STIFF
Celebrating its sixth anniversary as a multi-venue celebration of alternative film, music and comedy, Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival (STIFF) has survived another year as a counterprogramming alternative to the Seattle International Film Festival. You might think that scheduling against SIFF’s final and busiest week would doom STIFF to obscurity, but with 130 films chosen from nearly 500 entries, the festival’s devoted staff is dedicated to promoting films that fall outside the boundaries of the major festival circuit. “A lot of these films have been rejected by other festivals,” says STIFF, “but that doesn’t mean they’re bad. We have a lot of respect for bigger festivals like SIFF, but just because a film wasn’t right for SIFF doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing, and films chosen by SIFF may not be right for us. We have a different target audience.” In fact, STIFF has become Seattle’s premier showcase for regional filmmakers. This year’s lineup includes 33 shorts and 15 features, all locally produced. For its local flavor alone, it’s a festival to savor. STIFF runs June 4-13 at multiple venues, including Central Cinema, The Jewel Box Theater, and Northwest Film Forum. For lineup and ticket info, visit the above link.