Locals Only #31
Whether you’re working on accepting a major life change, sharing important news, or crossing into a new stage altogether, the stories featured in SFS's August Locals Only capture what it means to move into a new season of life:
BALSTON by Liisa Kaufman and Carson Marie Earnest: Rocked out of her insular existence by the bite marks and bristles of a used toothbrush, Balston must make a choice between her safe, superficial existence and accepting who she really is. (10 min)
POP by Ed Castañeda: A haunted spirit seeks a new place to occupy and perform her killer, haunting song. (7 min)
RECHARGE by Christopher Meyer: A battery factory employee must cross a hostile industrial wasteland on his way to work (12 min)
I WILL HOLD YOUR HAND by Teni Ayo-Ariyo: An intimate short film that examines motherhood through personal experience, creative expression, and community, reflecting on what it means to care, create, and evolve. (5 min)
CLOSING TIME by Spencer Keller: Emma has something important to tell her boyfriend, but when she arrives to meet him at the local diner and he's missing, she has a gut feeling that something is wrong. (8 Min)
This event is presented in partnership with the Northwest Film Forum. Join us for a screening and Q&A with drinks to follow at Linda's Tavern! 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, August 27th / 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.
Open Screen #11
Tickets available soon!
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 3rd / 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 7:00pm
Tickets
Tickets available soon!
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.
Open Screen #10
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, August 4th / 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Doors open at 7:00pm
Tickets
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.
Locals Only #30
Sci-Fi heads unite! Cyber strikes, future tech, and stargazing adventurers dominate this month’s LOCALS ONLY event. This sci-fi themed block is sure to fling you across time and scramble your understanding of what it means to be human:
THE LAST FLIGHT by Daniel Mogg: Amid a global cyber strike that leads to a permanent ban on air travel, an isolated fugitive family races to catch the last private flight to freedom. (5 min)
AXIOM by Katy Joy & Blake Rizzo: An android travels back into the past to retrieve a mysterious software from a CEO’s home, only to quickly uncover hidden truths about the mission’s objective. (7 min)
STARDATE: UNKNOWN by Andrew Davies: The crew of the UCS Reliant must survive alone on an alien planet when the technology they rely on fails them. (4 min)
STARGAZER by Justin Robert Vinall: A fragmented astronomer looks to the stars to find comfort in the darkest of places. (15 min)
This event is presented in partnership with the Northwest Film Forum. Join us for a screening and Q&A with drinks to follow at Linda’s Tavern!
Thursday, July 30th 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, July 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.
Director’s Lab
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 | July 2026
We’re still looking for Directors and Actors for July 2026, and beyond! You can sign up for March (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.
Locals Only #29
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
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
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:
Seattle Film Society
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.
Seattle is Burning
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!
Director’s Lab
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.
Locals Only #28
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
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.
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.
Director’s Lab
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.
SFS + SeaDoc | Spring Mixer
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!
