ABOUT US

Photo by Sam McGhee

WHO WE ARE

PTFF is a nonprofit organization in Port Townsend, WA which presents film and film festivals, supports and nurtures filmmakers, and hosts educational and artistic programming through and about the medium of film. 

OUR MISSION

Sparking community through film.

OUR VISION

Port Townsend is the home of a nationally renowned annual film festival.

  • Our community has year-round, joyful, welcoming, inclusive gatherings involving film and/or the artists who create them.

  • Our entire community uses and values film.

  • Our community is a place where filmmakers are nurtured, developed, thrive, and grow.

  • Port Townsend is a sustainable community with a thriving business sector and civic organizations, where community challenges are voiced, explored, and productively engaged through the contributions of film and filmmakers.

SEPTEMBER FILM FESTIVAL

Port Townsend Film Festival has been called “Sundance by the sea” for our legendary hospitality and strong filmmaker support.

PTFF is the oldest, largest film festival on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State (2 hrs from Seattle). We welcome approximately 2,000 attendees, 30+ filmmakers, 50+ films, and hundreds of volunteers in our stunningly beautiful seaside village every year. 

PTFF STAFF

PTFF BOARD

PTFF STAFF & BOARD BIOS

KEITH HITCHCOCK (he/him) began his professional life in the theatre, wearing many hats and working in Seattle and France.

His most recent work experience includes digital media production and content marketing. Keith on LinkedIn. 

Favorite film: Keith saw It’s a Wonderful Life for the first time in college. He left the theatre brimming with joy, compelled to run for 15 minutes back to the dorms.

Favorite thing about Port Townsend: the incredible abundance of culture, art, and creativity.

Something else: Ask Keith about pickleball, meditation, and his world record.

Earlier in her career, JANE JULIAN worked with others to establish a film society in SW Colorado, and they ultimately launched the Durango Film Festival.  

Jane stepped in to replace PTFF’s first Executive Director, Peter Simpson, after he passed away in 2009.  Jane remains with PTFF and has been “Programmer-at-Large” for several other festivals.

Favorite film: Definitely a lover of documentaries but if pressed would have to choose To Kill a Mockingbird as my favorite film of all time. I wanted Atticus Finch to be my real father!

Favorite thing about Port Townsend: Port Townsend’s film-loving community is what is best about PTFF!

Something else: Other interests are cycling, dog Reggie (who also loves movies)….watching an award winning Sundance doc this year.  (see pic below!)  And making and mostly eating chocolate chip cookies!

DANIELLE “DANNI” McCLELLAND (they/them) has spent thirty years organizing and presenting film and live events, primarily at the 600-seat historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington, IN.

In addition, they have taught Art & Social Change as an adjunct professor, consulted with civic entities on the power of building arts infrastructure, and worked professionally as a writer, director, and performer. Danielle on LinkedIn.

Favorite film: Hal Hartley’s Trust. The deadpan acting and quick-witted script explore deep themes on relationships in ways that make you think and laugh in equal measure.

Favorite thing about Port Townsend: Port Townsend has been my family home since 1997 when my parents retired here. Even though they are now gone, the water, the trees, the mountains, and the community itself remind me constantly of their embrace.

Something else: I’m currently saving up to buy a kayak.

CHRISTY SPENCER (she/her) started with PTFF as a volunteer in 2012 and joined as a full-time staff in 2018.

She continues to find gratitude that she gets paid to do this job! Christy on LinkedIn.

Favorite film: The Wizard of Oz for me is the ultimate musical fantasy film, with friendship, good triumphing over powerful forces, self-discovery, holding “home” in your heart, witches, and wizards, and (of course) ruby slippers!

Favorite thing about Port Townsend and the greater PNW: The breathtaking natural beauty of scenic beaches, evergreen trees, and mountain views.

Something else: I love all things Halloween and have been involved in many professional haunted houses as a co-designer, set decorator, volunteer coordinator/trainer, and actor!

BRIAN KAY currently serves as Marketing/Development Coordinator at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.

He has interned at Copper Canyon Press, hosted youth events with Port Townsend School of the Arts, and provided technical support for Centrum Foundation’s annual gala. Prior to moving to Port Townsend in 2010 with his longtime wife and partner Dana Weir, Brian received a Bachelor of Arts from Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR, and studied graphic design at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR, where he served as a public service representative for Oregon State Parks.

Brian finds joy in honing his photography and graphics skills, exploring trails, collecting LPs, and playing guitar for his wife and two tabby cats, Luke and Leia. Brian's earliest film memory is when his mother took him to see Return of The Jedi in the theatre when he was five years old—coming in late just in time to witness Luke descend into Jabba's throne chamber. He has been hooked on film ever since.

JESSICA PAVISH is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Everett, WA. She has helped individuals make generational financial decisions since 1984.

Her commitment to the arts has included terms on the boards of the City of Everett Cultural Commission, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, The Schack Art Center of Snohomish County, the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner, and now PTFF.

She and her husband, artist James Arrabito, have two grown daughters and have divided their time between Everett and Port Townsend since 1999.

