The 2021 Seattle International Film Festival kicks off today and with 221 features from 69 countries, it can be daunting to say the least, especially for first time attendees. That’s why we made a handy-dandy guide to help navigate the festival. This is the first year the festival is virtual, which means that films will be accessible online only. Below you’ll find some information on how to watch films at SIFF!
Tickets & Events
Due to the pandemic, most films will be available to watch beginning midnight PST April 8th until the festival ends at 11:59pm PST, April 18th. While most films are available to watch anywhere in the US, some films are restricted to Washington state. There are also a handful of live events, including free Q&As, Roundtables, and forums. These will be held over zoom, and the dates, times, and links can be found here. Double check that your devices support Zoom and streaming by verifying they fit the requirements here. The full SIFF 2021 program can be found here.
There are two ways you can watch films at SIFF. You can either purchase a pass, which gives you access to all regularly priced film screenings, or you can by individual tickets to films you’re interested in seeing. As students, it can be difficult to make time to watch films during school, so take a look at your syllabuses and determine which option is most cost effective for you. You can purchase passes and six-pack tickets here, and individual tickets for specific films can be purchased under your respective film in SIFF’s Film Guide. Unlike previous years, there will be no standby status for tickets; when tickets are sold out, they’re sold out. To see which films have sold out or are selling out, you can check out SIFF’s Selling Quickly page.
After you have your pass or tickets, just go to watch.siff.net and log in or redeem your tickets to watch your film! SIFF films are also available to watch on the SIFF Channel App.
Memberships
SIFF memberships are a great way to get access to a plethora of perks that’ll help with the festival. SIFF tickets are usually $14, but with a membership you get $2 off every time. Additionally, you’ll also get a slew of year round perks with SIFF like discounted tickets, access to special screenings, and early access to presale of next year’s festival tickets. Memberships are $60 at the base level, but students can get discounted memberships for $40. If you’re a movie aficionado, the membership will pay for itself, plus the early festival access (for next year) will ensure you get tickets before they go on standby.
SIFF Picks
Like we mentioned, there are over 200 feature films at the festival this year and most of them don’t have any readily available reviews. If you look at the festival guide, you’ll only get a short blurb about the synopsis and nothing else. It’s a blessing because you’ll often find yourself surprised when you find a hidden gem, but it’s also a curse because you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. The following selections are films that we’ve seen or heard good things about, and think will suit the tastes of students the best. To see a comprehensive list of all the films we’ve seen with their ratings, you can check out our Capsule Review Page.
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Fresh off his Best Actor Oscar nomination, Riz Ahmed stars as a British-Pakistani rapper, Zed in Mogul Mowgli. After he is forced to return home following a medical diagnosis, he must reckon his career path with the traditional expectations of his family. What ensues is a challenging and colorful exploration of what it feels like to be pulled between two cultures and identities. This film is a dynamic and bold answer to a question many immigrants ask themselves: Where do I belong?
Censor follows its main character, Enid, as she slowly begins to lose herself in her job censoring 80’s horror films. Enid’s state of mind begins to spiral out of control when she views a film with eerie similarities to her sister’s disappearance. As she tries to figure out what is happening around her, film and real life as well as memory and dreams begin to blur in an unsettling and bloody tale full of twists and turns.
Director Amanda Kernell won the SIFF Grand Jury Prize in 2017 with her film, Sami Blood. She’s back again this yeah with her latest film, Charter. The film follows a desperate single mom, Alice, in Kernell’s native Sweden, when she kidnaps her estranged children, fearing that she will lose them following the custody battle with her ex-husband. As Alice and her children trek across the tundra of Scandinavia Alice’s ideas of what is best for her children are challenged time and time again in a story of integrity, grit, and love.
Ma Belle, My Beauty details the lives of two newlywed musicians, Bertie and Fred, as they settle down in their life in France. While Fred easily fits in to her native France, Bertie, an American struggles with their new life. In a surprising turn of events, Bertie invites Lane, Bertie and Fred’s past third in their polyamorous relationship, to stay with them in France. What follows is a sexually charge and tumultuous story as the three women figure out who they are and how they feel about each other.
Waikiki follows the plight of Kea, a Hawaiian woman who is living in her van after losing her home. When she accidentally hits a homeless man, Wo, with her van, they form an unlikely team. Together, the must navigate the streets and and reckon with their own identities in a paradise that has become increasingly exploited. Waikiki sheds light on the modern social and economic issues that many native Hawaiians face today in a beautiful yet surreal film.
