Oil & Water
Compelling visions. Pathbreaking films. Stories to change the world. Those are the themes of the 2014 Social Justice Film Festival, once again taking place in Seattle in October. A notable feature this year: More than 40% of the festival’s official selections, including a U.S. premiere, have women directors, several from the Seattle area.
Films by women filmmakers based in or near Seattle include:
• Oil and Water – Francine Strickwerda and Laurel Spellman Smith explore the fortitude of two boys who seek to counteract one of the world’s worst toxic disasters (Sat., Oct. 25, 7 pm, Northwest Film Forum).
• One Generation’s Time – Shannon Gee looks at the lives of two murdered Filipino-Americans who played key roles in the Seattle labor movement (Wed., Oct. 22, 7:30 pm, UW Ethnic Cultural Center Theater).
• Unified Struggle – Christy X explores deportation under the Obama administration, channeling the voices of those who are deemed un-American because of corrupt U.S. policies (Sun, Oct. 26, 3 pm, Northwest Film Forum).
• A Dose for Dominic – Ruth Gregory examines the lives of two struggling parents raising their severely autistic child, and the decision to treat their child’s autism with cannabis (Sun., Oct. 26, 3 pm, Northwest Film Forum).
• Maikaru – Amanda Harryman depicts a man whose mother was kidnapped and forced into prostiution at the age of twelve. Trapped in a world of drugs, human trafficking, and violence, Maikaru shines through the darkness (Sun., Oct. 19, 6 pm, Northwest Film Forum).
• Return of the River – Co-director Jessica Plumb of the Olympic peninsula deftly shows the tenacity of Washingtonians striving to restore an ecosystem by persuading a community to take down a dam (Tue., Oct. 21, 7 pm, UW Ethnic Cultural Theater).
New women-directed films from outside Seattle to be showcased by SJFF:
• Invitation to Dance – At our festival kickoff party, Simi Linton, a disability rights advocate, proves that you don’t have to march to be politically engaged. All she asks is justice, equality, and a place on the dance floor (Sun., Oct. 19, 6 pm, NW Film Forum).
• Natural Life – In an experimental film,Tirtza Even challenges the U.S. criminal justice system for sending five young individuals to prison for the rest of their lives (Mon., Oct. 27, 6:30 pm, UW William Gates Hall #138).
• On the Side of the Road – The U.S. premiere of this film by Israeli former settler Lia Tarachansky brings an unflinching look at the origin of Israel and the destruction of 500 Palestinian villages (Thu., Oct. 30, 6:30 pm, UW Ethnic Cultural Center Theatre).
Join us at the Social Justice Film Festival (October 18 – October 30) to appreciate our talented filmmakers, women and men, and a slate of extraordinary films.
