2 2632A S 38th St, Tacoma, WA 98409 TACOMA TONASKET TWISP HOUSE CANNABIS OF TM SCAN IN-STORE FOR 20% OFF THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR
TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL
Welcome to the 2023 Tacoma Film Festival! It is a true honor to bring you new works to delight, inspire, challenge, and change you. Our theme this year, as illustrated by Dion Thomas’s program cover art, is “Turn The Town Upside Down.” TFF aims to let you see new angles on storytelling at every screening.
TFF is entirely in-person this year, so we encourage everyone to make the most of the festival and visit us at The Grand Cinema and see films throughout the week.
This year’s festival has 27 feature documentary and fictional films and over 180 short works by filmmakers from 28 countries. We are proud of our curation of short works this year. Short film projects are where new voices first find purchase in their art and where filmmaker creativity is often considerably expressed. We encourage filmgoers to explore multiple packages for big viewing rewards. We also have a special focus on PNW filmmakers throughout the week. TFF will also see visits from over 50 regional, national, and international filmmakers for the festival. We are excited that TFF can serve again as a vibrant center for creative connections on the shores of the Salish Sea.
TFF is about a warm welcome and the opportunity to explore. Film festival films are full of adventure and imagination. You can enhance your filmgoing experience this year by doing “opposite viewing.” Try something you don’t usually choose at the movies, and you might be surprised at the new pathways you discover. Have you never been to an experimental film or documentary short block? Now is your chance!
TFF is a nonprofit, community-inspired festival that depends on you for its vitality. We thank every filmgoer, pass holder, filmmaker, juror, volunteer, sponsor, board member, and staff and industry folk for contributing to the festival, and hope you enjoy your experience at TFF 2023.
table of contents
All information accurate at time of printing. For the latest program information visit:
OFFICIAL WEBSITE TACOMAFILMFESTIVAL.COM
SOCIAL #2023TFF #TACOMAFILMFEST
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Wade Neal and The TFF Staff
@TACOMAFILMFEST Sponsors Jury Awards Staff Tickets/Passes Special Events Narrative Features Documentary Features Shorts Programs Schedule at a Glance 8-10 10-13 16 - 17 6-7 5 5 14-28 5 4 4
Festival Sponsors
Festival Jury
Narrative Features
Claudia Gorbman
Derek Nunn
Documentary Shorts
Nancy Bourne-Haley
Animation
PNW Animation Shorts
Alexa Lim Haas
Documentary Features
Gilda Sheppard
PNW Narrative Features
Claudia Gorbman
Derek Nunn
PNW Documentary Features
PNW Documentary Shorts
Joanne Clarke Dillman
Lisa Fruichantie
Narrative Shorts
Renee Simms
Excuse the Intermission
PNW Narrative Shorts
Late Night Shorts
Experimental Shorts
Chase Hutchinson
Late Night Shorts
Taiga Dinger
Excuse the Intermission
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2023 Jury Awards
Best Narrative Feature: $500
Best Documentary Feature: $500
Best Narrative Short: $150
Best Documentary Short: $150
Best Animated Short: $150
Awards
Best PNW Narrative Feature: $300
Best PNW Documentary Feature: $300
Best PNW Short Documentary: $150
Best PNW Short Narrative: $150
Best Late Night Short: $150
Best Experimental Short: $150
Awards Announcement and Gathering 5:00-5:45PM Sunday, October 8 in The Grand Lounge. No ticket required!
2023 PNW Audience Choice Awards
Filmmakers from BC, WA, OR, and ID are eligible for the PNW Choice Awards. Winners will be chosen based on audience votes.
Best PNW Film - $250
AWARDS SPONSORED BY:
2023 Audience Choice Awards
Filmmakers not from the Pacific Northwest are eligible for these awards. Winners will be chosen based on audience votes.
Audience Choice, Feature $500
Audience Choice, Short $250
Audience Choice Ballots
It’s your chance to choose a winner. Be sure to get your ballot upon entering the theater before each screening. Rate each film you see on a scale between 1 and 5 (5 is if you loved it, 1 is if you loved it less). Drop off your ballot with a volunteer as you exit. Audience Choice winners are announced at the end of the festival.
AWARDS CRAFTED BY:
thank you
Sharon Borton
Sherry Edwards
Barb Lord
staff
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GRAND CINEMA
Philip Cowan
FESTIVAL PRODUCER / ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TGC
Wade Neal
EVENTS MANAGER
Marlee Myers
SALES & MARKETING
Rachel Marecle, Wendell Ratliff
Special thanks to our volunteer screeners!
Mary Menard
Angela Phillips
Andrew Wang
Lynda Zalupski
Rick Zalupski
A huge thank you to our festival volunteers & staff!
