TFF Program Online Color 91423

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

Wade Neal and The TFF Staff

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

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

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.

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schedule at a Glance

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Short Film Packages Short Film Packages

Sports / Outdoors: Let’s Active!

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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!

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.

PRESENTED BY RYAN DAVIS OF SMARTHOUSE CREATIVE AND LOCAL FILMMAKER MELINDA RAEBYNE.