SIFF: Preview.

In the seemingly never-ending festival season, the Seattle International Film Festival (now celebrating its 30th anniversary despite the slight detail that they skipped a year) boasts the dubious distinction of showing the largest quantity of films over the longest period of time. Their press releases are full of statistics: they're screening 225 features and 80 shorts with 10 world premieres, 15 North American premieres and six US premieres. A few might even be worth seeing.

While it suffers from the same timing problems as San Francisco (namely, falling in roughly the same spot on the calendar as Cannes, hence a program of many "year-old" films), the hope this year for more daring programming is heightened by several executive changes in the Cinema Seattle office. Long time Festival Director (and co-founder) Darryl Mcdonald is now helming the Palm Springs International Film Festival and was subsequently replaced at SIFF with the (by all accounts) skilled Helen Loveridge.

This, combined with the return of Carl Spence to the Programming seat, means that festival-goers will have the chance to see, for instance, the first two installments of The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Peter Greenaway's in-progress (in perpetuity) magnum opus, which might not have otherwise made the cut. Another innovative solution to the "year-old" problem can be seen in the Emerging Masters series, where younger filmmakers whose most recent films have just made the circuit rounds (such as Pen-ek Ratanaruang's Last Life in the Universe) are being honored with complimentary screenings of earlier work (in Pen-ek's case, 6ixtynin9).

This seems to be a particularly good year for guests at the festival. Patrice Leconte is to be honored with a special tribute evening and screenings of several of his films throughout the festival, including the latest, Intimate Strangers, in its North American premiere (to screen on Closing Night). Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, the writing duo behind Election, Citizen Ruth and About Schmidt (each directed by Payne) will impart their wisdom in a Screenwriters Salon. At SIFF's annual "Evening With..." event, I'm sure that Stephen Fry will be wonderful in-person following a screening of his directorial debut, Evelyn Waugh adaptation Bright Young Things.

Last, but in my mind quite the opposite of least, is the much anticipated appearance of camera maestro Christopher Doyle. Doyle, whose cult status was cemented by his groundbreaking, gorgeous cinematography for Wong Kar-wai, will be in Seattle with an exhibition of his art work (photographic and otherwise) and will also give an overview of his career thus far in the deceptively titled "Cinematography Master Class." Doyle, an incredibly prolific shooter (he also filmed the back-to-back Phillip Noyce pictures Rabbit Proof Fence and The Quiet American) has two films in the festival - Zhang Yimou's Hero, for which he received an Academy Award nomination, and the aforementioned Last Life in the Universe. It is still unclear if he will be in attendance at those screenings.

If you happen to actually be in Seattle and would like to see what the locals are up to, look no further than Slamdance audience award winner Big City Dick: Richard Peterson's First Movie. This documentary, the combined effort of three Seattelites, has received some glowing reviews (including a brief appearance entry here in the Daily) and is undoubtedly driven by the Rainy City. Richard Peterson, an eccentric street musician who has been covered by the Stone Temple Pilots and performed with the Young Fresh Fellows, is a local institution. For more information on what's playing check out the (hundreds of) listings on the colorful SIFF site.

Posted by dwhudson at May 18, 2004 1:04 PM