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Ken Crowell
MEMBERSHIP & ACCOUNTING
Gini Liley
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Paul Richter ARTIST
Dion Thomas
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Oliver Johnson
FILM TRAFFIC & PROJECTION
Jose Candido, Pat.c Noriega, Mikayla Heineck, Aiden Sartain, Dorothy Kent
OPERATIONS STAFF
Maggie Dahl, Bonne Dorell, Na’arah McDonald, Kegan Ross, Gina Spadoni , Neiko Will
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1-------2-------3-------4-------5
Special Events
NIGHT: FANTASY A GETS A MATTRESS
OPENING
THURSDAY
OCTOBER 5
6:45 PM
The Grand Cinema
GA $22
Members $19.50
To know Seattle is to know The Undisputed King of Hustle, Fantasy A. You’ve seen his flyers everywhere. Now see him in his own MAJOR MOTION PICTURE! Fantasy A, autistic Seattle rapper, suffers trials and tribulations from total creeps as he attempts to become a superstar. Along the way he also finds a mattress to sleep on, after being kicked out of his group home.
The film will be introduced by cast and crew, followed by a post-film Q&A and opening night event at Dystopian State with food trucks and performance by Fantasy A. Full film details on page 8.
SPONSORED BY:
L’INFERNO MONTOPOLIS
W/ LIVE
SCORE BY
TUESDAY
OCTOBER 10
7:00 PM
The Grand Cinema
GA $20
Members $17.50
L’Inferno (1911) is the first feature-length horror film ever released. An adaptation of Dante’s classic journey through hell, this masterpiece of silent film employs elaborate costumes, special effects, and set design to create an awe-inspiring and ethereal world. The original Montopolis score brings new life to this horror classic with a mix of psych rock, dark wave and terrifying sound effects performed live. Based in Austin, Texas, Montopolis is following up their critically acclaimed national tour of Man with a Movie Camera.
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CENTERPIECE: IMMEDIATE FAMILY
Immediate Family tracks the rise and collaborations of a group of legendary studio musicians through the ’70s & ’80s, chronicling their illustrious partnerships and their formidable record of hit-making.
Directed by Denny Tedesco, whose documentary The Wrecking Crew followed the first wave of studio musicians in the ’60s, the film includes commentary from legendary artists like Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Rondstadt, Keith Richards, Phil Collins, and more.
Director will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.
SPONSORED BY:
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 6:00 PM
The Grand Cinema GA $15 Members $12.50
Events CLOSING NIGHT: FANCY DANCE
Fancy Dance announces the arrival of a major directorial talent: Erica Tremblay. Her unflinching exploration of marginalization uses a mystery narrative as a springboard for an oblique coming-of-age story, lovingly and luminously enacted by Lily Gladstone and Isabel Deroy-Olson.
The film will be followed by a closing night event with refreshments and Audience and PNW Award announcements.
Full film details on page 10.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 12 7:30 PM
The Grand Cinema GA $15 Members $12.50
SPONSORED BY:
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Special
Narrative Features
Still from The Secret Art of Human Flight (Page 8)
NARRATIVE FEATURES
Pages: 8-10
Some screenings will include post-film Q&As in theater.
Fantasy A Gets a Mattress
Noah Zoltan Sofian; David Norman Lewis US | 2023 | 79 min
Fantasy A, autistic Seattle rapper, suffers trials from total creeps as he attempts to become a superstar and find a good mattress.
SPONSORED BY:
Thursday OCTOBER 5 6:45 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1&2
Trapped Balloon
Hiroyuki Miyagawa
Japan | 2021 | 100 min
Rinko (Toko Miura) returns to her estranged father on a small island after she loses sight of what she wants to do with her teaching career.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 6 4:15 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
Wednesday OCTOBER 11 2:30 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
The Secret Art of Human Flight
H.P. Mendoza
US | 2022 | 107 min
A widower becomes obsessed with a self-help book he finds on the dark web, which promises to unlock the power to fly.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 6 4:30 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
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Narrative Features
The Woods Are Real
Alix Lambert US | 2023 | 80 min
Joba and Quincy are a wealthy Brooklyn couple who value charity above all. But when a friend returns from a country pilgrimage to challenge their bleeding hearts, they accept a lifechanging invitation.
SPONSORED BY:
FRIDAY OCTOBER 6 9:00 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
Free Time
Ryan Martin Brown US | 2023 | 78 min
Approaching the end of his twenties and his relative youth, a man decides to quit his cushy desk job and “embrace life” — only to realize he has no idea what to do with this newfound freedom.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 6:30 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
Black Moon (Luna Negra)
Tonatiuh García Mexico | 2022 | 99 min
The story of three siblings and the rebellion of a town to defend a river. An unexpected piece of news will make them make decisions that will change their destinies forever because what flows can be as appeasing as it is implacable.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 6:15 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
Maxie
Jarrett Bryant US | 2021 | 105 min
Two teens from opposite backgrounds and addicted to drugs, form an unlikely bond as they attempt to get clean over a tumultuous weekend.
MONDAY OCTOBER 9 7:45 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
Mountainside
Mikiech Nichols US | 2022 | 120 min
A struggling Seattle filmmaker finds inspiration for his next film when he accidentally falls for his chainsmoking cinephile best friend.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 5:00 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
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Narrative Features
Fancy Dance
Erica Tremblay US | 2023 | 90 min
SPONSORED BY:
Following her sister’s disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in the hopes of keeping what’s left of her family intact.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 12 7:30 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1&2
Some screenings will include post-film Q&As in theater.
