Locals Only #24
Our premiere event returns for another year of great locally-sourced films by the most exciting up-and-coming filmmakers our region has to offer. Our 2026 Kick Off will feature four short films that are sure to thrill, delight, and maybe even make you think a little bit:
The Journal by James Andrews: An American veteran of the Vietnam War returns a precious keepsake to the daughter of an enemy soldier, 50 years later. (12 min)
Dealing With Time by Bryon Donaldson: A woman offers her time service to a customer by showcasing her abilities as if presenting the features of a product. (6 min)
Welcome Home by Nicole Olson: After the death of her husband, a prolific painter dares to make a deal with a demon to bring him back. (7 Min)
Wild Dreams by Derek Nunn: A young, black man encounters his ancestor as he traverses through life balancing success, race and imposter syndrome (9 Min)
Join us for a screening and Q&A with drinks to follow at Linda's Tavern!
Thursday January 29th at the Northwest Film Forum. Doors at 6:30, Films at 7. See ya at the movies!
What
LOCALS ONLY is a recurring presentation of local short films presented by the Seattle Film Society. Each month, SFS curates an intimate lineup of high-quality films from local independent filmmakers and showcases them for a community of filmmakers and film lovers. Screenings include in-depth Q&A’s with the filmmakers, as well as the opportunity to engage with the broader Seattle filmmaking community.
Where
1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
When
Thursday, January 29th / 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 6:30pm
Tickets
Tickets available here.
Films
Afters 🍻
After the screenings, SFS and the filmmakers will stay at NW Film Forum to talk and have drinks! Around 9:00PM - 9:30PM we’ll head over to a nearby bar to hang some more.
Writer’s Lab (Online)
Join us on the screenwriting-group channel (SFS Discord) for our Writers Lab. These sessions will include readings of 2-3 scripts (10-15 pages) with structured feedback.
The group will be reading and discussing:
Join the Discussion on Discord
(https://discord.gg/W5yZBgEYUR)
Open Screen #8
What
An open mic night for Washington filmmakers!
Need feedback on your latest cinematic masterpiece? Want to share some embarrassing home videos from your youth? Searching for a place where strangers will watch videos of your dog on the big screen? Come on out!
Seattle Open Screen is connecting filmmakers of all levels by showing any film (ten minutes or less) on the big screen here at Seattle Open Arts Place! Films screen on a first-come first-screen basis, so get here early!
Doors at 7PM and screening from 7:30PM to 9PM.
Head over to the pub afterward to socialize with other filmmakers!
Where
Seattle Open Arts Place
1406 18th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98122
When
Tuesday, February 3rd / 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 7:00pm
Tickets
Tickets available here
Additional Details
Please bring videos on a standard Windows or Mac-compatible thumb drive.
Preferred format: MP4 or MOV files, compressed H.264
Ideal video specs:
Resolution: 1080p or 720p
Frame Rates: 23.976, 24, 29.97, 30, 59.94, or 60
Subtitles (optional): Superimposed on the video
We will try to accommodate all types of video formats, but if we are unable to play the video we will skip it.
Afters 🍻
After the screenings, SFS and the filmmakers will stay at Seattle Open Arts Place to talk and have drinks! Around 9:30PM - 10PM we’ll head over to Neighbor Lady Public House (1133 24th Ave Unit Q, Seattle, WA 98122) to hang some more.
Freelancer Speed Dating
Collaboration is in the air this February! We’re partnering with our pals over at Offbeat Films for a platonic, FREE Freelancer Speed Dating event!
Need a Gaffer? A Producer? A new friend to make fun stuff with? This event is your perfect opportunity! Meet fellow industry professionals and find the collaborators of your dreams through a rotating series of four-minute "dates", followed by open mingling. Spots are limited, so RSVP quick!
Thursday, February 12th at Ballard Church. Doors at 6pm, "Dates" start at 6:45.
See you there!
