Cannibals, Heist Comedies, and Partnerships Galore!

Our May programming features partnerships with SIFF, SAAFF, SeaDoc and so much more!

May 12, 2026

Howdy everybody. Hope your spring is off to a lovely start.

Our newsletter is heavy on partnerships this month, as we’ve got no less than six(!) partnered events getting a mention. We’re extremely grateful, and proud, to be able to work with these organizations on a slate of exciting screenings and events that you won’t want to miss.

In particular, we’re thrilled to announce that Seattle Film Society will be partnering with Bumbershoot for this year’s festival. We’ve been working with the Bumbershoot team to help put together the Videorama Program at SIFF Film Center playing through the whole weekend of September 5th & 6th. SFS will have our own programmed block, which will play alongside a handful of other incredible local film organizations in Seattle. Tickets are available here.

We’d love to see you there, and if you’re at the festival- stop by!

Marcus Baker

SFS Creative Director

Table of Contents

SFS EVENTS

Thursday, May 13th @ Queen Anne Beer Hall | Doors at 9pm

The Seattle Film Society & Seattle Documentary Association are excited to announce our 2026 SPRING MIXER! 

Join us at Queen Anne Beer Hall on Wednesday May 13th for our SPRING MIXER! Presented in partnership with the Seattle Documentary Association, we’ll be mixing and mingling following SIFF's local shorts block, Sound Visions, as we celebrate the screening filmmakers, our filmmaking community, and shake off the winter rust. 

Wednesday May 13th at Queen Anne Beer Hall, 9pm - Late. See you there!

Tuesday, May 26th @ Seattle Open Arts Place | Doors at 7pm

Seattle’s weirdest and wildest film screening that YOU CAN BE PART OF returns this May! Bring your film or video on a thumb drive- anything under 10 minutes goes up! It’s first come/first screen so be sure to arrive early to get on our list!

Tuesday May 26th at Seattle Open Arts Place. Doors at 7, Films at 7:30. See ya at the movies!

Thursday, May 28th @ Northwest Film Forum | Doors at 6:30pm

This month’s Locals Only will feature four shorts that walk the line between dreams and nightmares. Whether achieving transcendence or facing your greatest fear, our May event is all about the unexpected moments that warp one’s perspective:

  • HUBBLE TENSION by Brandon Foy: A chronically distracted man undergoes an experimental eye treatment, only to face unexpected consequences that distort his reality in increasingly surreal ways. (13 min)

  • FESTIVAL CHILD by Kat Hennessey: A festivalist in a neon dress with a pocket full of K, soberly stumbles across transcendence before she can even step out her front door. (8 min)

  • CANNIBALS by Noah Campos & Hayden Ludt: After a life-changing hit, a part-time killer can finally escape the regimen of the abused working class - all that’s left is a driver to take him to his final destination. (13 Min)

  • THE MAN MILKER by Matthew Rush, Morgan Hendrickson, and Lucas Chapel: A man must face his greatest fear. (2 Min)

Join us for a screening and Q&A with drinks to follow at Linda's Tavern!

Thursday May 28th at the Northwest Film Forum. Doors at 6:30, Films at 7. See ya at the movies!

Saturday May 30th @ Langston | Doors at 6pm

SFS & SAAFF are proud to co-present the feature film Mouse for this year’s Seattle Asian-American Film Festival.

In this understated but gripping crime drama, Denny, a petty thief living with his mother, signs up for a penpal service in hopes of finding a friend, or maybe more. Unfortunately for Denny, his penpal has other plans.

This film will be preceded by the short film Ran Som.

MOUSE screens Saturday May 30th at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center at 6:50pm. See you at the movies.

Thursday June 4th @ NW Film Forum | Doors at 6:30pm

This month, we’re proud to present a screening of Andy Motz’s meditation on queer masculinity, MASC. 

In a world of right wing pundits and politicians seeking to “reclaim manhood,” a young queer filmmaker journeys to discover non-toxic masculinity across class, race, and gender in America today, leading him to confront his own religious upbringing, pastor father, and what he was taught it means to be a man. The screening will feature an Intro + Q&A with local director Andy Motz.

SFS newsletter subscribers can receive discounted tickets for this screening by using the code SFSTTF26 at check out.

Thursday June 4th at the Northwest Film Forum. Doors at 6:30, Film at 7:15. See you at the movies.

Tuesday, June 16th @ Hidden Hall | Doors at 6pm

On June 16th, Three Dollar Bill Cinema & the Seattle Film Society are proud to partner for SEATTLE IS BURNING: A One-of-a-Kind Celebration of Queer Cinema & Ballroom Culture!

Join us as we present the winner of Three Dollar Bill’s first-ever Queer Cinema Fellowship, followed by a local short film and a screening of PARIS IS BURNING.

After the film, SWACE Health will lead a special ballroom presentation and community Q&A exploring the history, impact, and current state of ballroom culture in Seattle - an opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate the legacy and future of the scene.

Then we’ll keep the energy going with a late-night party to celebrate together into the night.

Tuesday, June 16th at Hidden Hall. 6pm – Late. See you there!