Pages: 10-13
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Black Barbie
Lagueria Davis US | 2023 | 100 min
Through intimate access to a charismatic Mattel insider, Beulah Mae Mitchell, Black Barbie delves into the cross section of merchandise and representation as Black women strive to elevate their own voices and stories, refusing to be invisible.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 6 7:00 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
JessZilla
Emily Sheskin US | 2022 | 90 min
Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva is a 3x national boxing champion with her sights set on being the best in the sport. Her father, Pedro, navigates what it means to support his daughter’s dreams in an extremely dangerous sport.
Saturday OCTOBER 7 11:00 AM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
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Still from Bella (Page 12)
Documentary Features
Corky
Christine Caruso US | 2022 | 85 min
The story of Corky, the world’s longest-held captive orca, the changing sentiment about orcas in captivity, and the rise of sea sanctuaries.
Saturday OCTOBER 7 1:00 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ (We Will Speak)
ᎤᎶᎩᎳ / Schon Duncan & Michael McDermit US | 2023 | 95 min
With fewer than 1,500 fluent speakers left, a small group of Cherokee activists race to save their language from extinction.
Saturday OCTOBER 7 1:30 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
Immediate Family
Denny Tedesco US | 2022 | 102 min
SPONSORED BY:
“Immediate Family” tracks the rise and collaborations of a group of legendary studio musicians through the 1970s and onward, chronicling their illustrious partnerships and their formidable record of hit-making.
Saturday OCTOBER 7 6:00 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
Break the Game
Jane M. Wagner US | 2023 | 73 min
After coming out as a trans woman, world-recordholding gamer, Narcissa Wright loses her massive fanbase. To win them back, she attempts to set a new world record in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while live-streaming every minute of her mythic quest.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 8:45 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
Brief Tender Light
Arthur Musah US | 2023 | 93 min
A Ghanaian MIT alum follows four African students at his alma mater as they strive to become agents of change for their home countries Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe in an intimate, nearly decade-long journey.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 1:30 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
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Documentary Features
Bella
Bridget Murnane US | 2022 | 98 min
Bella is about the life and impact of California-based artist and activist Bella Lewitzky. Described as “one of the greatest American dancers of our age,” (Walter Terry), Bella dedicated her creative life to protect the rights of every American.
Plays w/ short film: “this is concrete” dir. Alice Gosti June Zandana
SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 3:30 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
Song of the Cicada
Aaron Weiss, Robert Weiss US | 2022 | 74 min
A documentary about an eccentric mortician grappling with his legacy while making life a little stranger than death in Galveston, Texas. This compelling film explores the philosophies and motives behind the macabre obsessions that define this captivating subject.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 4:00 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
Jack Has a Plan
Bradley Berman
US | 2022 | 73 min
Jack, a man with a terminal brain tumor for 25 years, decides to end his life and throw himself a final going-away party. But not if his family and friends have anything to say about it. San Francisco Examiner: “As joyous, thrilling and funny as any film about death could be.”
MONDAY OCTOBER 9 4:45 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
Rowdy Girl
Jason Goldman US | 2022 | 72 min
A former cattle rancher, turned activist, converted her husband’s beef operation to a farmed animal sanctuary and endeavors to help others transition from animal ag to become plant-based.
Tuesday OCTOBER 10 1:45 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
The Secret Song
Samantha Campbell US | 2022 | 90 min
SPONSORED BY:
Chronicles the final months of Doug Goodkin’s fabled 45-year career teaching music to children in San Francisco. Goodkin’s time-tested methods are thrown into disarray in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuesday OCTOBER 10 3:45 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
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Documentary Features
Punderneath It All
Abby Hagan US | 2023 | 77 min
Exploring the PUNderbelly of wordplay culture in the US, this film documents the subculture at the intersection of standup comedy, improv, and trivia: pun competitions.
A live pun slam will be hosted by film participants & comedians after the screening.
Tuesday OCTOBER 10 7:30 PM
THE GRAND CINEMA #1
Play By Ear: A D.I.Y. Doc
Alexei Shishkin US | 2023 | 88 min
Can independent art and a DIY ethos thrive in a world that seems less hospitable by the day? Featuring interviews with Treefort festival founders and artists including Built To Spill, Blood Lemon, Prism B!tch, Pictoria Vark, & others.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 8:30 PM
THE GRAND CINEMA #2
Even Hell has its Heroes
Clyde Petersen US | 2023 | 110 min
Since 1989, the band Earth created a glacially paced subgenre of metal, but visionary leader Dylan Carlson did so amidst heroin addiction and the tragic death of his best friend, Kurt Cobain.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 7:15 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #1
Ellos Gritan Libertad (They Scream Freedom)
Melinda Raebyne
US/Cuba | 2023 | 79 min
The silence was broken. The veil was lifted. Ellos Gritan Libertad describes the reality of life under the 62-year-old Cuban Revolution.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 7:45 PM THE GRAND CINEMA #2
Richland
Irene Lusztig US | 2023 | 93 min
A U.S. nuclear company town stakes its identity on its little-known atomic origin story in this timely examination of the habits of thought that normalize the extraordinary violence of the past.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 12 5:00 PM
