For this year's Seattle International Film Festival, though we did not get to see a wide swath of films, those we did catch mostly impressed us. After the jump, don't miss our full coverage of 2023's SIFF! Films DANCING QUEEN Focused on positive messaging for body image issues and the loneliness of being an outsider, Dancing … Continue reading SIFF 2023 Wrap-Up
SIFF 2023: Year of the Fox
★★★★ (Written by Intern, Isabella Foley) Year of the Fox is an authentic representation of what it means to be a young woman returning to a toxic and shallow hometown one has grown out of. The film follows Ivy Reid (Sarah Jeffery) coming of age, as she discovers her sexuality and deals with her adoptive … Continue reading SIFF 2023: Year of the Fox
SIFF 2022: The Duke
★★★★ Fueled with a decidedly British flavor of true-story based dramedy, The Duke gave me exactly what I needed. Starring Oscar winners Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren as an aging couple whose marriage is rekindled after a shockingly easy turn of events, a tale this wildly unbelievable could only be true. In 1961, Goya’s portrait … Continue reading SIFF 2022: The Duke
Film Review: Censor
★★★★ Paired at the Seattle International Film Festival with Nasty, the short film that inspired it, Censor brings a grainy ode to horror excellence to the virtual fest. Set in grimy 1980’s Britain, it documents the mental unraveling of a feisty film censor, Enid (Niamh Algar). Video nasties, Britain’s censorship answer to the panic around … Continue reading Film Review: Censor
SIFF 2021 Festival Wrap-Up
This year, the Seattle International Film Festival went virtual! From April 8th - April 18th, I checked out 17 total films, and 3 short films. It was a pretty fascinating selection of unique (and often challenging) films. Anything not afforded full coverage is included here, as well as a personal top 5 favorites from the … Continue reading SIFF 2021 Festival Wrap-Up
SIFF 2021: The Legend of Hei
★★★★ The Legend of Hei, hailing from China where it struck box office gold, replicates a very smooth and specific style of 2D animation. Studio Ghibli would be proud of the lushness and splendid rendering that puts thrilling Chinese landmarks on full display, while centering solely on the richness of the characters and their relationships. … Continue reading SIFF 2021: The Legend of Hei
SIFF 2021: Nahuel and the Magic Book
★★★★ Nahuel and the Magic Book is a beautiful animated film, the first of its kind to sprout from a collaboration between Chile and Brazil. While it may hit several familiar family-movie beats, the biggest selling point here is the traditional 2D animation style. Coupled with a story that draws from rich Mapuche mythology, Nahuel … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Nahuel and the Magic Book
SIFF 2021: When I’m Done Dying
★★★★ In When I’m Done Dying, we follow the struggles of aspiring rapper, Fehmi (Oktay Cubuk), as a psychedelic drug named Bonzai ravages his spirit and ambition. Writer/director Nisan Dag works with acclaimed Turkish beatmakers and rappers Da Poet and Hash to craft a lyrically complex and visually stunning film. We watch helplessly as Fehmi … Continue reading SIFF 2021: When I’m Done Dying
SIFF 2021: Summer of 85
★★★★★ Passionate, emotional, and heartbreaking, Summer of 85 is one of the best gay romance dramas I’ve seen since Call Me By Your Name. Based on Aidan Chambers’ British novel, Dance on My Grave, director and screenwriter François Ozon imprints personal touches and authenticity in adapting the material. This raw snapshot of young love and … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Summer of 85
SIFF 2021: Deadly Cuts
★★★★ Deadly Cuts takes the energetic world of hairdressing competitions and injects it with signature Irish black comedy. Bringing to mind a mix of the competitive pageantry of Miss Congeniality and the female empowered salon-meets-crime angle of TNT’s Claws, the film is hilarious, engaging, and surprising. It’s clear that writer and director Rachel Carey has … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Deadly Cuts