EDUCATION

Wednesdays | Discord | 7pm-8:30pm

Our May Film Discussion Series will be zeroing in on COMEDY HEIST FILMS! Wild disguises, blue eyed charmers, and slapstick thievery abound with four films designed to make your smile and pick your pocket:

  • Wed 5/6: LOGAN LUCKY

  • Tues 5/12: THE STING

  • Wed 5/20: THE PINK PANTHER (1963) 

  • Wed 5/27: I LOVE BOOSTERS (Field Trip)

Our meetings take place in person every Wednesday here on the Discord from 7pm - 8:30pm (Field Trip excepted). Hope to see ya there!

May 13th @ TPS Seattle Center | 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Directors Lab is a monthly event for Directors and Actors to practice working together in a friendly, judgement-free environment.

Sign ups are free for Directors and Actors. Participants are selected on a monthly basis. To help offset rental costs, we ask for an optional $10 donation from our participants. Hope to see you there!

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Deadline: May 15th | Three Dollar Bill Cinema Fellowship 2026 (Three Dollar Bill)

Three Dollar Bill Cinema is proud to support queer filmmakers through a $7,500 fellowship for short-form cinematic work. Filmmakers must be WA based. Narrative, documentary, experimental, animation, and hybrid projects are welcome to apply, and projects can be at any stage of the filmmaking process. Click the link to learn more and apply.

May 13th | SIFF: SOUND VISIONS (SIFF Uptown)

SIFF’s premier local film block, the 2026 edition will feature an array of Washington-made shorts that showcase the vitality of our local filmmaking community. Wednesday May 13th at the SIFF Uptown at 6pm. Tickets on sale now! 

SFS PARTNERS + ALUMNI AT SIFF

JJ Gerber (Seattle Documentary Association) | THE LIFE WE LEAVE (Feature)

Gerber’s debut Documentary feature, The Life We Leave, follows an ambitious entrepreneur and two funeral directors pioneering a groundbreaking eco-friendly deathcare facility in Washington state, challenging traditional burial practices and transforming end-of-life rituals. The film was previously awarded the 2024 SIFF Grant for Courageous Documentary Filmmaking, and went on to premiere at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival. It screens May 14th & 16th at the SIFF Uptown.

Matthew Rush & Justin Robert Vinall (LO & IF) | EMBRACE (Short Film)

Matthew Rush’s short film Embrace tells the story of a classic-turned-utterly cosmic bar bathroom hookup that pushes two men to work through their troubles in order to carry on. Justin Robert Vinall serves as producer on the film, which screens as part of the Spacing OUT block on Saturday 5/16.

Celia Beasley (IF: SJ Chiro) | FITTED SHEET (Short Film)

Lane 1974 Editor Celia Beasley’s short comedy Fitted Sheet centers on a universal truth: folding a fitted sheet is a nigh-impossible task. Celia’s editing background is on full display in this expertly-staged single location short, tracing the emotional evolution of a simple task gone awry. The films screens as part of the Sound Visions block on Wednesday May 13th.

Cole Wilder (Northwest Film Forum) | NEW DIRECTORS JURY

NWFF Director of Exhibition Cole Wilder will take part in the 2026 SIFF New Directors Jury. A film programmer, media pack rat, and coffee enthusiast, he previous received his Masters in Media Studies from The University of Texas at Austin in 2021.

FESTIVAL DEADLINES

RESOURCES + TOOLS

Local Resource | Sandbox Seattle

Sandbox is a rentable video and photo production studio, event space and art gallery. Their attached office, editing bay & on-site gear rental create an efficient and seamless workflow environment for small scale independent productions. They also provide monthly workshops and mixer events catered to the local media scene.

Online Resource | Open Gardens Newsletter

Open Gardens is a newsletter that delves into the intersection of Hollywood and the creator economy, offering insights from a seasoned producer on how storytelling, fandom, and community-driven content are transforming the future of media for insiders and disruptors alike.

RocketJump Film School’s Location Scout Check List is a general guide to assist you in the different considerations you might need to start thinking about when looking for a filming location. Not all items on the list may apply to you or your shoot, but the list can still serve as a blue print for how to find the ideal location for your project.

SFS STAFF RECS

This month, we’ve got a Staff Rec from our Marketing Director, Quentin Lebeau:

Book | IN TREES by Robert Moor

My recommendation for this month is IN TREES, a book written by Robert Moor, and the follow-up to one of my favorite books of all time, ON TRAILS.

This new book combines, nature, history and philosophy to explore what it means to “think like a tree” — branching, pruning, gnarling, rooting; the life of the tree gives us, as people, incredible guidance into how we should be growing and living.

Both of Moor’s books explore complicated and difficult ideas in a way that feels so grounded and natural. Through heavy research and experience, he intensely focuses on his subjects (trails and trees), in a very literal sense — for example, hiking trails and climbing trees. Yet, within this intense focus, he’s able to discover so many ideas and truths about every aspect of life.

He’s an incredible writer and has had a wealth of amazing real-life experiences to draw from. I was able to meet him when he visited Elliot Bay Books last month, and he comes across in-person, that same way he does on the page.

Everyone should not only read IN TREES, but also go stare at some trees! They’re pretty cool! 🌲🌲🌲

Thanks for reading! See you next month :) 

Got questions, suggestions, or news? We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line at [email protected].

Don’t forget, we’re a volunteer-run project under the fiscal sponsorship of a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (Shun Pike) so you can always: