This month, the Seattle Film Society is proud to partner with the Langston & the Seattle Black Film Festival for a special Juneteenth edition of Locals Only! From visual poetry to centuries-old conspiracies, this event will showcase the breadth of talent bubbling up in Seattle's black film community:

• WASTE TIME by LIVt: Through a series of intimate vignettes, we follow a queer couple , a Black woman and an Indian woman, as they experience the beauty and fragility of love. (8 min)

• land.scape notes on exile by Berette S Macaulay: A poetic journey of rediscovery and return routes us through shifting landscapes. We follow the reflections of a seeker who is mystically guided by Oshun, the venerated orisha of water and destiny. (6 min)

• GO! by Brace Evans: Daily, Maxwell is told 'GO!' by individuals and the non-speaking walk signal.  During a business trip to Berlin, a kid helps him to realize that walk signals in the United States are being used to subconsciously train and sustain a centuries old hierarchy. (9 Min)

• SPLIT/SECOND by Lindy Boustedt: At Echo Glen High School, a juvenile detention facility in King County, WA, students examine the fragile moment between good and bad decisions while building community, as the voiceover traces one student’s early struggles with incarceration. Voiceover performed by a student at Shoreline College - a collaboration designed both to protect Echo students’ identities and to build an emotional bridge between youth who might otherwise never connect. (2 Min)

• YOU LOOK GOOD!!! by Bakari Hayez: A vibrant tribute to Black women, You Look Good examines the power of Black hair, beauty, and self-expression through a lens of joy, community, and cultural influence. (3 Min)

Join us for a screening and Q&A with drinks to follow at Linda's Tavern!

Thursday, June 25th 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

Northwest Film Forum

1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

When

Thursday, June 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 Linda’s Tavern to hang some more.

Seattle Film Networking Night, hosted by Create 48 at Harbor Island Studios!

Seattle filmmakers, performers, producers, crew, and creative collaborators: this is how you find your next 48HFP Team!

Whether you want to get involved in the Seattle 48 Hour Film Project for the first time, find a team to join, or round out your own team with actors, crew, producers, editors, writers, composers, or other collaborators, this is a room worth being in.

Come meet people across the Seattle film community, build creative partnerships, and make connections before the next 48HFP weekend.

Participating groups include:

• Filmmakers Green Room

• Seattle Film Society

• FilmTrade

• Mighty Tripod Acting Studio

• Seattle 48 Hour Film Project

• CREATE48 Media Network

• and more!

Date: Wednesday, June 24
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Harbor Island Studios
3235 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98134

Build connections. Find collaborators. Make better films.

Seattle 48 HFP is supported by 4Culture through Free Public Access, Sustained Support, and Cultural Facilities grants, with additional support from FilmTrade and SAG-AFTRA.

On June 16th, Three Dollar Bill Cinema & the Seattle Film Society are proud to partner for SEATTLE IS BURNING: A One-of-a-Kind Celebration of Queer Cinema & Ballroom Culture!

Join us as we present the winner of Three Dollar Bill’s first-ever Queer Cinema Fellowship, followed by a local short film and a screening of PARIS IS BURNING.

After the film, SWACE Health will lead a special ballroom presentation and community Q&A exploring the history, impact, and current state of ballroom culture in Seattle - an opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate the legacy and future of the scene.

Then we’ll keep the energy going with a late-night party to celebrate together into the night.

Tuesday, June 16th at Hidden Hall. 6pm – Late.

See you there!

Due to limited capacity, this event is only available to attend if you’re invited. You can apply and sign up using the buttons below, and you can find more info here.

Director’s Lab | June 2026

We’re still looking for Directors and Actors for June 2026, and beyond! You can sign up for June (or for future months) using the buttons below:

What is Directors Lab?

Directors Lab is a place for directors and actors to practice working together in a friendly, judgement-free environment.