CAREY BURBANK’S connection to PTFF began as part of The Festival’s first-ever fellowship program, where she worked alongside filmmakers Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli during post-production of their film “Frame By Frame”.

Carey became a PTFF volunteer and hosted fundraising events before ultimately joining the board in 2023. Other than her dry sense of humor (some might say, dehydrated) Carey brings her cross-industry experiences in marketing, finance, hospitality, real estate, short film/documentary production, acting, and event management to the mix.

LIZ QUAYLE is a longtime K-12 educator and community volunteer, providing both since moving to Port Townsend in 1996 from east of Puget Sound.

Active in the Port Townsend Kiwanis Club and with local theatre, she began volunteering for PTFF the year it began, in 2000, serving in various roles from venue leads to office tasks to pre-screening reviews.

During her 21-year tenure at OCEAN K-12 School, where she focused on teaching art-integrated multi-disciplinary and multi-age courses, Liz developed a film studies course that included involving teen students in film reviewing for PTFF.

When she’s not supporting learning options around the state, Liz enjoys traveling overseas to use her varied language skills, practicing art and photography, and participating in all things auto-related, including toy- and full-size car collecting and shows.

PATTIE ROWDABAUGH is a retired CPA and entrepreneur.

Born and raised in Arizona, she and her husband, Kirk, looked to find a community with fresh air, fresh ideas, and fresh opportunities for retirement. They found it in Port Townsend.

Support of civic welfare organizations has always been important to Patti. She was a Board member of the Phoenix chapter of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Volunteering for local non-profit groups is a way of life for Patti.

MICHELLE SANDOVAL moved to Port Townsend from Southern California and began her career with Windermere Port Townsend in 1993 and bought the brokerage in 2005.

She's always believed in giving back to her community and has been involved with both Jefferson County and Port Townsend local government and at the end of 2021, stepped down from serving on the Port Townsend city council after 20 years, including 3 terms as mayor.

Michelle has previously served on local boards including the Food Coop, Rotary, Centrum, Jefferson Land Trust, NWMC, and Quimper Mercantile. Her love of cinema brought her to the Board of Directors of PTFF.

MARK SARAN is a seasoned psychotherapist and professional photographer, based in Port Townsend and Seattle.

Mark engages intensely with adolescents and adults and relishes the humor and creative process that informs both his art and his work with people.

His work with PTFF dates back to 2002 and he has been capturing our magic on film ever since.

CONNIE SEGAL, a Port Townsendite since 2005, received her BFA from the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and was a studio potter in Berkeley for several years.

She taught art in grades K-12 and yoga to adults and was a staff massage therapist at a resort which led to her training as an esthetician. In 2006, she opened her own salon, Glow Natural Skin Care, here in downtown Port Townsend.

As a business owner, Connie has been actively involved with the Chamber of Commerce and served as an Ambassador. For four years she was a member of the board of the Port Townsend Main Street program and has been a frequent sponsor and patron of the local arts community.

Connie is passionate about art, music, dance, and film. She has been a sponsor, volunteer, and passholder of PTFF for many of her 18 years in Port Townsend and is excited to serve on the board of one of her favorite non-profits.

CHRIS SITZENSTOCK is a Port Townsend native who was one of three kids recognized at high school graduation for attending every year of school in Port Townsend, so he gets to say "You flew here and I grew here."

Chris competed in the America's Cup for 11 years with Oracle Racing, designing, building, and operating high-performance racing yachts, and won the 33rd and 34th America's Cup. He spent five years with Google, Google X, and Sidewalk Labs working on rapid hardware R&D and bringing disruptive technologies to the urban environment.

Currently, Chris lives on Bainbridge Island and works at Running Tide. There he takes ideas from the ocean to the lab and back to the ocean to bring about scalable positive change by leveraging the ocean for carbon sequestration. He's the guy with kelp photos on his phone and dreams of a billion buoys growing macroalgae.

After a lifetime spent around the water, Chris spends his free time foilboarding, surfing, and making sure his two kids love the water as much as he does.

CHRISTINE WALSH ROGERS is a Product Strategist and Manager with over 30 years experience at banks large and small.

She is currently the Senior Retail Product Manager for Glacier Bancorp, based in Kalispell, MT. Luckily, her job allows her to work remotely from her home in Cape George. She is currently finishing up eight years as board president of the Washington Homeownership Resource Center, an organization dedicated to educating and empowering current and future homeowners in Washington State, as well as recently joining as a board member for KPTZ-FM Port Townsend. 

She has also served in past leadership positions for Go Local Tacoma, Habitat for Humanity-East King County, the Washington State Affordable Housing Advisory Board, and Puget Sound Association of Professional Mortgage Women. She volunteers with KPTZ-FM as Lead Tabling Volunteer and Digital Music Assistant.

Christine moved to Port Townsend full-time in 2020, after splitting her time between here and Seattle for many years. You’re likely to find her outdoors hiking, boating, biking, or otherwise exploring the many delights of the Olympic Peninsula. Her hobbies include attending concerts and festivals, photography and creative arts, collecting records, and physical activity of any kind.