Spring Arts Preview 2013: Film Festivals
Film fans have a busy spring ahead, as the city blooms with exciting festivals and series.
By Seattle Mag February 15, 2013
This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.
LA Rebellion: Creating a New Black Cinema
Starting in the late 1960s, amid tremendous social unrest, black Americans entered the UCLA film program in unprecedented numbers and began developing a new “black cinema.” These unheralded films—experimental, narrative, documentary—reveal uniquely artful attention to issues of class, history and culture. 3/1–3/24. Times and prices vary. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave.; 206.329.2629; nwfilmforum.org
French New Wave Masters
The Seattle Art Museum’s spring film series zooms in on the 1960s genius of Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, screening iconic films including Breathless, Masculine Feminine and Pierrot le Fou. 4/4–5/30. 7:30 p.m. Prices vary. Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave.; 206.654.3100; seattleartmuseum.org
National Film Festival for Talented Youth
What started here in 2007 as a scrappy set of screenings has grown into a big-time festival that draws crowds of 10,000. Talk about spring chickens—the directors of all the selected films are age 22 or younger, but judging by their work, you’d never guess. 4/25–4/28. Times, prices and locations vary. nffty.org
Seattle International Film Festival
No word on the SIFF line-up at press time, but we have our suspicions—and hopes!—that local movie maven Lynn Shelton’s new flick, Touchy Feely (which premiered at Sundance in January), will be among the vast offerings. 5/16–6/9. Times, prices and locations vary. siff.net
Silent Films at the Paramout Theatre
Immerse yourself in the black-and-white world of the earliest screen heroines with “The Women of Silent Film” series at the Paramount Theatre (stgpresents.org/paramount). Mega-celebs of their day, these grand dames make a grand entrance every Monday night in March. stgpresents.org
3/4: Mary Pickford, America’s first sweetheart, stars in Heart O’ The Hills (1919)
3/11: Lillian Gish, “the First Lady of American Cinema” wears red in The Scarlet Letter (1926)
3/18: Joan Crawford is the epitome of flapper cool in Our Dancing Daughters (1928)
3/25: Greta Garbo is alluringly elusive as ever in The Kiss (1929)