While overall movie attendance has been dropping in the last few years, major film festivals seem to be bucking the trend. The Seattle International Film Festival saw a significant rise in ticket sales between 2003 and 2004, up approximately 23 percent overall, according to SIFF Director Helen Loveridge in the fest's opening press conference.
The jump in attendance came as something of a relief to festival staff, who did not know what to expect when charismatic founder Darryl Macdonald departed for sunnier climes. Macdonald left behind a festival with a glowing international reputation and Cinema Seattle (the festival's parent organization) with a reported approximately $100,000 in liabilities.
The bump up in attendance for 2004 created a budget surplus, said Loveridge, which helped reduce Cinema Seattle's deficit. Macdonald has continued to remain involved in SIFF as a programmer, selecting certain films for this year's festival.
Administratively, last year's festival also went smoothly for the staff. Most films started on time and the ticket lines were long but never totally abysmal (despite some annual grumbling by passholders shut out of a few venues).
"Last year was my first time and some of you know how nervous I was," Loveridge said . "Actually, I had fun. I was amazed - I didn't know you could have fun during your own festival."
The now sophomore director and her staff entered into 2005 feeling confident that the 31st SIFF will go as well or even better than its predecessors.
"Nothing is a sure thing," amended Loveridge. "Corporate sponsorship has been difficult. Staffing a seasonal event is always a nightmare." But Loveridge added that she still expects to have fun at this year's festival.
This year, SIFF's biggest hurdle will be the latest "Star Wars" film. The much anticipated blockbuster knocked SIFF out of two regular downtown venues, Pacific Place and the Cinerama.
The sudden removal of two screens from the festival's usual hangouts forced SIFF to move back to the Neptune, a University District theater used by the festival in the 1990s but replaced in recent years by the more convenient located downtown venues. SIFF also added a new neighborhood to its list with the addition of Queen Anne's Uptown theater during the festival's final 10 days. But the majority of the action, as always, remains firmly on Capitol Hill, with the Egyptian, Broadway Performance Hall and the Harvard Exit being used by SIFF throughout its run.
Overall, the changes actually increased SIFF's capacity by 15 percent, which should mean that everyone can attend what they want to attend. Loveridge also touted SIFF's decision to schedule more daytime screenings, something requested by past attendees. As for the spread out nature of the festival venues, Loveridge and programming director Carl Spence suggested picking a neighborhood and sticking there for an entire day or evening of SIFF.
As for what to see, SIFF has programmed more than 237 features and 111 shorts, with a little bit of everything for everyone. Spence said that submissions for the festival were up, with approximately 2,000 shorts submitted for the 111 slots.
"After literally thousands of hours of viewing by the other programmers and myself," he said, "we have created an expanded line-up with more films than ever. We're very pleased to be opening and closing with two visionary American talents."
The Opening Gala on May 19 will feature Miranda July's Sundance and Cannes hit, "Me and You and Everyone We Know." Also direct from Cannes, SIFF will host the North American premiere of Gus Van Sant's "Last Days," a film inspired by the death of Kurt Cobain, at the Closing Gala on June 12.
For the lovers of foreign film, Spence suggests checking out a number of entries from Argentina, a country that has recently developed into the "hotbed of Latin American filmmaking."
As always, he said, the documentary section continues to grow, with number of films geared towards music lovers including the documentary on "The Gits" and the murder of lead singer Mia Zapata. Far more light hearted is "Rock School," which features the real life students of Philadelphia musician Paul Green as they learn to be headbangers.
The festival plans to bring in a number of students featured in the documentary to a "Rock School Jam" on Capitol Hill. "We saw them perform at Sundance, and they really can hold their own against anyone that you can think of. We will have some special guests from the Seattle scene to perform with them," Spence said.
He added that in the festival's "first and, we hope, only venue change" moved the screening of "Rock School" from the previously announced Neptune to the Egyptian so filmgoers can walk from the theater to the concert.
The "Face the Music" section of the festival will also feature documentaries on Jeff Buckley, Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt and Washington natives Death Cab for Cutie
The archival section of festival is particularly strong this year, said Loveridge, with the rare showing of Charlie Chaplin's "The Circus," a 1928 hit, being the showcase feature. The silent film will be accompanied by a score composed by Chaplin. In "The Circus," Chaplin's beloved Tramp finds work as a circus janitor, only to be drafted in to replace the wayward tightrope walker.
Other archives treasures include "The Gorky Trilogy" (1938-1940) from Russia, "Overlord" (1975) from the UK, "Nightmare" (1956) and "Heaven's Gate" (1980) from the United States and Italy's "Queimada!" (1969) starring Marlon Brando. Also a part of this program is the 2004 documentary on the making of "Heaven's Gate" aptly titled "Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate."
The latest version of the Godzilla of NW film festivals opens May 19 and will run through June 12.
The SIFF main box office at Pacific Place (6th Ave, and Pine St., Level 2) is now open for single tickets, ticket packages and passes. Single tickets can also be purchased at the SIFF Single Ticket Outlet at the Broadway Performance Hall (1625 Broadway). Tickets are available at both box offices from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, and may also be charged by phone at 324-9996 or on the web at www.seattlefilm.org.
Rosemary Jones writes about arts and entertainment for the Capitol Hill Times. She can be reached at editor@capitolhilltimes.com.[[In-content Ad]]
