Five Star
Now in its third year, the Catalyst program kicks off this weekend at the 40th annual Seattle International Film Festival. The program includes six films and four panels over the course of one trailblazing weekend. As crowdfunding platforms and new digital technologies pave the way for more storytellers, both film festivals and distributors often still serve as the primary filter between these new films and their prospective audiences; the Catalyst program aims to change that by connecting filmmakers and their films directly with their audience.
Carl Spence, SIFF’s Artistic Director, says, “The Catalyst program is still relatively new to the Festival, but it’s only becoming more relevant and revelatory. I’m thrilled to welcome these directors to the Festival and share their new voices with our cinema-loving audience.”
This year’s program includes something for everyone, including the North American premiere of Bradley King’s complex time travel thriller, Time Lapse. SIFF 2012 FIPRESCI-winning writer/director Keith Miller returns with his stunning sophomore effort, Five Star, and we welcome Slamdance co-founder Lise Raven’s taut period mystery Kinderwald, the second in a three-part series. Catalyst 2014 is also proud to present three World premieres: Scott Cohen’s Antarctica-set relationship piece Red Knot (starring Vincent Kartheiser and Olivia Thirlby), debut director Joshua Caldwell’s kinetic French-language drama Layover, and producer-turned-director Sean Mullin’s (Recalled, SIFF 2012) nuanced multicultural romance Sam & Amira.
The Catalyst program also offers a full day of inspiring panels, including the highly anticipated filmmaker panel – featuring all six Catalyst directors – and a keynote address from Emily Best, the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark. Following the Catalyst panels will be a Happy Hour at 4:00 PM.
By supporting the next generation of independent storytellers through film screenings and panels, the Catalyst program hopes to remove some of the barriers that exist between filmmakers and audiences. A sea change is coming in the indie film world, and the SIFF Catalyst program offers a front row seat to the new normal.
Brad Wilke, the SIFF programmer who spearheads the Catalyst program, says, “SIFF developed the Catalyst program to support the discovery, cultivation, and development of new voices in independent film. We accomplish this both through our year-round educational offerings, such as our monthly First Draft live script-reading series, as well as the six-film Festival program (and day of industry panels). I’m really excited about this year’s incredible lineup!”
The 40th Seattle International Film Festival runs from May 15 through June 8, 2014 at venues in Seattle and around the Northwest.
THE FILMS
Five Star
d: Keith Miller c: James Grant, John Diaz, Jasmin Burgos, Tamara Robinson, Wanda Colon
USA 2014, 83 min
A riveting drama following a blooming mentorship between Primo, an East New York Blood, and John, the son of a fallen gang member, as a shared secret threatens both men’s futures.
Kinderwald
d: Lise Raven c: Emily Behr, Frank Brückner, Max Cove, Leopold Fischer Pasternak
USA 2013, 87 min
This visually stunning drama illustrates the journey of a man who must bring his dead brother’s wife and sons across rural 19th century Pennsylvania.
Layover
d: Joshua Caldwell c: Nathalie Fay, Karl E. Landler, Bella Dayne, Hal Ozsan
USA 2014, 83 min
When Simone lands in Los Angeles on her way to Singapore and finds her flight cancelled, a mysterious motorcyclist convinces Simone to ride along through LA’s glittering nightlife.
Red Knot
d: Scott Cohen c: Vincent Kartheiser, Olivia Thirlby, Billy Campbell, Lisa Harrow
USA 2014, 82 min
A beautifully shot meditation on love and loss about New York couple Peter and Chloe falling into marital crisis while on a research vessel en route to Antarctica.
Sam & Amira
d: Sean Mullin c: Martin Starr, Dina Shihabi, Paul Wesley, Laith Nakli, David Rasche
USA 2014, 90 min
Forbidden love and complicated emotions are explored in the relationship between Sam, an Iraq war veteran, and Amira, an Iraqi immigrant on the verge of deportation.
Time Lapse
d: Bradley King c: Danielle Panabaker, Matt O’Leary, George Finn, Amin Joseph
USA 2014, 103 min
A “Twilight Zone”-esque indie about three opportunistic friends who discover a machine with a mysterious power – it takes pictures exactly 24 hours into the future.