** COVID-19 UPDATE: As the state of film exhibition and physical gathering remains uncertain during the pandemic, Local Sightings Film Festival will take place in September as scheduled, though most likely primarily in virtual space. We will host in-person events to the best of our ability given public health recommendations, but it cannot be guaranteed. Regardless, whether we gather online, in-person, or some hybrid variation of the two, community, dialogue, and education through media arts WILL persist, during Local Sightings' 23rd year serving the Pacific NW filmmaking community! **
Northwest Film Forum’s annual Local Sightings Film Festival showcases the growing complexity of creative communities in the Pacific Northwest. Featuring a competitive selection of curated shorts, feature film programs, 360 video and VR180 projects, Local Sightings 2020 invites regional artists to experiment, break, and remake popular conceptions around filmmaking and film exhibition.
The 2019 edition of the festival featured 150 shorts, features, web series, music videos, and VR projects, incorporating a wide range of stories, perspectives, and approaches to filmmaking. Past festival successes have included animated GIF storytelling, interactive site-specific video installations, virtual reality dance films, and educational offerings, including the region’s first-ever Sundance Institute Artist Services Workshop.
Working in conjunction with Pacific Northwest film centers and community partners, Local Sightings will use screenings, panels, workshops, performances and more to encourage critical discourse around the medium, with an eye towards a regional elevation of the industry. The 2020 edition will again invite additional expertise from local collaborators, such as: Engauge Experimental Film Festival to curate the festival’s experimental programs; Velocity Dance Center to present the next dance film challenge; and numerous others to be announced.
NOTE: A limited number of waiver codes are available to those from communities that have historically lacked access or equitable representation in media. Please contact vivian@nwfilmforum.org for details.
Image: "Face to Face" (Christian Krantz, Portland, OR)
ABOUT NORTHWEST FILM FORUM
Founded in Seattle in 1995 as an independent film and arts nonprofit, Northwest Film Forum incites public dialogue and creative action through collective cinematic experiences. Each year the Forum presents hundreds of films, festivals, community events, multidisciplinary performances, and public discussions. As a comprehensive visual media organization, the Forum offers educational workshops and artist services for film and media makers at all stages of their development. More information is available at nwfilmforum.org.
Local Sightings invites local and national judges to choose award-winning shorts and feature programs via a competitive selection process. Prizes awarded to filmmakers include cash grants, screening opportunities, production and post-production services, gear access, and other industry perks. Not all films are eligible for competition; initial pool of eligible submissions is selected by NWFF staff.