The event consists of four directors and four actors. Two of the directors will bring a two page two-character scene and two actors each. One director will get to work with their two actors on their scene for 15 minutes, then the other three directors will take 10 minutes each to work with those same two actors on that same scene. After that we’ll repeat the exercise with the second director and their scene and two actors.

More Info

This month’s event will feature four shorts that walk the line between dreams and nightmares. Whether achieving transcendence or facing your greatest fear, our May event is all about the unexpected moments that warp one’s perspective:

• HUBBLE TENSION by Brandon Foy: A chronically distracted man undergoes an experimental eye treatment, only to face unexpected consequences that distort his reality in increasingly surreal ways. (13 min)

• FESTIVAL CHILD by Kat Hennessey: A festivalist in a neon dress with a pocket full of K, soberly stumbles across transcendence before she can even step out her front door. (8 min)

• CANNIBALS by Noah Campos & Hayden Ludt: After a life-changing hit, a part-time killer can finally escape the regimen of the abused working class - all that’s left is a driver to take him to his final destination. (13 Min)

• THE MAN MILKER by Matthew Rush, Morgan Hendrickson, and Lucas Chapel: A man must face his greatest fear. (2 Min)

Join us for a screening and Q&A with drinks to follow at Linda's Tavern!

Thursday, May 28th 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

Northwest Film Forum

1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

When

Thursday, May 28th / 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 Linda’s Tavern to hang some more.

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.

Due to limited capacity, this event is only available to attend if you’re invited. You can apply and sign up using the buttons below, and you can find more info here.

Director’s Lab | May 2026

We’re still looking for Directors and Actors for May 2026, and beyond! You can sign up for May (or for future months) using the buttons below:

What is Directors Lab?

Directors Lab is a place for directors and actors to practice working together in a friendly, judgement-free environment.

The event consists of four directors and four actors. Two of the directors will bring a two page two-character scene and two actors each. One director will get to work with their two actors on their scene for 15 minutes, then the other three directors will take 10 minutes each to work with those same two actors on that same scene. After that we’ll repeat the exercise with the second director and their scene and two actors.

More Info

The Seattle Film Society & Seattle Documentary Association are excited to announce our 2026 SPRING MIXER!

Join us at Queen Anne Beer Hall on Wednesday, May 13th, following the SIFF Sound Visions Block for drinks & delights! We'll be mixing and mingling following SIFF's local shorts block, Sound Visions, as we celebrate the screening filmmakers, our filmmaking community, and shake off the winter rust.

Wednesday, May 13th at Queen Anne Beer Hall, 9pm - Late. See you there!

This April, SFS's Locals Only will feature four shorts that trace how the natural world informs our lives. From falling in love to the journey of cooking ingredients to elaborate scavenger hunts, our April screening is all about how we engage with nature- and how nature engages with us:

• GLASS QUEST by Georgia Krause: Every year in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, adventure seekers from across the nation gather to compete in the Northwest Glass Quest. (12 min)

• HUNG UP ON YOU by Ellie Nishino: Over the course of a tense phone call, two girls who were once best friends, slowly untangle the web of misunderstandings that led to the end of their budding romance earlier that summer. (5 min)

• DEER SEASON by Cam McHarg:“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.” - Benjamin Franklin. (10 Min)

• OUT OF NOTHING by Ryan Do & Carlos Salinas: From farm to table, a chef’s vision comes to life, tracing the delicate journey of ingredients, sketches, and craft that transform imagination into a perfectly plated Khao Soi. (2 Min)

Join us for a screening and Q&A with drinks to follow at Linda's Tavern!

Thursday, April 30th. 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

Northwest Film Forum

1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

When

Thursday, April 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 Linda’s Tavern to hang some more.

Due to limited capacity, this event is only available to attend if you’re invited. You can apply and sign up using the buttons below, and you can find more info here.

Director’s Lab | April 2026

We’re still looking for Directors and Actors for April 2026, and beyond! You can sign up for April (or for future months) using the buttons below:

What is Directors Lab?

Directors Lab is a place for directors and actors to practice working together in a friendly, judgement-free environment.

