The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) 2015 is returning this year to Queen Anne as a permanent resident after its last year’s purchase of SIFF Cinema Uptown (511 Queen Anne Ave. N.).
For the last three and a half years, SIFF has been bringing in thousands of cinema lovers to the neighborhood by showcasing the best of international cinema and is promising to raise the bar even higher for its 41st run. With the lineup of 452 films and 92 countries represented, SIFF 2015 won’t disappoint.
“We don’t program by quota,” said SIFF artistic director Carl Spence. “We program the films that we love, that move us and wow us. This year’s festival is bigger and more international than ever.”
The festival opens on Thursday, May 14, with a comedy to set the mood for the 25-day cinema party that is SIFF. The Opening Night Gala will kick off with a screening of “Spy” (2015), directed by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”) and starring Academy Award nominees Melissa McCarthy and Jude Law.
The action-packed comedy follows Susan Cooper (McCarthy), a desk-bound CIA agent, who ends up being in the field for an undercover mission to avenge her partner’s death.
The night will commence with a Q&A with Feig, who will be in attendance, and a party at Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall.
The Closing Night Gala at Cinerama (2100 Fourth Ave.), on June 7, will feature the independent film “The Overnight” (2015), shortly summarized as a “grown-up playdate.” The story follows two couples at a pizza night who meet through their children’s friendship and set out on an overnight trip of re-exploration of parenthood, marriage, and sexual frustrations.
Up-and-coming director Patrick Brice and actors Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godreche are scheduled to attend.
Highlights
Over the years, SIFF’s Queen Anne location has become one of the main film screening venues for the festival. Queen Anne residents are in for a treat as some of the best films will play at the Uptown.
One of the festival’s most beloved programs, Saturday Night Party, is coming to the neighborhood on May 23. The night will begin with a screening of “People, Places, Things” (2015), a romantic comedy about a single dad’s breakup and his journey of trying to be a father and an artist. Actor Jamaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords”), who plays the protagonist, is scheduled to attend to present the film.
Following the screening, the party will move to Kaspars (19 W. Harrison St.), where guests will enjoy food, drinks and music.
Queen Anne will also enjoy nine out of 12 New Directors Competition nominees. The films range from the Greek “A Blast” (2014), a story about a woman on a verge of breakdown told in flashbacks, to the must-see “Vincent” (France, 2014), a film about a simple guy whose life gets turned around when his superhero powers are discovered. Another highlight from the list includes Hungarian “Liza, the Fox-Fairy” (2015), showing on June 3. This dark-humored fairy tale tells the story of a woman who meets a shadow known as the Fox-Fairy, who sucks the souls out of the men she meets. The visuals of the film, combined with the well-defined characters and Hungarian humor, will hold you in your seats until the end.
Northwest Connections will present 10 films that honor the contribution of the Puget Sound region to the world of cinema. One of the films to be screened at the Uptown on Saturday, May 16, is the documentary “Personal Gold: An Underdog Story” (2015), which tells the story of four women’s track cyclists and their road to glory during the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, despite being abandoned by their sponsors amid doping scandals. Director Tamara Christopherson and Jennie Reed, one of the athletes, are both from Seattle and will attend the screenings.
In addition, two SIFF special presentations will take place at the venue. First, “Mr. Holmes” (UK, 2015) will screened on May 29, with actor Hiroyuki Sanada in attendance. Directed by Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls”), the film follows an elderly Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen), who now lives on a farm with his housekeeper, enjoying his two favorite hobbies of botany and honey bees and solving his last case, on which he had worked on 30 years earlier.
The second special presentation comes from the creators of “Chicken Run” (2000) and the “Shaun the Sheep” television show, who have made “Shaun the Sheep Movie.” Beloved sheep Shaun, sheepdog Bitzer and the herd set out for the big city to find and bring back their farmer, who lost his memory after an accident. This animated comedy will touch the hearts of both young and old.
Archival Presentations
Archival Presentations is bringing some of the best classic back to life at the Uptown. The 1949 noir “Caught” (USA) will be presented on May 28 in 35mm preservation print, courtesy of UCLA Film & Television Archive.
“The Son of Sheik” (USA, 1926) and “Cave of the Spider Women” (China, 1927) will be accompanied by a live score from musician Donald Sosin and Alloy Orchestra, respectively.
All this is just a small fraction of what this festival has to offer. With more than 400 films and SIFF’s easy-to-navigate Moods categories that allow you to find a film that fits your current mood, the festival continues to find a way to please those looking for an annual dose of international cinema.
SIFF 2015 runs from Thursday, May 14, through June 7. For ticket information and showtimes, visit www.siff.net.
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