Programming Practices

Our Locals Only events take place on a monthly basis and submissions are open year round. Our screenings are programmed based on the ideal combination of the selected films rather than a set timeline a la a traditional film festival. 

Submissions make up the majority of our Locals Only lineups. 90% of our screened works come directly through our submission portal, with the other 10% being a mix of recommendations and local works we encounter elsewhere. 

We do not program the work of our team, or work that our team have creatively collaborated on, unless explicitly stated for specialized events separate from Locals Only.

We seek films from impassioned storytellers who infuse their work with a strong point of view. This includes nonconformist and misfit films that are sometimes excluded from traditional screening spaces. We acknowledge that value is not strictly dictated by prestige or laurels. While not every film is an ideal fit for our screenings, our focus is always centered on the intent of the work and the potential of the artist. We recognize that Programming and Curatorial work is a form of gatekeeping, and seek to combat the exclusive nature of this process by connecting them to broader opportunities, spaces, experiences, and resources. We strive to provide a community where a range of fresh, exciting voices are encouraged and thrive.

If we do not feel we will be able to find a place for your film in our programming, we will make every effort to let you know as soon as possible.

Generative AI Definition

The Seattle Film Society (SFS) defines Generative AI as a tool that generates text, image, and/or audio Components. 

Components can be generated based on previously created works with or without the original creator’s explicit permission. Components can be applied to a film at any stage in a film’s creation, marketing, or distribution. We define the use of Generative AI Components as an Application.

Specific examples of tools used to generate AI Components include (but are not limited to): Sora, DALL·E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Adobe Firefly, Runway ML, Murf.ai, ElevenLabs, Soundraw, AIVA, Boomy, and Voice.ai.

Generative AI Film Submission Policy

The Seattle Film Society’s Generative AI policy is based around a desire to present an honest experience for our community and event attendees.

We accept film submissions that have used Generative AI in any phase of their creation and/or feature Generative AI Components for SFS-Programmed Events (“Locals Only”, “Truth to Fiction”, “In Focus”). Films featuring Generative AI or Generative AI Components will be reviewed using the following process:

Any and all use of Generative AI must be disclosed during the Submission phase. All films that use Generative AI Components will be reviewed by the SFS Programming Team. If a film featuring Generative AI or Generative AI Components is selected for Programming, the film will go through a secondary review by SFS’s Leadership Team before being officially programmed. Films featuring Generative AI and Generative AI Components will be noted in the advertising and event materials.

Failure to properly disclose the application of Generative AI or Generative AI Components will result in removal and exclusion from SFS’s digital materials (“Filmmaker Roster”, “Newsletter”), as well as future resource-sharing opportunities.

Policy Transparency

In order to maintain the trust of our community, we feel it’s important to be transparent about how we’ve arrived at this policy. 

We’ve consulted a range of opinions both inside and outside of SFS in developing this policy. Landing on the final version required many hard conversations about how to balance the desires of our filmmaking community, our individual beliefs about filmmaking and technology, and the responsibility involved in film programming. 

We believe these responsibilities fall into three interrelated categories:

The Act of Filmmaking

The Seattle Film Society believes that filmmaking is a Craft first and foremost. This craft originates through the repeated execution of creative choices that involve the development, planning, and making of a film’s individual creative components. It produces a personal artistic expression that is then delivered as a product for viewing via physical and digital spaces. We believe that one’s craft is shaped by personal experience, and can only be developed through devoting time, energy, and creativity to a project. Every skill and experience, good or bad, has value. The challenges we face are as vital to our artistic development as any measure of success. Collaboration and community can provide invaluable insight and support. Combined, these experiences help to shape creative work and give it unique character through the shared application and understanding of one’s craft.

The Act of Programming

The Seattle Film Society believes that Film Programming is the bridge between Craft and Audience. It begins a dialogue which helps to shape an audience’s relationship to a film and its filmmaker. It is our belief that this dialogue is made stronger through exposing our Film Programming Team to a wide film submission pool. This method allows our Programmers to have:

• A strong grasp of the current filmmaking landscape.

• Constructive discussion regarding filmmaking techniques and content.

• The opportunity to challenge, or solidify, personal preferences and viewpoints that impact broader Film Programming decisions.

We trust the instincts of our Programming team, and want to allow them the opportunity to wrestle with difficult topics. We believe that this sometimes involves having hard conversations about the core nature of a film and/or its creation. Our goal is for our teams to have these conversations rather than to shy away from them. 

Generative AI as a Filmmaking Tool

The Seattle Film Society recognizes that machine learning and AI tools have been used as filmmaking tools for many years. However, we also recognize that Generative AI, specifically, has been used to undermine artistic craft by stripping away vital creative and development opportunities at every level. This includes skills and techniques that have been cultivated over the first 100 years of cinema by filmmakers and craftspeople from all across the world. The result is a homogenization of the artform, a threat to labor standards and practices, and the cause of environmental harm that disproportionately affects the poor, the working class, and marginalized communities. While we remain open to screening exceptional works featuring Generative AI Components we encourage filmmakers to develop their craft in a way that is not reliant on Generative AI tools.

Through these policies and beliefs, we hope to continue building a community where Greater Seattle filmmakers can thrive.

Updated as of 12/10/25