The event consists of four directors and four actors. Two of the directors will bring a two page two-character scene and two actors each. One director will get to work with their two actors on their scene for 15 minutes, then the other three directors will take 10 minutes each to work with those same two actors on that same scene. After that we’ll repeat the exercise with the second director and their scene and two actors.

More Info

The Seattle Film Society’s In Focus series returns this April with a screening of renowned Seattle filmmaker SJ Chiro’s coming of age drama LANE 1974. 

LANE 1974 (2017) is based on Clane Hayward's memoir about a 13-year-old girl living a nomadic life in 70’s Northern California communes alongside her rebellious mother and younger siblings. The film follows Lane (Sophia Mitri Schloss) as she yearns for stability and a "normal" life against the harsh realities of her mother’s off-the-grid existence. The film has been roundly praised for its authentic portrayal of childhood in a counter-culture setting, capturing the beauty and the danger of the era through a child's eye.

This film will be preceded by a screening of Chiro’s first short film LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (2006).

A Q&A between Chiro and Film Writer Kathy Fennessy will follow the film.

Thursday, April 16th at the Northwest Film Forum. Doors at 6:30, Film at 7. See you at the movies.

IN FOCUS is a quarterly showcase highlighting a filmmaker or filmmaking team local to the Greater Seattle Area.

Filmmaker Biography: 

SJ Chiro is a Seattle-based director, screenwriter, and DGA member. Chiro is best known for her award-winning feature films, LANE 1974 and EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. LANE 1974 stars Sophia Mitri Schloss and Katherine Moennig, and premiered at SXSW in 2017 before going on to win awards throughout the Film Festival Circuit. EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS stars Tom Skerritt, Miro Sorvino, and Annie Gonzalez and maintains 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Along with her two features, she has written and directed seven short films including HOWARD FROM OHIO, which was awarded the SIFF Special Prize in 2012. Her work is frequently actor-centric, and often focuses on strong characters navigating familial dramas amidst the natural world. Chiro was previously named the 2017 City Arts Film Artist of the Year.

SFS is proud to partner with NEON to present a FREE screening of Steven Soderbergh’s (OCEANS 11, CONTAGION) new film, THE CHRISTOPHERS, this Wednesday at the SIFF Film Center! 

THE CHRISTOPHERS follows the estranged children of a once-famous artist who hire a forger to complete his unfinished works so they can be “discovered” and sold after his death. Ian McKellen (LORD OF THE RINGS) and Michaela Coel (I MAY DESTROY YOU) star from a script by Ed Solomon (MEN IN BLACK, NOW YOU SEE ME).

This screening will be followed by a panel discussion about the film, featuring:

• Chase Hutchinson | President, Seattle Film Critics Society

• Warren Etheredge | Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, UW & Cornish

• Lisa Duncan | Art Conservator

Wednesday, April 15th at the SIFF Film Center. Doors at 6:15, Film at 7pm.

RSVP for your free ticket(s) using this LINK

With spring just on the horizon, this month’s block will feature four shorts about change. Whether it’s finding new friends, shifting your outlook on life, or living like The Dude, this month has something for everyone:

• PRIVATE PARTY by Nate Fieldson: A lonely woman lists her car for sale in hopes of making some new friends. (10 min)

• SHIT SANDWICH by Dawit Borrows: Following a self-harm incident, RJ meets with a psychiatrist who uses "Shit Sandwich" as a metaphor to reshape RJ's outlook on life. (5 min)

• ASTRAY by Michael Kenji Matthews: Alone in the forest, a man starts to unravel after an unexpected encounter. (13 Min)

• ABIDING by Lucas Salm-Rojo: A snapshot into the life of Jeff Dowd, the real life inspiration behind Jeff Bridges character "The Dude" in "The Big Lebowski". (7 Min)

Join us for a screening and Q&A with drinks to follow at Linda's Tavern!

Thursday, March 26th 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

Northwest Film Forum

1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

When

Thursday, March 26th / 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 Linda’s Tavern to hang some more.