Screenwriting Workshop (In Person)
SFS Screenwriting Group: Creative Room
An in-person event with rotating themes. These will include a mix of Staged Readings, Workshops, Guest Speakers, and Write-Ins where we’ll hone and discuss the craft of screenwriting.
This Month: Screenwriting Workshop
This month's in-person Screenwriting Workshop will take place at Seattle Film Institute (SFI), and will feature a guest speaker, along with a Q&A.
Guest Speaker
Stephanie Platter
Stephanie Platter is a screenwriter and screenwriting professor at Seattle Film Institute (SFI)
Writer’s Lab (Online)
Join us on the screenwriting-group channel (SFS Discord) for our Writers Lab. These sessions will include readings of 2-3 scripts (10-15 pages) with structured feedback.
The group will be reading and discussing:
Join the Discussion on Discord
(https://discord.gg/W5yZBgEYUR)
Write-In Night (In Person)
SFS Screenwriting Group: Creative Room
An in-person event with rotating themes. These will include a mix of Staged Readings, Workshops, Guest Speakers, and Write-Ins where we’ll hone and discuss the craft of screenwriting.
This Month: Write-In Night
An in-person meeting, with 30–40 min writing sprint.
Share “what changed in your script”, and great for connecting + productivity
Open Screen #9
What
An open mic night for Washington filmmakers!
Need feedback on your latest cinematic masterpiece? Want to share some embarrassing home videos from your youth? Searching for a place where strangers will watch videos of your dog on the big screen? Come on out!
Seattle Open Screen is connecting filmmakers of all levels by showing any film (ten minutes or less) on the big screen here at Seattle Open Arts Place! Films screen on a first-come first-screen basis, so get here early!
Doors at 7PM and screening from 7:30PM to 9PM.
Head over to the pub afterward to socialize with other filmmakers!
Where
Seattle Open Arts Place
1406 18th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98122
When
Tuesday, May 26th / 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 7:00pm
Tickets
Tickets available here
Additional Details
Please bring videos on a standard Windows or Mac-compatible thumb drive.
Preferred format: MP4 or MOV files, compressed H.264
Ideal video specs:
Resolution: 1080p or 720p
Frame Rates: 23.976, 24, 29.97, 30, 59.94, or 60
Subtitles (optional): Superimposed on the video
We will try to accommodate all types of video formats, but if we are unable to play the video we will skip it.
Afters 🍻
After the screenings, SFS and the filmmakers will stay at Seattle Open Arts Place to talk and have drinks! Around 9:30PM - 10PM we’ll head over to Neighbor Lady Public House (1133 24th Ave Unit Q, Seattle, WA 98122) to hang some more.
Write-In Night (In Person)
SFS Screenwriting Group: Creative Room
An in-person event with rotating themes. These will include a mix of Staged Readings, Workshops, Guest Speakers, and Write-Ins where we’ll hone and discuss the craft of screenwriting.
This Month: Write-In Night
An in-person meeting, with 30–40 min writing sprint.
Share “what changed in your script”, and great for connecting + productivity
IN FOCUS: Jonathan Salmon
The Seattle Film Society’s IN FOCUS series returns with a showcase for prolific commercial and video director JONATHAN SALMON!
Jonathan's wry, surrealist work has become a fixture across platforms such as Vulture, Short of the Week, Mubi, and Directors Notes. He's directed videos for Vince Staples and Brent Faiyaz, and collaborated on short films with influential figures such as Venus Williams, Zack Fox, and Mekki Leeper.
This five film set will feature four of his narrative shorts and one of his music videos. It will be followed by a short presentation by Jonathan on the arc of his career. Films in this program include:
Magic (Music Video)
Bizarro World
Take You Down
it’s ok, i got this
Pour Decisions
Thursday January 15th at the Northwest Film Forum. Doors at 6:30, films at 7pm.
IN FOCUS is a quarterly showcase highlighting a filmmaker or filmmaking team local to the Greater Seattle Area.
