The Young Karl Marx (Le jeune Karl Marx)[/caption]
The 43rd Seattle International Film Festival taking place May 18 to June 11, 2017, today unveiled a lineup of 400 films representing 80 countries.
Opening night kicks off Friday, May 18 with The Big Sick, starring and written by Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) along with his wife Emily V. Gordon. Closing this year’s Festival is the North American premiere of The Young Karl Marx, directed by Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro). The story follows 26-year-old Karl Marx (August Diehl) and his wife Jenny in exile in Europe, where they meet a man who provides them with the final piece needed for the foundation of Marxist theory.
At the annual Centerpiece Gala, SIFF will travel to 1990s Manhattan in the slice-of-life comedy, Landline. Director Gillian Robespierre brings back actress-comedienne Jenny Slate following their SIFF 2014 run of Obvious Child.
The World premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Trouble will screen at Seattle’s historic SIFF Cinema Egyptian as SIFF honors the film’s executive producer and star, Anjelica Huston, with the Career Achievement in Acting Award. In addition to the award presentation and screening, the acclaimed actress is also slated for an on-stage interview at the Wednesday, June 7 event.
Also scheduled is An Afternoon with Sam Elliott, where the festival will pay tribute to the all-American actor. Along with his iconic voice, Elliott makes his way to SIFF on Saturday, May 27th for the Seattle premiere of his newest film The Hero following an onstage discussion that afternoon.
Receiving raving reviews following its’ world premiere at SXSW is Seattle native S.J. Chiro’s first full-length feature, Lane 1974. Drawing off of Chiro’s own childhood experiences as well as those described in Clane Hayward’s memoir “The Hypocrisy of Disco”, SIFF is thrilled to present this 1970s coming-of-age narrative.
One of several interactive events features Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, a documentary by Catherine Bainbridge celebrating the achievements and contributions of Native Americans in modern American music. Along with the screening of the film, guests will also enjoy Indigenous Centered Perspectives, an exhibit showcasing works by four indigenous artists at the Paramount Theater. The Friday, May 26 event is hosted by SIFF in collaboration with Amazon Video Direct, STG, and Longhouse Media.
“This year’s robust line-up includes a wide variety of programs ranging from heartfelt features from comedy favorites to thought-provoking documentaries, as well as once in a lifetime conversations with Hollywood legends,” says Interim Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “We are thrilled to jump into our 43rd edition and introduce spectacular programming from across the world to over 150,000 film enthusiasts in Seattle over the course of 25 days.”
Knife in the Clear Water
-
2017 Seattle International Film Festival Announces Lineup of 400 Films, Closes with THE YOUNG KARL MARX
[caption id="attachment_18956" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Young Karl Marx (Le jeune Karl Marx)[/caption]
The 43rd Seattle International Film Festival taking place May 18 to June 11, 2017, today unveiled a lineup of 400 films representing 80 countries.
Opening night kicks off Friday, May 18 with The Big Sick, starring and written by Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) along with his wife Emily V. Gordon. Closing this year’s Festival is the North American premiere of The Young Karl Marx, directed by Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro). The story follows 26-year-old Karl Marx (August Diehl) and his wife Jenny in exile in Europe, where they meet a man who provides them with the final piece needed for the foundation of Marxist theory.
At the annual Centerpiece Gala, SIFF will travel to 1990s Manhattan in the slice-of-life comedy, Landline. Director Gillian Robespierre brings back actress-comedienne Jenny Slate following their SIFF 2014 run of Obvious Child.
The World premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Trouble will screen at Seattle’s historic SIFF Cinema Egyptian as SIFF honors the film’s executive producer and star, Anjelica Huston, with the Career Achievement in Acting Award. In addition to the award presentation and screening, the acclaimed actress is also slated for an on-stage interview at the Wednesday, June 7 event.
Also scheduled is An Afternoon with Sam Elliott, where the festival will pay tribute to the all-American actor. Along with his iconic voice, Elliott makes his way to SIFF on Saturday, May 27th for the Seattle premiere of his newest film The Hero following an onstage discussion that afternoon.
Receiving raving reviews following its’ world premiere at SXSW is Seattle native S.J. Chiro’s first full-length feature, Lane 1974. Drawing off of Chiro’s own childhood experiences as well as those described in Clane Hayward’s memoir “The Hypocrisy of Disco”, SIFF is thrilled to present this 1970s coming-of-age narrative.
One of several interactive events features Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, a documentary by Catherine Bainbridge celebrating the achievements and contributions of Native Americans in modern American music. Along with the screening of the film, guests will also enjoy Indigenous Centered Perspectives, an exhibit showcasing works by four indigenous artists at the Paramount Theater. The Friday, May 26 event is hosted by SIFF in collaboration with Amazon Video Direct, STG, and Longhouse Media.
“This year’s robust line-up includes a wide variety of programs ranging from heartfelt features from comedy favorites to thought-provoking documentaries, as well as once in a lifetime conversations with Hollywood legends,” says Interim Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “We are thrilled to jump into our 43rd edition and introduce spectacular programming from across the world to over 150,000 film enthusiasts in Seattle over the course of 25 days.”
