SIFF battles global uncertainty and fear through film, community
Global impacts on the Seattle International Film Festival
In the current state of uncertainty due to global politics, organizers of the Seattle International Film Festival said they are looking to provide a safe place for creative thought and expression.
SEATTLE, WA - In the current state of uncertainty due to global politics, organizers of the Seattle International Film Festival said they are looking to provide a safe place for creative thought and expression.
On Thursday, festivities kicked off for the 51st Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). Opening night is expected to bring hundreds of movie lovers to the Paramount Theatre.
While the night is a celebration, organizers said they are aware the current global atmosphere can make it difficult to feel happy.
"We’ve experienced some fear from international guests to come travel here, but we’re also really excited to welcome people from all over," said Megan Garbayo-López, a programmer and education manager at SIFF.
Your ultimate guide to the 2025 Seattle International Film Festival
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What they're saying:
SIFF states it is committed to being an anti-racist and anti-oppression organization.
Garbayo-López tells FOX 13 Seattle this year, they are doubling down on their goal to provide outlets to voices that have been silenced.
"What we really hope that the 51st SIFF does is help us, remind us all that we’re all interconnected. Like, my struggle is your struggle. My liberation is deeply tied in everyone else’s liberation," she said.
The film festival will feature movies from about 130 filmmakers from across the world.
Garbayo-López tells us many of the filmmakers are LGBTQ+, BIPOC, or women and nonbinary.
Colleen Thurston’s film "Drowned Land" focuses on the issues that her tribe, the Choctaw Nation, have faced trying to protect their life source, the Kiamichi River, from outsiders.
"People can relate to that. People can relate to having the fear of a larger power, the federal government, removing you from your land, from your community, from your place," said Thurston.
Organizers of SIFF hope audiences are able to open their minds to different viewpoints through the festival, even if it is just for the runtime of a film.
Drowned Land premieres on Friday at 4 p.m. at the SIFF Uptown and plays on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Shoreline Community College theater.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle International Film Festival and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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