Writer’s Lab (Online)
Join us on the screenwriting-group channel (SFS Discord) for our Writers Lab. These sessions will include readings of 2-3 scripts (10-15 pages) with structured feedback.
The group will be reading and discussing:
Join the Discussion on Discord
(https://discord.gg/W5yZBgEYUR)
SFS x SeaDoc | Holiday Mixer
Join SeaDoc and the Seattle Film Society as we celebrate a great year of collaboration and community building! We're throwing a year-end blow out complete with drinks, raffles, and a live DJ set by DJ BLACKDISC. We'll even be partying it up on a literal train (AKA Sodo's Orient Express). Come hang with all of us as we bid farewell to an amazing year, and look toward the exciting year to come.
Sponsored by Kontent Partners.
Locals Only #23
LOCALS ONLY is a recurring presentation of local short films presented by the Seattle Film Society.
Our November Locals Only will be our final Locals Only of the year! This month’s event will be a retrospective and will feature seven of our favorite short films we’ve screened this year, interspersed with Q&A’s led by SFS’s Programming Team. The Films Screened will include:
Passenger (3 Min, Animation/Experimental, Dir. Patrick Connelly): An experimental animation about the experience of commuting by train. Hand scratched on 16mm film.
Femme (4 Min, Comedy/Horror, Dir. Laura Shelly): Best described as a "sour cupcake" Femme explores the dark comedy/horror/surrealist/feminist genre as experienced through the title character Femme.
Bubblegum (12 Min, Comedy/Drama, Dir. Celestine Ocean): Star and Cleo - two siblings from a small town have to choose between personal gain or honest sacrifice when they stumble upon a life changing reward.
Everything Happens (5 Min, Comedy/Drama, Dir. Andrew “Ducky” Dutkiewicz): A mother prepares a family dinner. Her son made other plans. A dog gets lost. Everything happens.
The Connoisseur (3 Min, Comedy/Horror, Dir. Eric Morgret): You've been invited to a very special wine tasting.
Hey… it’s me! (8 Min, Romance/Comedy, Dir. Brittney Cash): While preparing for a date, a severe case of deja vu sends a young woman down the rabbit hole of boyfriends past.
The Art, The Artist & The Enthusiast (3 Min, Narrative/Poetry, Dir. Nathan Abia Lawer-Yolar): A motion picture questioning the viewer about their relationship to art, process and consumption
Seven shorts, seven faves, seven chances to celebrate our filmmaking community. All the filmmakers with be with us for the screening + Q&A so grab a friend and come help us send off 2025 on a high note!
Doors at 6:30PM, screening from 7:00PM to 8:30PM. Afters to follow!
What
LOCALS ONLY is a recurring presentation of local short films presented by the Seattle Film Society. Each month, SFS curates an intimate lineup of high-quality films from local independent filmmakers and showcases them for a community of filmmakers and film lovers. Screenings include in-depth Q&A’s with the filmmakers, as well as the opportunity to engage with the broader Seattle filmmaking community.
Where
1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
When
Thursday, November 20th / 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 6:30pm
Tickets
Tickets available here.
Films
Afters 🍻
After the screenings, SFS and the filmmakers will stay at NW Film Forum to talk and have drinks! Around 9:00PM - 9:30PM we’ll head over to a nearby bar to hang some more.
Open Screen #7
What
An open mic night for Washington filmmakers!
Need feedback on your latest cinematic masterpiece? Want to share some embarrassing home videos from your youth? Searching for a place where strangers will watch videos of your dog on the big screen? Come on out!
Seattle Open Screen is connecting filmmakers of all levels by showing any film (ten minutes or less) on the big screen here at Seattle Open Arts Place! Films screen on a first-come first-screen basis, so get here early!
Doors at 7PM and screening from 7:30PM to 9PM.
Head over to the pub afterward to socialize with other filmmakers!
Where
Seattle Open Arts Place
1406 18th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98122
When
Tuesday, November 18th / 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 7:00pm
Tickets
Tickets available here
Additional Details
Please bring videos on a standard Windows or Mac-compatible thumb drive.