THE GRAND CINEMA #1
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Short Film Packages
Dramatic Shorts: Happenings
FRIday OCTOBER 6 11:00 AM TGC #1
82 MIN Films that explore how events coalesce, accelerate, and create change.
1. My
Dad Gets A Smart Phone
Sarah Wells | US | 2022 | 6 min
2. The Residents
Ginger Port | US | 2022 | 9 min
3. Jack and Sam
Jordan Matthew Horowitz | US | 2023 | 20 min
4. Buurman Abdi
Douwe Dijkstra | Netherlands | 2022 | 29 min
5. Good Boy
Russell Chadwick | US | 2022 | 35 min
Dramatic Shorts: Afterneath
1. Likeness
David A. Flores | US | 2023 | 15 min
2. Lucky Market
Eric Wang Schwager | US | 2023 | 12 min
3. Break
Sam Henderson | US | 2022 | 9 min
4. Tough Skin
Elijah Brewer | US | 2022 | 3 min
5. Picture Day
Kelly Pike | US | 2022 | 16 min
6. The Fourth
Johnny Kirk | US | 2022 | 12 min
7. Shadow Brother Sunday
Alden Ehrenreich | US | 2023 | 15 min
Documentary Shorts: Comms
FRIday OCTOBER 6 11:15 AM TGC #2 98 MIN Films about ways of communication, both lost and newly discovered.
1. Trash Whisperer
Jack Chakerian | Spain | 2022 | 10 min
2. Toni
Sanjin Malesevic | US | 2022 | 15 min
3. Chipper
Shaun MacLean | US | 2022 | 21 min
4. The Ballad of Gus
Brian Barnhart | Canada | 2022 | 16 min
FRIday OCTOBER 6 1:30 PM TGC #1 82 MIN Five dramatic short films from the United States and around the world.
5. Misprint
Adam Volerich | US | 2022 | 20 min
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Schedule at a Glance
The Grand Cinema Theater #1 & 2 The Grand Cinema Theater #4 The Grand Lounge The Grand Cinema Theater #1 The Grand Cinema Theater #1 The Grand Cinema Theater #1 The Grand Cinema Theater #1 The Grand Cinema Theater #1 The Grand Cinema Theater #1 The Grand Cinema Theater #1 The Grand Cinema Theater #2 The Grand Cinema Theater #2 The Grand Cinema Theater #2 The Grand Cinema Theater #2 The Grand Cinema Theater #2 The Grand Cinema Theater #2 The Grand Cinema Theater #2 Environment 2:45 PM Dramatic: Happenings 11:00 AM Dramatic: Afterneath 1:30 PM Trapped Balloon 2:30 PM Corky 1:00 PM Brief Tender Light 1:30 PM Docs: Comms 11:15 AM Animated Shorts 1:45 PM family shorts 10:00 AM JessZilla 11:00 AM We Will Speak 1:30 PM Executive Director’s Picks 11:30 AM Dramatic: Moving On 11:30 AM All Abilities 1:30 PM Rowdy Girl 1:45 PM Dramatic: On a Mission 2:00 PM Documentary & Dramatic Shorts: Shifting 2:00 PM Dramatic: Threads & Fabrics 2:00 PM The Grand Cinema Theater #3 10:00 am 11 AM 12 PM 12:30 PM 1 PM 1:30 PM 2 PM 2:30 PM 3 PM 3:30 PM Thu Oct 5 Fri Oct 6 Sat Oct 7 Sun Oct 8 Mon Oct 9 Tue Oct 10 Wed Oct 11 Thu Oct 12
Fantasy A Gets a Mattress OPENING NIGHT 6:45 PM & 7:00PM Pride Shorts 9:15 PM PNW Comedy 8:45 PM Free Time 6:30 PM Punderneath It All 7:30 PM Late Night #3 9:30 PM PNW Dramatic Shorts 5:15 PM Women by Women 6:30 PM Black Barbie 7:00 PM It’s Complicated! 6:45 PM Maxie 7:45 PM Immediate Family 6:00 PM Black Moon 6:15 PM Indigenous Shorts 4:00 PM WTFF? Shorts 3:15 PM Bella 3:30 PM Break the Game 8:45 PM Dramatic: Breaking Thru 6:00 PM Environment /Climate PM Mountainside 5:00 PM Jack Has a Plan 4:45 PM Late Night #2 8:45 PM The Secret Song 3:45 PM Ellos Gritan Libertad (They Scream Freedom) 7:45 PM PNW Animation 3:30 PM Even Hell has its Heroes 7:15 PM Fancy Dance CLOSING NIGHT 7:30 PM Fancy Dance CLOSING NIGHT 7:30 PM The Secret Art of Human Flight 4:30 PM Balloon Trapped Balloon 4:15 PM PNW Docs #2 5:00 PM PNW Docs #1 6:00 PM Awards 5:00 PM Song of the Cicada 4:00 PM Richland 5:00 PM Drama & Doc: Working 5:15 PM Invitation to Laugh. 8:30 PM Late Night #1 10:45 PM Play by Ear: A DIY DOC 8:30 PM PM Sports & Outdoors 5:15 PM L’inferno 7:00 PM 4 PM 4:30 PM 5 PM 5:30 PM 6 PM 6:30 PM 7 PM 7:30 PM 8 PM 8:30 PM 9 PM 9:30 PM 10 PM 10:30 PM
The Woods Are Real 9:00 PM
Special Event Documentary Shorts Program Feature Narrative
18 Classical Enjoyclassicalmusicanddiscoverthestoriesbehind thesheetmusicwithhostsSteveReeder, AnjuliDodhiaandGigiYellen on air | 90.9 fm online | nwpb.org
1. Miniature Garden
Kannosuke Enomoto | Japan | 2023 | 7 min
2. Welcome to 8th Street
Yoo Lee | US | 2023 | 7 min
3. The Roaring of the Carabao
Angeline Marie Michael Meitzler
US | 2023 | 8 min
4. Regular Rabbit
Eoin Duffy | Ireland | 2022 | 8 min
5. Well Wishes My Love, Your Love
Gabriel Gabriel Garble
Sweden / Malaysia | 2022 | 9 min
6. Nobody
Mingyuan Li | US | 2022 | 4 min
7. Rosemary A.D. (After Dad)
Ethan Barrett | US | 2022 | 10 min
8. The Old Young Crow
Liam LoPinto | Japan / US | 2023 | 12 min
9. Luce and the Rock
Britt Raes | Belgium | 2022 | 13 min
Europe by bidon
10.
