Presented by Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum, the 24th Annual Local Sightings Film Festival is a virtual-and-in-person showcase of creative communities from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The 2021 program, which runs from September 16–26, features a competitive selection of curated short film programs and feature films, inviting regional artists to experiment, break, and remake popular conceptions around filmmaking and film exhibition.
Local Sightings champions emerging and established talent, supports the regional film industry, and promotes diverse media as a critical tool for public engagement.
Special Events
Opening Night: Thin Skin
September 16, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Charles Mudede, US, 2020, 90 min
Join us for a special evening curated by the cast and crew of Thin Skin! Final details TBA, but expect performances and a live conversation. A struggling single dad clings to his dream of being a musician, much to the chagrin of his absent Nigerian father, until a mysterious illness throws his world into chaos. Thin Skin is a music-infused, darkly comedic true story about keeping it together when you’re falling apart, starring Ahamefule Oluo as its main character, and with support from Annette Toutonghi, Ijeoma Oluo, Dwayne Kennedy, and Hari Kondabolu.
Closing Night; Manifest Destiny Jesus
September 26, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.
Josh Aaseng, Daemond Arrindell, T. Geronimo Johnson, US, 2021, 40 min
This special event features a pre-show happy hour, live Q&A with the filmmakers, and a short musical performance by Benjamin Hunter! Dedicated to the “future memory of white supremacy,” Manifest Destiny Jesus is a clever Seattle-area documentary which juxtaposes interviews with artists, religious figures, and community members to examine the links between the historically dubious representation of Jesus as white, the crucifixion, lynching, police brutality, and gentrification. It finds inspiration in a transracial family, a sermon by a Black female theologian, and a uniquely integrated Seattle congregation.
*** To accommodate evolving public health recommendations regarding COVID-19, we are adopting a hybrid virtual-and-in-person festival model for 2021. There are three categories of festival pass: VIRTUAL, IN-PERSON, and HYBRID (virtual AND in-person). ***
*** Please note: NWFF will require proof of vaccination from visitors, and for the sake of public safety, we reserve the option to shift the festival to virtual-only on short notice. ***
Pass sales are an excellent way to support our mission, and in turn, the richness of the local film community. Plus, they grant the most streamlined, flexible viewing experience possible!
