392 films, including 10 world premieres and 36 North American premieres, will screen at the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival or SIFF (May 21 through June 14).
Now in its 35th year, SIFF—the largest film festival in the United States—can be a star-studded affair; Francis Ford Coppola and Spike Lee will be in attendance this year, and many high-profile actors attend their own screenings.
But despite the glamour, SIFF is staying closer than ever to its roots this year, featuring 16 local feature-length films and 13 shorts. In addition, Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton’s narrative feature film “Humpday” will be shown at the June 5 Centerpiece Gala, anchoring the entire festival.
Filmed in a private Seattle home, “Humpday” follows two former college buddies in the process of making an amateur porn video. Shot with digital cameras and natural lighting, with dialogue largely improvised by the actors, Shelton’s third feature-length film is an unapologetically character-driven piece.
After screening the film at Sundance Film Festival in January, the film was picked up for national distribution this summer by Magnolia Pictures; Shelton’s opportunities as a filmmaker have multiplied accordingly, as major L.A. studios and producers beckon.
Still, the Seattle native—a graduate of Garfield High School and the University of Washington ’87—insists that she will continue to make movies in her hometown, telling the Seattle Times, “I will never leave Seattle.” Local filmmakers know best—there’s no place like home.
Check the SIFF schedule, buy tickets, and download directions to local theatres online at SIFF’s official website. The festival runs from May 21 through June 14.
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