Samuel Albaric, Thomas Trichet
France | 2022 | 15 min
1. Smash or Pass
Cory Reeder | US | 2023 | 5 min
2. For the Safety of Theo
Christopher Macken | US | 2023 | 9 min
3. Give It To Me
Courtney Hope Therond | US | 2023 | 9 min
4. Brief Exchanges
Ashley Versher | US | 2022 | 11 min
5. Rejoice in the Lamb
Courtney Bush, Will Carington, and Jake
Goicoechea | US | 2022 | 19 min
6. Give
Kenya Gillespie | US | 2023 | 16 min
7. Suspicious Minds
Imelda O’Reilly | US / Ireland | 2023 | 18 min
Short Film Packages
Animated Shorts
FRIday OCTOBER 6 1:45 PM TGC #2 93 MIN A program of ten international animated films. Some films for mature audiences.
Playing with Features
SONG OF THE CICADA
1. You Can’t Shrink Love
Veena Rao | US | 2023 | 6 min
2. Welcome to 8th Street
Yoo Lee | US | 2023 | 7 min BELLA
1. this is concrete Alice Gosti June Zandona | US | 2023 | 3 min
It’s Complicated!:
FILMS ABOUT DATING
FRIday OCTOBER 6 6:45 PM TGC #1 87 MIN Films that illustrate the glory, confusion, pain, and humor of romantic connections.
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Short Film Packages
Pride Short Films
1. Vilains
Emmanuel Berthelot | France / UK | 2022 | 19 min
2. When The Man Comes Around
Tommy Meisel | US | 2023 | 12 min
3. Sanctuary
John Haley, Julia Szromba | US | 2023 | 16 min
4. Panic Attack
Anthony Assad | Ireland | 2023 | 14 min
5. He Won’t Belong
Dominic Mercurio | US | 2023 | 22 min
FRIday OCTOBER 6 9:15 PM TGC #2 106 MIN A wide variety of LGBTQIA+ short films with humor, empathy, and meaning.
1. Backyard Aviator
David Over | US | 2022 | 3 min
2. I am not afraid!
Marita Mayer | Germany / Norway | 2022 | 7 min
3. First Love
Chad Smith, Kevin Hasenkopf | US | 2022 | 5 min
4. Luce and the Rock
Britt Raes | Belgium | 2022 | 13 min
5. Konni
Þorbjörg Jónsdóttir, Lee Lynch | Iceland | 2022 | 10 min
6. From The Top
Rich Farris | UK | 2023 | 8 min
7. Career Day
Jason Robinson, Chris Hooper | US | 2023 | 10 min
Executive Director’s Picks
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 11:30 AM TGC #2 84 MIN Philip Cowan, the Grand Cinema’s Executive Director, presents his favorite picks for the festival.
6. Promise of a Wild Love
Davi Mello | Brazil | 2022 | 23 min
Family Shorts
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 10:00 AM TGC #4 56 MIN Family appropriate films from around the world. Ages 7 and up. Free!
1. Uncradled
Kyle Beckwith | US | 2022 | 13 min
2. Bark
Deanna McDaniel | US | 2023 | 10 min
3. Just the two of us (Toutes Les Deux)
Clara Lemaire Anspach | France | 2022 | 20 min
4. The Third Bedroom
Kathryn Van Buren | US | 2022 | 23 min
5. The Family Circus
Andrew Fitzgerald | US | 2022 | 18 min
20
Short Film Packages
1. kāua - we (you & i)
Rachel Makana’aloha O Kauikeolani
Nakawatase | US | 2023 | 2 min
2. Island
Jack Cronin | US | 2023 | 3 min
3. Konni
Þorbjörg Jónsdóttir, Lee Lynch
Iceland | 2022 | 10 min
4. How to Make an ASMR Dumpling
Yixuan Pan | US | 2023 | 3 min
5. Damp Moss
Christopher Thompson | US | 2023 | 4 min
6. Vision of Paradise
Leonardo Pirondi | Brazil/UK/US | 2022 | 16 min
7. it follows it passes on
Erica Sheu | Taiwan | 2023 | 5 min
8. Lotus-Eyed Girl
Rajee Samarasinghe | Sri Lanka / US | 2023 | 6 min
9. A Field Guide to Coastal Fortifications
Tijana Petrović | US / Serbia | 2023 | 24 min
10. 11.
