“Seattle’s premier PNW-focused film festival has become famous for its imaginative (and sometimes raucous) opening-night fetes. This time, Megan Griffiths, SJ Chiro, Charles Mudede and other local filmmakers discuss their early-career failures on a live stage, followed by a theme costume party.” – Tony Kay, CityArts

“There was always this effort to do something wild and crazy with the space during the opening night party. Every year, we’d have some group of musicians spontaneously interrupt the party and perform in the lobby of the theater, then leave. One year, it was a middle-school marching band; one year, it was a mariachi band.” – Dave Hanagan in Tony Kay’s “Origin Story,” a history of Local Sightings for CityArts Online

“For 20 years, the Northwest Film Forum’s festival has served as the primary outlet for the region’s bounty of independent filmmakers. … scrappy folks like [this year’s youngest filmmaker, Emmett] Fifield, with an almost Quixotic dedication to their craft, are prioritized—cuing in unsuspecting audiences to the cinematic worlds artists have quietly been concocting around them. … Local Sightings is keeping up the multidisciplinary fun with a number of virtual-reality experiences, as well as an immersive event from local dance/visual arts company zoe | juniper that itself will also feature virtual reality—not to mention Sacred Harp singing, a style of choral music that originated in the American South.” – Kelton Sears, Seattle Weekly

“It’s the 20th Anniversary of Northwest Film Forum’s Local Sightings Film Festival, and they have quite a few excellent plans to celebrate: 17 features and 74 shorts, as well as VR events, workshops, and panels. Lots of cinematic goodies here, like No Man’s Land, a documentary about the Mahler occupation (“send snacks!”), and a collaboration between local choreography company zoe | juniper and virtual reality filmmaker Steven Schardt.” – Amber Cortes, The Stranger

“This is easily the biggest film playing at the festival, with a cast that includes Matt Bomer, Lilly Gladstone, and Bill Pullman and it looks fantastic. … Walking Out will definitely be a highlight of the festival.” – Marc Morin, TwoOhSix Picks, on Alex & Andrew Smith’s new film

>> For the full schedule, film descriptions, tickets and trailers, head to localsightings.org! <<

Photo credit: acclaimed Seattle performance company zoe|juniper’s Clear & Sweet at On the Boards