The mission of the Port Townsend Film Institute is to introduce communities to film as art, education and inspiration. Our programs continue the celebration and exploration of film found at the Film Festival twelve months a year.
What does the Institute do?
PTFI provides opportunities for audiences throughout Jefferson County and the region to come together through the vehicle of independent film. We feel passionately that the shared experience of film captures communities' imaginations and engages them in discussion regarding the most pressing social issues of our time. Through exposure to the world of film, and with, where possible, the active involvement of filmmakers themselves, our education programs are important tools to help our rural county capture, share, and celebrate stories from a diverse world that may not otherwise be accessible.
PTFI programs include:
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The annual Port Townsend Film Festival, now in its thirteenth year.
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The festival includes free nightly outdoor family films and the Peter Simpson Free Cinema, which provides an opportunity to attend screenings at no cost.
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Classroom lesson plans for all films screened at the Festival's Peter Simpson Free Cinema are available.
- PTFI distributes donated Port Townsend Film Festival passes to high school students nominated by their instructors.
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Monthly screenings from spring to fall of the annual Global Lens series, a collection of contemporary, international films curated by the Global Film Initiative. Through a co-sponsorship with Global Lens and partnering with Peninsula College, we are able to share these films with the community at nominal cost for adults, and at no cost for students.
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Throughout the year we bring visiting filmmakers and industry guests to schools and community centers to speak to students and community members about the film business, their careers, and their films.
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Special screenings of festival films and other films of note are held at community centers throughout the year. In 2012 this has included screenings of MISS REPRESENTATION followed by panel discussions, and a screening of CLARITY at the Quilcene Community Center.
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Film Education Support: PTFI purchased educational site licenses for the Chimacum School District and Port Townsend Public Library for MISS REPRESENTATION film and study guide. This purchase allows for unlimited viewing and conversation in educational settings serving schools, community groups and individuals.
As students and citizens learn more about film as a communication tool, they also become curious about the details of screenwriting, storyboarding, choosing actors and locations, designing sets, cinematography, videography, costuming, makeup, special effects, sound and the editorial and distribution process. PTFI lectures, film screenings and workshops empower members of the community to be actively creative, and may inspire new approaches to our own challenges. And, there is always the pure joy of a shared story with neighbors and friends.
Bringing the filmmaking experience into classrooms, libraries, coffee houses and community centers makes the cinema more real and accessible. Audiences who can ask questions about the content of the film, the techniques that delight and intrigue us- this is how we deepen our relationship with cinema. When a producer can describe the story behind the process of creating a spectacular scene, we get to move behind the camera, considering the possibility of our own creations in a new perspective.