Living Lessons in the Museum of Order
Malic Amalya | US | 2023 | 21 min
Exquisite Corpse Trilogy
Seokyoung Yang | US / Korea | 2023 | 17 min
1. Indigenous Resistance: Now and Then
‘Wáats’asdiyei Joe Yates | US | 2023 | 15 min
2. The Handsome Man
Misty Shipman, Hope Shipman | US | 2022 | 15 min
3. Who She Is
Sophie Barksdale, Jordan Dresser | US | 2022 | 20 min
4. Keepers of the Way
Evan Cohen | US | 2021 | 21 min
5. Inseparable: Ava
Andrew Harrison-Brown | US | 2022 | 10 min
Experimental Films: WTFF?
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 3:15 PM TGC #1
111 MIN Boldly go to the most creative edge of cinema with our experimental films set. Explore the meaning of maps, nature, childhood, family, colonialism, and food in new ways.
Indigenous Shorts
SPONSORED BY:
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 4:00 PM TGC #2
81 MIN Documentary and fictional films focused on the history, community, and identity of Indigenous cultures from around the Pacific Northwest and North America.
21
Short Film Packages
Short Film Packages
1. The Vacation
Jarreau Carrillo | US | 2022 | 10 min
2. The Warmest Color is Blue
Kevin Ralston | US | 2023 | 6 min
Invitation to Laugh.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 8:30 PM TGC #2
106 MIN Comedy short films return! Let’s laugh at thwarted vacations, ramen, nuns, rapid babies, and more!
3. They Grow Up So Fast
John F. Beach | US | 2022 | 10 min
4. Poof
Margaret Miller | US | 2023 | 10 min
5. Wake Up
Josh Kasselman | US | 2022 | 3 min
6. Wei-Lai
Robin Wang | US | 2022 | 14 min
7. The Bully
Joe McStravick | UK | 2023 | 15 min
8. Mahogany Drive
Jerah Milligan | US | 2022 | 13 min
9. Confessions
Stephanie Kaznocha | US | 2023 | 11 min
10.
Death & Ramen
Tiger Ji | US | 2023 | 14 min
1. Cruel Sea
SPONSORED BY:
Late Night Shorts #1
SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 10:45 PM TGC #1
104 MIN SF, Horror and midnight-style short films from some of the most imaginative filmmakers on the festival circuit.
Tobias Bye | Norway | 2023 | 18 min
2. The Haunted Baby Carriage
From Hell
JT Seaton | US | 2023 | 9 min
3. Rest
Micah Stathis | US | 2023 | 11 min
4. Prep
Raymond Knudsen | US | 2023 | 14 min
5. Nude
Olivier Labonté LeMoyne | Canada | 2022 | 14 min
6. English Tutor
Jaho Koo | Korea | 2023 | 10 min
7. Night Shift
Karlee Boon | US | 2023 | 28 min
22
1. Reverb
Liv Boren | UK | 2023 | 10 min
2. nothing, except everything.
Wesley Wang | US | 2022 | 13 min
3. Development
Rebecca Metcalf | US | 2022 | 9 min
4. Infinity!
Benjamin To | US | 2022 | 11 min
5. Bellybutton
Hilary Eden | US | 2022 | 8 min
6. This Wild Abyss
Thomas Mendolia | US | 2022 | 23 min
7. In Tow
Sharon Arteaga | US | 2022 | 21 min
All Abilites
SPONSORED BY:
71 MIN Examining, celebrating, and promoting awareness of the lives of people with disabilities.
1. Plus
Bohdan Romanko | Ukraine | 2022 | 10 min
2. Cats Don’t Sleep at Night
Beibei Xu Champagne | US | 2022 | 14 min
3. Paul’s Room
Pierre Lefrançois Vérove | France | 2022 | 16 min
4. Blue Has No Dimensions (Azul)
Ágata de Pinho | Portugal | 2022 | 20 min
5. Cotton Fever
Daniel Blake Schwartz | US | 2022 | 19 min
6. Lucienne dans un monde sans solitude
Geordy Couturiau | France | 2021 | 31 min
Short Film Packages
Short Film Packages
Dramatic Shorts: Moving On
1. Oasis
Justine Martin | Canada | 2022 | 14 min
2. Finish Dev Walker | US | 2023 | 17 min
3. Elevated Palmer Morse | US | 2022 | 15 min
4. Cabbage
Holly Márie Parnell | Ireland, Canada, UK 2023 | 25 min
Breaking Through To The Other Side
110 MIN These short films show how we move from one state of being and understanding to the next, in starkly different cinematic scenes.
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SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 11:30 AM TGC #2 95 MIN Short films about pivotal moments. SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 1:30 PM TGC #2
SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 6:00 PM TGC #2
Short Film Packages
SPONSORED BY:
Late Night Shorts #2
SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 8:45 PM TGC #1 99 MIN SF, Horror and midnight-style short films from some of the most imaginative filmmakers on the festival circuit.
