SIFF’s mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover
extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that we
foster a community that is more informed, aware, and alive.
SIFF is a constantly innovating year-round film organization that brings to Seattle
edgy international and independent film, actors, and filmmakers that might
otherwise be overlooked.
SIFF prides itself on offering its audiences the opportunity to discover original
stories, diverse cultures, history that is alive, and new emotional journeys.
SIFF is a leader in providing an extensive forum for multicultural exchange, inspiration,
and enlightenment for all people of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. SIFF’s principle
objectives are to promote film as a medium that fosters cross–cultural communication,
education, and international understanding. Film is one of the few contemporary art
forms that can encompass these important global goals and advance them to so great an
extent in such an accessible and immediate way. The cultural impact of these objectives
is more important today than ever before in our increasingly global community.
Throughout its 34 years, SIFF has evolved into one of the leading independent
and international film institutions in the United States and the world. With extensive
local, national, and international media coverage, the Festival is one of Seattle’s
most accessible and highly–publicized cultural events.
Acclaimed films such as Trainspotting, Braveheart, Kiss of the Spider Woman,
Poltergeist, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Donnie Darko, and Last
Days have had their World or American premieres at the Festival. Numerous
directors and actors of critical acclaim and celebrity have come to Seattle to
participate in the Festival. More recently, these include Joan Allen, Jessica Biel,
Steve Buscemi, Anthony Hopkins, Ang Lee, Peter Sarsgaard, and Gus Van Sant.
Condensed SIFF History
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1976
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SIFF was co-founded as part of the for-profit Stage Fright, Inc. by Dan Ireland and Darryl MacDonald at the Moore Theatre. It was only two weeks long and showed 18 films. At the time, there were only a handful of film festivals in North America (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, and LA).
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1980
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SIFF initiates post-screening discussions with filmmakers.
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1985
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The Moore Theatre begins expansion. Festival moves to the Masonic Temple-turned-movie-theater, The Egyptian Theatre on Capitol Hill. In conjunction, the festival adds many other innovative programs to the schedule, including midnight movies, retrospectives, all-night movie marathons, short film competitions, and the secret festival.
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1990
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Cinema Seattle founded, assuming new non-profit administration of the festival.
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1993
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Cinema Seattle initiates membership program and begins regular off-season programming and screenings. The initial stand-alone fall festival – ECOVISION, focused on environmental issues – a predecessor to 2007’s festival program, Planet Cinema.
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1995
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SIFF is the first festival to broadcast an entire film over the Internet, making print headlines and nightly news broadcasts nationwide. The film was Party Girl, starring Parker Posey. SIFF also introduces the first Women in Cinema Festival, Screenwriters Salon, and beefs up the website and newsletter.
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2007
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SIFF opens the year-long programming venue, SIFF Cinema, located in McCaw Hall’s Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at the Seattle Center.
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