Port Townsend Film Festival

PTFF News

Newsletter Archives

May 2006 Newsletter

Contents
  1. The 32nd Annual Orgasmic Seattle International Film Festival Opens
  2. PTFF Membership Drive Has Additional Benefits
  3. Festival and Pre-Festival Volunteers Needed
  4. Broadening Our Sponsorship Base
  5. Forthcoming Events: PTFF Open House, PTFF Pass Sales, The Historic Lynwood Theatre's 70th Anniversary

The 32nd Annual Orgasmic SIFF Opens

Although it is not the nation's oldest film festival (San Francisco holds that distinction with 49 festivals under its belt), the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) which opened last night at the historic Paramount Theatre has been around long enough (32 years) to not bother to so note on the cover of its program, while the rest of us whippersnappers proudly boast our longevity wherever there's any available white space. (No. 7 coming up for PTFF.) Seattle's distinction is that it is the biggest film festival, anywhere. More than 400 films in 25 days. And it boasts an official program guide heavy enough to serve as weights. It's roughly 2 1/2 pounds whereas South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin weighs only 1 1/2 pounds, San Francisco just over a pound, and Philadelphia a mere 12 ounces.

Big festival opening night films tend to be second ranking commercial films, almost anywhere you go. Well, yes, Festival de Cannes opened last week with "The DaVinci Code;" a big title perhaps, but as dull as it was big. This year SIFF offered "The Illusionist," starring Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti. PTFF stalwart and noted film critic Robert K. Horton and fellow critic Sean Axmaker were underwhelmed by the film's charms in their comments this morning on KUOW-FM, but the group I conferred with after the event found it engaging and Giamatti's performance one more shining example of his considerable talent. It's only playing once, so you won't need to consider it for further festival viewing. Below are listed SIFF films that the PTFF selection committee members saw earlier this year in Philadelphia, Austin, and San Francisco, and heartily recommend (with an occasional cautionary note):

DOCUMENTARIES

American Blackout (Well-documented look at how blacks were cheated out of the voting booth in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004)
Heart of the Game (Seattle's Roosevelt High School girls' basketball team makes for a rousing doc),
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (Dark, dark, but fascinating)
The Power of Nightmares; The Rise of the Politics of Fear (Some of Adam Curtis's assertions are dubious but his overall view remains on target)

NARRATIVES

The Betrayal (France/Belgium. It's taken 40 years, but French filmmakers are now carefully examining their country's outrages against Algeria.)
Cave of the Yellow Dog. (Mongolia/Germany, Sweet film by the maker of "The Story of the Weeping Film")
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Romania. Powerfully made, but not a good film to see if you're heading to the hospital anytime soon.) Elsa and Fred (Spain/Argentina. China Zorilla offers a very funny performance)
Go West (Bosnia-Herzegovina/Croatia. A touching look at internecine warfare taken to a very personal level. A Likely PTFF entry.)
House of Sand (Brazil. Three generations of women struggle for survival.)
Manslaughter (Denmark. Another harrowing work from the burgeoning Danish film market.)
Only God Knows. (Mexico/Brazil. Gael Garcia Bernal has gotten most of the notice and nearly all the good parts since he paired with Diego Luna in sexy Mexican coming of age drama, Amores Peros. in 2001, but Only God Knows gives him a new opportunity. Another PTFF potential.)
The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes. (United Kingdom/Germany. An odd mixture of puppetry and live-action in a story that's hard to follow but fascinating to watch.)
The Puffy Chair (USA. Yes, THE Puffy Chair that had its Northwest premiere at PTFF last year, now in the big time.)
Wah-Wah (South Africa/France. A fine and often funny story about growing up with an alcoholic father and an American step-mother at the end of the colonial period in southern Africa. Only the Brits can do this and it's a delight to behold.)

CLASSICS

The Gold Rush (Rocky showed this as an anniversary film one year, but Chaplin is always worth repeating.)
Scarlet Letter (Reading Nathanial Hawthorne may put one to sleep these days, but Lillian Gish and New York-based pianist Donald Sosin, who accompanied the silent comedies PTFF co-sponsored with the Rose Theatre in January will keep ones eyes riveted to the screen.)

Copies of SIFF's abbreviated program guide which gives a brief description and schedules for all 400+ films are available in the PTFF office, Mount Baker Block Building, 211 Taylor St., Suite 33 (3rd floor). We're open from approximately 8:30 to 4:30 pm.