1. Saft
Mona Keil | Germany | 2022 | 5 min
2. Spank Patrol
Kevin Ralston | US | 2022 | 3 min
3. Hangman
Sam Upton | US | 2023 | 23 min
4. Elevator to Stardom
Danny Plotnick | US | 2023 | 8 min
5. Sleep Study
Natalie Metzger | US | 2022 | 10 min
6. Pussy Love
Linda Krauss | Germany | 2023 | 4 min
7. Unknown Heavens
Erik M.G. Fox | US | 2022 | 19 min
8. Dragon Fruit
J.Brown | Canada | 2023 | 27 min
1. Nordo
Kyle Taubken | US | 2022 | 12 min
2. Mandarins
Chelsie Pennello | US | 2023 | 14 min
3. Seed
Patricio Mosse | Spain | 2022 | 14 min
4. Moon, Massage
Yixuan Li | US | 2022 | 16 min
5. Fraya
Clémentine Delbecq | France | 2022 | 24 min
Environment / Climate
MONDAY OCTOBER 9 2:45 PM TGC #2
88 MIN Six short documentaries exploring different aspects of the natural world and human intervention in direct and indirect ways.
Dramatic Shorts: On a Mission
MONDAY OCTOBER 9 2:00 PM TGC #1
80 MIN This collection of short films explores a wide variety of plots surrounding quests and actions with repercussions large & small.
1. All in the Water
Judy Larson | US | 2022 | 19 min
2. Healy
Maya Craig | US | 2023 | 14 min
3. Bliss.jpg
Emily Rose Apter & Elijah Stevens US | 2023 | 9 min
4. Gentle Hum of Spring
Simon Garez | Canada | 2022 | 10 min
5. Kings of Gorst Creek
Andrew Wright | US | 2022 | 10 min
6. All Sounds Within
Salka Tiziana | Germany | 2022 | 26 min
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1. My Two Homes
Ella Torrance | US | 2023 | 8 min
2. Meaningful Meals
Franco Duerme | US | 2022 | 11 min
3. In This Neighborhood
Lilly Lion | US | 2022 | 9 min
4. One Hundred
Marcus Baker | US | 2022 | 15 min
5. Wrap Me in a Sheet
Molly Muse, Britt Harris | US | 2022 | 17 min
6. Letting Loose the Hounds
Short Film Packages
PNW Dramatic Shorts: Places
MONDAY OCTOBER 9 5:15 PM TGC #2
Asher McMurren, Paige Harwood, and Logan Leavett | US | 2022 | 26 min
Dramatic Shorts: Women by Women
1. Breaking Fast with a Coca Cola
Amy Omar | US | 2023 | 14 min
2. All Choked Up
Allison Volk | US | 2023 | 4 min
3. Hemorrhage
Ruth Hayes | US | 2023 | 4 min
4. Into the Thicket
Devany Greenwood | US | 2023 | 12 min
5. Balikbayan
Rebecca Rajadnya | US | 2022 | 18 min
6. The Midwife
86 MIN Narrative short films from the Pacific Northwest. Filmmakers in attendance. MONDAY OCTOBER 9 6:30 PM
Anne-Sophie Bailly | France | 2021 | 29 min
MIN Various films by and about women.
1. The Deadline
Melissa McCarthy | US | 2021 | 11 min
2. Squatch Seeker
David Over | US | 2023 | 7 min
3. Out of Office
Ev Jensen | US | 2023 | 10 min
4. Rad Dad
Zach Weintraub | US | 2023 | 13 min
5. II Amendment
Ciro Fusco | US | 2023 | 14 min
6. 28 Grams
D.J. Walker | US | 2023 | 22 min
7. Walla Walla
Hayley Durelle | US | 2022 | 21 min
PNW Comedic Shorts: Somber Reflections
MONDAY OCTOBER 9 8:45 PM TGC #1
77 MIN Short comedy films from around the Pacific Northwest. Filmmaker(s) in attendance.
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TGC #1 102
Short Film Packages
Doc & Dramatic Shorts: Shifting Scenes
1. waking up in silence
Mila Zhluktenko & Daniel Asadi Faezi
Ukraine / Germany | 2023 | 18 min
2. Fili
Peter Filimaua | US | 2023 | 16 min
3. O falecido
Philipp Veiga Amaro | Switzerland | 2022 | 19 min
4. The Discoverer of the Discoverers
C.S. Nicholson | Norway | 2022 | 25 min
TuesDAY OCTOBER 10 2:00 PM TGC #2
91 MIN These documentary and narrative films are connected by the theme of changing historical, familial, and geographic perspectives.