-
2nd China Stars Showcase Series Returns to 2017 Seattle International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_17613" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Knife In The Clear Water / WANG Xuebo[/caption]
The China Stars Showcase series returned to the 43rd annual Seattle International Film Festival for the second year, presenting twelve feature films along with five short films from students of the Beijing Film Academy.
With support from WASA North America Group and Hainan Airlines to foster cross-cultural exchange and artistic vision, the China Stars Showcase features stories that range from thriller (Evil Minds) to family friendly comedy (Tea Pets), familial obligations (Knife in the Clear Water) to a fantastic discovery of an inter-dimensional portal (The Door). The twelve films in the selection reflect the breadth of independent films in China today.
Curated by SIFF film programmers Beth Barrett, Dustin Kaspar, and Mr. Eugene Zhang of WASA North America Group, the China Stars Showcase will also include an archival presentation of Love and Duty presented alongside a live accompaniment by Donald Sosin as well as the newest film by legendary actress YI Qin, The Beautiful Kokonor Lake. The full China Stars Showcase can be found below.
The Beautiful Kokonor Lake
d. XING-HAO Shen | China 2017 | 98 min
Inspired by the true stories of the difficult construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, 95-year-old Chinese film icon YI Qin wrote, produced, and stars in this romantic drama about a pair of courageous meteorological engineers who fall in love with the region.
The Door | North American Premiere
d. DONG Liang | China 2017 | 104 min
A working-class auto mechanic discovers a magical door to an alternate world in which his life choices made him a wealthy playboy who seemingly has it all. Fantastical comic moments lead to self-reflection as he discovers that cross-dimensional existence has its problems.
Evil Minds d. XIE Dongshen | China 2017 | ~100 minIn this suspenseful, action-packed thriller, criminal profiler Fang Mu (Li Yifeng) is renowned for his gifted insights, but when a police detective brings him in to solve a bizarre campus murder, it proves to be a case that may be too much even for his skills.
Father and Son d. YUAN Weidong | China 2017 | ~100 minA young businessman fakes his own father’s death in order to collect condolence money to repay some menacing gangsters, but the plan goes from crafty to farcical when his ex-military father returns “from the dead” to help.
Free and Easy d. JUN Geng | China 2016 | 99 minA soap-peddling shyster lands in a desolate northern China factory town filled with idiosyncratic con artists in Jen Geng’s deadpan Jarmusch-style satire, winner of the Special Jury Award for Cinematic Vision at the Sundance Film Festival.
God of War d. Gordon Chan | China 2017 | 130 min A period war action film about how Chinese general Qi Jiguang defeated Japanese pirates that proliferated along the Chinese coastline during 16th century. Have a Nice Day d. LIU Jian | China 2017 | 77 min Driver Xiao Zhang robs one million dollars from his boss in order to fix his girlfriend’s failed plastic surgery, but he is soon faced with a bigger predicament when a hitman, a gangster and a robber go after him and the money. Knife in the Clear Water | US Premiere d. WANG Xuebo | China 2016 | 93 minThe hauntingly beautiful fable of an elderly farmer in China’s primarily Muslim Ningxia province who finds that affection for his beloved bull makes it impossible to sacrifice the animal in a religious ceremony―until the bull inexplicably stops eating.
Love and Duty d. WANCANG Bu | China 1931 | 153 minChinese silent film icon Ruan Lingyu, frequently called the Greta Garbo of Shanghai, stars in this newly restored edition of one of the biggest films of early Chinese cinema, a decades-spanning romantic drama about a woman who pays dearly for following her heart. With live accompaniment by Donald Sosin.
The Song of Cotton d. ZHU Yuancheng | China 2016 | 90 minAfter accepting the job as a full time caretaker for an ex-boxer who suffers from senile dementia, a young woman develops a close bond with her patient. A heartfelt drama based on a short story by National Book Award-winning author Ha Jin.
Soul on a String d. ZHANG Yang | China 2016 | 142 minA compassionate Buddhist embarks on a mystical quest through Tibet, pursued by black-market traders and a man hell-bent on vengeance. Along the way they encounter mysterious travelers, among them a loyal elf, a lovestruck woman, and a mute psychic.
Tea Pets d. Gary Wang | China 2017 | 93 minPopping off the screen with vivacious colors and beautifully composed action sequences, a group of tea pets―cute clay figurines that are good-luck charms for tea drinkers―embark on a magical animated adventure to find a fabled mystic.
Short Films from Beijing Film Academy Students
Bloom d. SUN Yiran and XU Jiyao | China 2017 | 8 min Elephant King d. FU Yan and FU Chao | China 2017 | 11 min Free Throw Line d. ZHANG Yixin | China 2017 | 7 min I Come From Prairie d. Nuhan Arisbek | China 2017 | 8 min The Sea d. LI Yifan | China 2017 | 7 min Seattle International Film Festival is pleased to present the following awards at the China Stars Award Ceremony on Friday, June 9th at the Seattle Pan Pacific Hotel. Lifetime Achievement YI Qin Emergent Talent DONG Liang Film Award Wanda Films