Blog Archives

May 17, 2012

Welcome to Doe Bay Screens at SIFF

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The Seattle International Film Festival starts today and a project near to our hearts, a documentary about 2011′s Doe Bay Festival, will be making its debut at SIFF. Considering Doe Bay 2012 sold out in literally seconds, this film may be the most in-depth look that most people get at the Festival.

Welcome to Doe Bay is part of the “Face the Music” series and will screen June 3rd at 9:15pm at the Egyptian Theater and June 5th at 9:30 at the Uptown Cinema. Both Josh and I were interviewed for the documentary and are excited (and terrified) that our faces will be talking to SIFF audiences from a big screen.

May 19, 2011

SIFF is Making Beautiful Music

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frankfairfield

Local music fans are lucky to have numerous festivals big and small to choose from every year. Local film fans eagerly anticipate spring and the arrival of SIFF: the Seattle International Film Festival. Starting tonight and lasting through mid-June, SIFF will feature over 400 films from local and international filmmakers.

This being Seattle, music and music makers are a favorite subject of SIFF selections and we wanted to highlight a few of the notable intersections of local music and movies happening this fest.

FRANK FAIRFIELD – Official Trailer from More Dust Than Digital on Vimeo.

Frank Fairfield

This short created by the Roadhouse’s Greg Vandy and the talented guys behind More Dust From Digital is a 13 minute mini-documentary follows 25-year old Frank Fairfield. Fairfield, a celebrated banjo player with lightning quick fingers, is more Dust Bowl than Laurel Canyon living and singing in the internet age.

The short with be shown with Surrogate Valentine May 29 at the Harvard Exit at 9:30pm or May 30 at the Admiral Theater at 3:30pm.

Surrogate Valentine

Paired with the Frank Fairfield mini-documentary, Surrogate Valentine is a comedy starring San Francisco musician Goh Nakamura (as himself) who is hired to teach an over-the-top actor to play guitar for an upcoming role. You can see the film’s star Goh Nakamura perform May 31st at The Sunset alongside Sound on the Sound favorite Widower, who’ll be playing a rare set with a full band.

Surrogate Valentine: May 29 at the Harvard Exit at 9:30pm or May 30 at the Admiral Theater at 3:30pm.

Damien Jurado and the Russian Avant-Garde

Like last year’s Maldives’ scoring of New Riders of the Purple Sage, this year SIFF will be showcasing one of our favorite local musicians in a brand new way. This year SIFF has tapped Damien Jurado to score the short films of Russian avant-garde filmmaker Dimitri Kirsanoff. With a shared fondness for stories about the darker side of rural life and the characters who haunt the under-belly of society, it’s a brooding match that should captivate on screen and on stage.

Damien Jurado and the Russian Avant-Garde: June 8th at The Triple Door. Two shows: 7:00 and 9:00pm.

The Off Hours

Speaking of soundtrack scores, local singer-songwriter Joshua Morrison is responsible for the music in The Off Hours, a local film that was met with rave reviews at Sundance this year.

The Off Hours: At the Neptune Theater June 6th at 7:00pm and June 7th at 4:30pm.

Hit So Hard

Last but certainly not least is Hit So Hard, a documentary about Patty Schemele, the celebrated drummer of Hole. Featuring exclusive interviews and never before seen home-videos of life with Hole, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain — Hit So Hard offers an intimate unvarnished glimpse into Seattle rock royalty and one of the most fascinating women in rock’n'roll. And we’re not talking about Courtney.

Hit So Hard plays at The Egyptian Theater May 27 at 9pm and at The Nepturne Theater May 29 at 4pm.

You can see all the music-related SIFF offerings on their “Face The Music” page.

If you’re interested in reading in-depth reviews and previews for the Fest we recommend swinging by our pals Three Imaginary Girls who seriously heart SIFF.

May 23, 2010

SIFF brings the Maldives to the Triple Door this Tuesday

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The Maldives ::: Photo by Abbey Simmons

This Tuesday May 25th finds one of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn’s bands of choice in their first ever headlining stand at the Triple Door, though this occasion brings them to the stage in a slightly new role. For an early and a late show that night, the Maldives will be the audio accompaniment to the hour-long silent western “Riders of the Purple Sage.” The note of the mayor’s favor is significant in this case because it inspired the pairing, at an event he compared them to another 60′s band with a related name to this movie: the New Riders Of The Purple Sage.

Those who’ve spoken with Madlives frontman Jason Dodson for more than a few minutes will pickup that he is a serious film nerd. Drummer Ryan McMackin is a budding filmmaker himself having participated in $5 Cover, while multi-instrumentalist Kevin Barrans spends his day’s trying to make it in the industry (something that hasn’t been easy in this economy lately). Behind the wranglers and the boots we’ve got a veritable A/V club here, so it’s no surprise that this Tuesday find’s the band happily at the intersection of film and music for this one night only event. In contrast to this last weekend’s BARE performance where the band did three songs completely a cappella, with no instruments this 1925 western is action-packed, and they’ll be matching some of their catalog as well as some newly learned music to correspond with the quick cuts and the changing mood of the film. It promises to be fast paced and right up the alley for a band cut from the Western mold. I am beyond interested to see how this turns out. And hey, maybe the Mayor will be there.

The first show of the night at 7pm is all ages, while the later 9.30 show is 21+. Tickets are $16 adv. and $18 day of. A companion event happening later on at this year’s SIFF features Stephen Merritt of The Magnetic Fields doing “20000 Leagues Under The Sea”on June 9 at the Paramount Theater.

May 22, 2008

SIFF’s Face The Music Series

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heavy metal in baghdad

The 34th Seattle International Film Festival starts today, and each year they attempt to feature at least a few music related films. For your Seattle rock connection there’s even an Eddie Vedder cameo in Song Sung Blue. While in my mind this year’s Face The Music Series isn’t quite as compelling as it has been in recent years, it does have a few thing I’m excited about and am sad I will miss due to Sasquatch (with blurbs thoughtfully provided by SIFF):

Heavy Metal in Baghdad

Dogged Iraqi band Acrassicauda (Latin for “Black Scorpions”) dream of living in peace as longhaired head bangers. Can death threats, car bombs, and having their instruments fall foul of a SCUD missile shake their resolve to bring heavy metal to Baghdad?

Saturday, May 24, 9:30PM, SIFF Cinema

Sunday, May 25, 11:00AM, SIFF Cinema

Enter to win tickets to the May 25 screening at Underdawg Records – 532 Queen Anne Ave N Seattle WA 98109

The Wrecking Crew

What do the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Sonny & Cher, The Monkees, and The Mamas and the Papas have in common? Aside from hit songs, they all recorded with The Wrecking Crew. Meet this extraordinarily talented gang of Los Angeles studio musicians who helped create the soundtrack of America.

Friday, May 23, 9:30PM, Harvard Exit

Monday, May 26, 4:00PM, Harvard Exit

Enter to win tickets to the May 23 screening at Jive Time Records – 3506 Fremont Ave N Seattle WA 98103

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

A hilarious, headbanging, and heartwarming portrait of the world’s hardest-working, most under-appreciated metal band. Once playing stadiums, the now middle-aged Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner have continued to rock in obscurity and hope for that increasingly improbable big break. This real-life Spinal Tap unfolds into a moving story of dreams and determination.

Thursday, June 5, 9:15PM, SIFF Cinema

Friday, June 6, 4:30PM, SIFF Cinema

Enter to win tickets to the June 5 screening at Cellophane Square – 4538 University Way NE Seattle WA 98105

The rest of the showtimes for the series below the fold…

Or check the entire calendar of over 400 movies films at the SIFF Calendar.

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