Preferred format: MP4 or MOV files, compressed H.264
Ideal video specs:
Resolution: 1080p or 720p
Frame Rates: 23.976, 24, 29.97, 30, 59.94, or 60
Subtitles (optional): Superimposed on the video
We will try to accommodate all types of video formats, but if we are unable to play the video we will skip it.
Afters 🍻
After the screenings, SFS and the filmmakers will stay at Seattle Open Arts Place to talk and have drinks! Around 9:30PM - 10PM we’ll head over to Neighbor Lady Public House (1133 24th Ave Unit Q, Seattle, WA 98122) to hang some more.
SFS Screenwriting Group
The group will be reading and discussing:
The Summa by Levi Sweeney
This will be the final Screenwriting Group meeting of 2025!
Join the Discussion on Discord
(https://discord.gg/W5yZBgEYUR)
Locals Only #22
In the spirit of the season, our October LOCALS ONLY will be an all-horror edition!
Chickenboy (8 Min, 2025, Dir. Matthew Rush): A lonely farmer accidentally creates a chicken-human hybrid.
The Winemaker (16 Min, 2025, Dir. Sarey Martin): A winemaker with a cosmic secret must finish the year's vintage before her enemies come for vengeance.
The Collector (12 Min, 2025, Dir. Scott Leberecht): Ruby is a chemist who specializes in unusual product, and must make a series of brutal decisions to preserve her business.
Plastic Boy (5 Min, 2025, Dir. Alex Bulger) A man finds out something strange is growing inside of him.
Four shorts, four of the PNW’s top up-and-coming names in horror. All of the filmmakers will be with us for the screening + Q&A so grab a friend, check out some horror films, and come hang out!
Doors at 6:30PM, screening from 7:00PM to 8:30PM. Afters to follow!
What
LOCALS ONLY is a recurring presentation of local short films presented by the Seattle Film Society. Each month, SFS curates an intimate lineup of high-quality films from local independent filmmakers and showcases them for a community of filmmakers and film lovers. Screenings include in-depth Q&A’s with the filmmakers, as well as the opportunity to engage with the broader Seattle filmmaking community.
Where
1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
When
Thursday, October 30th / 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 6:30pm
Tickets
Tickets available here.
Films
Afters 🍻
After the screenings, SFS and the filmmakers will stay at NW Film Forum to talk and have drinks! Around 9:00PM - 9:30PM we’ll head over to a nearby bar to hang some more.
SFS Screenwriting Group
The group will be reading and discussing:
Forest of Yesteryear by Luke Jankovic
Join the Discussion on Discord
(https://discord.gg/W5yZBgEYUR)
Locals Only #21
"What do a James Bond riff, a coming of age film, an existential art piece, and a dramatic retelling of the 2017 Steve Harvey memo incident have in common? If you guessed it’s that they’re all apart of the Seattle Film Society's September 2025 Locals Only, you would be correct:
The Memo by Lamar + Nik
Joy by Arthur Asriyants
Inspire by Sandra Garcia
Double Blind by Galen Andrus
We’ll have each of the filmmakers with us for the screening + Q&A so grab a friend, see some films, and come hang out with us! Doors at 6:30PM, screening from 7:00PM to 8:30PM. Afters to follow!"
What
LOCALS ONLY is a recurring presentation of local short films presented by the Seattle Film Society. Each month, SFS curates an intimate lineup of high-quality films from local independent filmmakers and showcases them for a community of filmmakers and film lovers. Screenings include in-depth Q&A’s with the filmmakers, as well as the opportunity to engage with the broader Seattle filmmaking community.
Where
1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
When
Thursday, September 25th / 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 6:30pm
Tickets
Tickets available here.
Films
Afters 🍻
After the screenings, SFS and the filmmakers will stay at NW Film Forum to talk and have drinks! Around 9:00PM - 9:30PM we’ll head over to a nearby bar to hang some more.