1. Yeetcosystem
Suzanne Skaar | US | 2022 | 2 min
2. The Path
Michelle Hagewood | US | 2023 | 3 min
3. Hemorrhage
Ruth Hayes | US | 2023 | 4 min
4. Thoughts on Time & Lessons Learned
Victor A. Martin | US | 2022 | 8 min
5. Scribble: A Space Odyssey
Bailey Ambrose Heller | US | 2022 | 13 min
6. Stories We Could Have Told You
Darcy Miller | US | 2022 | 19 min
SPONSORED BY: PNW
Doc
Shorts #1
TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 6:00 PM TGC #3
85 MIN Documentaries about art, community, friendship and escape.
5. In Wonderland
Andrea Camacho McCracken | US | 2022 | 13 min
PNW Animation + Imagination
TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 3:30 PM TGC #1
49 MIN Terrifically creative animation and imaginative works from the PNW.
1. Camille in Color
David Wild | US | 2023 | 9 min
2. Chihuly: Roll the Dice
Peter West | US | 2021 | 27 min
3. Jack and the Bugs
Akash and Akshay Arora | US | 2023 | 9 min
4. We’re Burning Up!
Alden Doyle, John Stewart | Canada | 2022 | 7 min
5. She Marches in Chinatown
Della Chen | US | 2022 | 33 min
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Short Film Packages
1. The Light
Kendahl Cruver | US | 2023 | 7 min
2. Kaiju Girl
Takafumi Sakabe | Japan | 2022 | 24 min
3. Popcorn
Mónica Dolado | Spain | 2022 | 13 min
4. Lost in the Sky
Simon Öster | Sweden | 2023 | 12 min
5. Daddy
Johanna Steinhart | US | 2022 | 20 min
6. Virga
Jean-François Leblanc | Canada | 2023 | 24 min
Dramatic Shorts: Threads & Fabrics
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 2:00 PM TGC #1
85 MIN These six short films explore the idea of what it means to be family.
1. Savi the Cat
Netsanet Tjirongo, Bryan Tucker | US | 2022 | 17 min
2. Believe in Wonder
Caleb Jacobson | US | 2023 | 14 min
3. Beautiful Purpose
Nick Weiss | US | 2022 | 14 min
4. The Lost Angle
Brandon Hendricks | US | 2023 | 11 min
5. The Blake
Courtney Sposato, Mark Sposato US | 2022 | 15 min
Late Night Shorts #3
TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 9:30 PM TGC #1
100 MIN SF, Horror and midnight-style short films from some of the most imaginative filmmakers on the festival circuit.
1. Safe
Josema Roig | Spain | 2021 | 10 min
2. There are no ghosts
Nacho Solana | Spain | 2022 | 15 min
3. Black seed
Amirhoman Khosravani
Iran | 2023 | 15 min
4. Julie Baby
Emily Grooms | US | 2022 | 17 min
5. A Shore Away (L’autre rive)
Gaëlle Graton | Canada | 2022 | 18 min
PNW Documentary Shorts #2
WEdnesday OCTOBER 11 5:00 PM TGC #1 71 MIN Films from PNW filmmakers, some of whom will be in attendance.
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SPONSORED BY:
Short Film Packages Short Film Packages
Sports / Outdoors: Let’s Active!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Frontline
1. Olive Lev Omelchenko | US | 2022 | 13 min
2. Astor Place, The American Dream Giuseppe Malpasso | US | 2022 | 20 min
3. Sucker Deni Cheng | US | 2023 | 18 min
4. El Ojo Comienza En La Mano (The Eye Begins in the Hand)
Yehuda Sharim | US | 2022 | 15 min
5. Black is Beautiful Marco Ortega | US | 2023 | 32 min
Drama & Documentary: Working
Every day is a festival at
The Grand Cinema!
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THURSDAY OCTOBER 12 5:15 PM TGC #2 98 MIN A mix of films showing how people engage with work and making what we do more than just making a living.
Alma Tabernero | Netherlands/Spain | 2023
19 min
Women on a roll
|
Antoine II | US
Kingdome Shawn
| 2023 | 20 min
Mason
Sending Carlos
| US | 2023 | 22 min
Hamlett
Black People Don’t Do That Kenny
| US | 2023 | 9 min
Nicole Southwell & Steep Motion |US | 2023
26 min
|
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER
5:15
TGC #2
SPONSORED BY:
11
PM
96 MIN Let’s not inside! Five short films looking at sports and outdoor adventures.
Workshops/Podcasts
sponsored by:
Excuse the Intermission: Live Episodes
Excuse the Intermission, the film discussion podcast, will be recording live from the Grand Lounge throughout the festival. Stop by to listen in on interviews and discussions with hosts Alex, Grant and Max. Check the TFF website or look in the lobby for updates on dates and times.
Filmmaker Forum: Overcoming Obstacles as an Indie Filmmaker
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
FREE !
A workshop to inspire and empower filmmakers with the tools to get their projects made.
Washington Filmworks: Info Session with FWD
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
FREE !
It’s a good time to be a filmmaker in Washington State. From funding for local filmmakers making projects under $1M to a new above-the-line education forum and mentorship program Washington FIlmworks is working to build a more robust and equitable film community. Come learn more about what’s new and how Washington Filmworks can help you level up your filmmaking game.
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Workshops
Book now at: grandcinema.com/rentals Private Screenings Have a theater to yourself! Starting at only $40.
PRESENTED BY RYAN DAVIS OF SMARTHOUSE CREATIVE AND LOCAL FILMMAKER MELINDA RAEBYNE.
/Podcasts
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