Now in its 35th year, the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) will run from May 21 to June 14 in various thatres in Seattle. SIFF’s mission is to discover extraordinary films from around the world, and this year it will present 392 films from 62 countries. (For a list of films by country, from Afghanistan through USA, click here.)
This year’s festival opens with In the Loop, a wickedly funny political farce directed by Armando Iannucci (United Kingdom, 2009). The Emerging Masters series, which honors the work of directors poised for greater cinematic acclaim, will feature three honorees from three different continents: Lee Youn-ki from South Korea (My Dear Enemy, 2008, This Charming Girl, 2004); Lucrecia Martel, Argentina (La Ciénaga, 2001, The Headless Woman, 2008); and by Bohdan Sláma, Czech Republic (The Country Teacher, 2008, The Wild Bees, 2001). The Closing Night Gala features OSS 117: Lost in Rio, directed by Michel Hazanavicius (France, 2009), the sequel to the SIFF 2006 Golden Space Needle winner OSS 116: Nest of Spies (which will receive its own special outdoor screening on June 6 at Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland).
