
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
MEAT0527
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Sunday, May 28
------------------------------
11:00 AM - Marc Allégret "The Marseille Trilogy: Fanny"
AMC Pacific Place 11
MARS0528
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Monday, May 29
------------------------------
11:00 AM - Marcel Pagnol "The Marseille Trilogy: Cesar"
AMC Pacific Place 11
MARS0529
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Monday, May 29
------------------------------
8:00 PM - Alejandro Jodorowsky "Endless Poetry"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
ENDL0529
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Tuesday, May 30
------------------------------
8:30 PM - Brett Whitcomb "A Life in Waves"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
LIFE0530
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Wednesday, May 31
------------------------------
6:30 PM - Kenji Kamiyama "Napping Princess"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
NAPP0531
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Wednesday, May 31
------------------------------
9:30 PM - João Pedro Rodrigues "The Ornithologist"
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
ORNI0531
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Thursday, June 01
------------------------------
9:30 PM - Anocha Suwichakornpong "By the Time It Gets Dark"
AMC Pacific Place 11
BYTH0601
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Friday, June 02
------------------------------
7:00 PM - Ken Loach "I, Daniel Blake"
AMC Pacific Place 11
IDAN0602
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Friday, June 02
------------------------------
8:45 PM - Pacho Velez & Sierra Pettengill "The Reagan Show"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
REAG0602
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Saturday, June 03
------------------------------
9:00 PM - Selma Doborac "Those Shocking Shaking Days"
SIFF Film Center Festival
THOS0603
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Sunday, June 04
------------------------------
5:30 PM - Zhang Yang "Soul on a String"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
SOUL0604
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Monday, June 05
------------------------------
8:30 PM - Brillante Mendoza "Ma' Rosa"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
MARO0605
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Tuesday, June 06
------------------------------
6:00 PM - BU Wancang "Love and Duty"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
17LOVE0606
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Thursday, June 08
------------------------------
6:00 PM - Bertrand Bonello "Nocturama"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
NOCT0608
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Friday, June 09
------------------------------
7:00 PM - Bertrand Tavernier "My Journey Through French Cinema"
SIFF Film Center Festival
MYJO0609
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Saturday, June 10
------------------------------
4:00 PM - Abbas Kiarostami "Taste of Cherry"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
TAST0610
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Saturday, June 10
------------------------------
7:00 PM - Wang Xuebo "Knife in the Clear Water"
AMC Pacific Place 11
KNIF0610
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
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Sunday, June 11
------------------------------
3:00 PM - Kim Ki-duk "The Net"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
NETT0611
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
7:00 PM - Emiliano Torres "The Winter"
Majestic Bay Cinemas
WINT0519
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, May 20
------------------------------
4:00 PM - Hirokazu Kore-eda "After the Storm"
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
AFTE0520
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, May 20
------------------------------
9:00 PM - Bill Morrison "Dawson City: Frozen Time"
SIFF Film Center Festival
DAWS0520
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
--------------------------------------------------
Sunday, May 21
--------------------------------------------------
11:00 AM - Jean Pierre & Luc Dardenne "The Unknown Girl"
AMC Pacific Place 11
UNKN0521
https://myaccount.siff.net/tickets/buy.aspx?fid=348&id=39280
--------------------------------------------------
Monday, May 22
--------------------------------------------------
9:30 PM - Hong Sang-soo "Yourself and Yours"
Majestic Bay Cinemas
YOUR0522
https://myaccount.siff.net/tickets/buy.aspx?fid=348&id=39751
------------------------------
Tuesday, May 23
------------------------------
9:30 PM - Norihiro Niwatsukino "Suffering of Ninko"
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
SUFF0523
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Wednesday, May 24
------------------------------
9:30 PM - Andrzej Wajda "Afterimage"
AMC Pacific Place 11
AFTE0524
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Thursday, May 25
------------------------------
9:30 PM - Xavier Dolan "It’s Only the End of the World"
AMC Pacific Place 11
WEIR0525
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
--------------------------------------------------
Friday, May 26
--------------------------------------------------
7:30 PM - Julian Rosefeldt "Manifesto"
SIFF Film Center
MANI0526
https://myaccount.siff.net/tickets/buy.aspx?fid=348&id=39312
------------------------------
Saturday, May 27
------------------------------
11:00 AM - Alexander Korda "The Marseille Trilogy: Marius"
AMC Pacific Place 11
MARS0527
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, May 27
------------------------------
6:00 PM - Andrei Konchalovsky "Paradise"
Lincoln Square Cinemas
PARA0527
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, May 27
------------------------------
12:00 AM - Yoshihiro Nishimura "Meatball Machine Kodoku"
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
MEAT0527
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Sunday, May 28
------------------------------
11:00 AM - Marc Allégret "The Marseille Trilogy: Fanny"
AMC Pacific Place 11
MARS0528
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Monday, May 29
------------------------------
11:00 AM - Marcel Pagnol "The Marseille Trilogy: Cesar"
AMC Pacific Place 11
MARS0529
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Monday, May 29
------------------------------
8:00 PM - Alejandro Jodorowsky "Endless Poetry"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
ENDL0529
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Tuesday, May 30
------------------------------
8:30 PM - Brett Whitcomb "A Life in Waves"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
LIFE0530
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Wednesday, May 31
------------------------------
6:30 PM - Kenji Kamiyama "Napping Princess"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
NAPP0531
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Wednesday, May 31
------------------------------
9:30 PM - João Pedro Rodrigues "The Ornithologist"
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
ORNI0531
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Thursday, June 01
------------------------------
9:30 PM - Anocha Suwichakornpong "By the Time It Gets Dark"
AMC Pacific Place 11
BYTH0601
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Friday, June 02
------------------------------
7:00 PM - Ken Loach "I, Daniel Blake"
AMC Pacific Place 11
IDAN0602
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Friday, June 02
------------------------------
8:45 PM - Pacho Velez & Sierra Pettengill "The Reagan Show"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
REAG0602
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, June 03
------------------------------
9:00 PM - Selma Doborac "Those Shocking Shaking Days"
SIFF Film Center Festival
THOS0603
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Sunday, June 04
------------------------------
5:30 PM - Zhang Yang "Soul on a String"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
SOUL0604
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Monday, June 05
------------------------------
8:30 PM - Brillante Mendoza "Ma' Rosa"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
MARO0605
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Tuesday, June 06
------------------------------
6:00 PM - BU Wancang "Love and Duty"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
17LOVE0606
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Thursday, June 08
------------------------------
6:00 PM - Bertrand Bonello "Nocturama"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
NOCT0608
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Friday, June 09
------------------------------
7:00 PM - Bertrand Tavernier "My Journey Through French Cinema"
SIFF Film Center Festival
MYJO0609
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, June 10
------------------------------
4:00 PM - Abbas Kiarostami "Taste of Cherry"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
TAST0610
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Saturday, June 10
------------------------------
7:00 PM - Wang Xuebo "Knife in the Clear Water"
AMC Pacific Place 11
KNIF0610
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
------------------------------
Sunday, June 11
------------------------------
3:00 PM - Kim Ki-duk "The Net"
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival
NETT0611
https://myaccount.siff.net/tic