PTFF Membership Drive Has Additional Benefits

Membership 2006 - Thanks to graphic designer Lynne Bennett for creating PTFF's new membership brochure! The brochure mailed in mid-May and highlights membership benefits like exclusive access to our ever-growing the PTFF film library. We have tapes and DVDs of many of the films screened at previous festivals as well as classics.

New Print Library. We soon will be opening the Michael C. Webster print library, nearly two hundred books, film biographies, histories, and studio picture books from his personal collection donated by his widow, Lynne Webster who generously donated the books to help us build a traditional library. Michael, who died in 2000, was senior vice president for television at the Walt Disney Company.

New Membership Perks - Several local businesses have partnered with PTFF to offer membership discounts and specials. If you are a 2006 PTFF member you need only show your official 2006 Port Townsend Film Festival membership card to any of these merchants. (Come on by to swap your modified 2005 membership card for a new 2006 one. The new one has a big 7 on it.) These benefits are non-transferable and only available to the person(s) named on the membership card. All offers expire 1/31/07.

Lehani's Deli & Coffee House - Zeus says, "Better than ambrosia! Coffee fit for Gods and Goddesses."
221 Taylor Street St., PT
Free Refill on Drip Coffee

Pizzo Consulting - Taming your computer nightmares with patience, humor, and years of professional experience.
www.PizzoConsulting.com
360-379-0961 or 206-780-8989
1/2 hour free support when you purchase a prepaid support package

T's Restaurant - Fresh Pacific Northwest Cuisine. We serve fabulous appetizers, fresh seafood, & mouthwatering steaks. Great food and atmosphere.
www.ts-restaurant.com
2330 Washington St., PT
One free dessert, with the purchase of two entrées

Uptown Nutrition - Your local connection for vitamins, pet supplements, sports nutrition, carcinogen free skincare products & cosmetics, bath accessories, unique gifts.
www.uptownnutrition.com
1002 Lawrence St., PT
15% off any bath accessory product
15% off NewChapters EveryMan or EveryWomen Wholefood Probiotic MultiVitamin

Wandering Wardrobe - Movie Star, Red Carpet, Middle Earth wanna-be...we have all your festive costume needs.
www.wanderingwardrobe.com
823 Washington St., PT
10% discount

You can become a member here. Please email nancy@ptfilmfest.com if you know of a business that would like to join this free program.

Festival and Pre-Festival Volunteers Needed

It may only be May but we are less than four months away from the big event. If you would like to volunteer and get some hours in before the Festival (work 12 hours or more and get a volunteer pass!) here are some ways you can help out:

Festival Ambassadors. Staff the festival table at the Farmer's Market, Uptown Street Arts & Crafts Fair, etc. As our representatives to the public you answer questions, sell passes, raffle tickets, merchandise, etc. Skills needed: the gift of gab. Start date: July 1

Guest Services co-chair. Work with Guest Services chair extraordinaire Sue Golik. Arrange for transportation and lodging for filmmakers and special guests. Requires diplomatic skills and patience.

Heralds. Distribute festival brochures and posters around the Peninsula. Key areas we need assistance with are Sequim/Port Angeles and Silverdale/Bremerton. Skills needed: a sense of adventure and a valid driver's license. Start date: June 9

Hospitality Center Co-Chair. Act as Venue Manager and handle the set-up, decorations, take down and refreshments at the Hospitality Center. Skills needed: Organization and an eye for design.

Membership/Pass Sales assistant - Work with magnificent membership chair, Judy Ruggles, on conducting our membership drives, pass and ticket sales mailings and operating our handy laminator for the distribution of passes. This position does require some data entry work so if you have a computer phobia this is not the position for you.

We would also like office help, data entry assistance and experienced grant writers. Please click on volunteers to sign up, email volunteer@ptfilmfest.com or call the office at 360-379-1333.

Broadening Our Sponsorship Base: Connections, Connections

Over the years, PTFF has developed an impressive number of local and regional sponsors. But we have not managed many inroads into national and international sponsorships. If you have a family member or close friend who works for a national business who could help sponsor the film festival, please let us know who in the corporation we might contact. We are interested in Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Costco, Expedia, Microsoft, Nextel, Nordstrom, Safeco, or other business that make contributions to local arts and educational enterprises.

"Nonsense and beauty have close connections--closer connections than Art will allow." - EM Forester

Forthcoming Events

This eNewsletter has been brought to you by the Port Townsend Brewing Company with thanks for their annual sponsorship of the festival beer garden

↑ TOP ↑