#northwest film forum

[poppypickle]

Half-Finished Fic Fest

Back with more old fic. I think I wrote this around 2012, probably as a fill for this prompt during a Gossip Girl promptathon:

No, no, I think it's more like a ghost That's been following us both Something vague that we're not seeing Something more like a feeling

I think I never posted because I felt like others had already done post-canon Dair reunions more justice. But begone, self-doubt!

There's a dream in my brain that just won't go away Dan/Blair  1162 words

Blair tells herself she's happy. Because happy is what happens when your dreams come true, right? When you get everything you ever wanted? Yes, of course she is happy.

She does not think about what ifs — does not imagine any other path but the one she has chosen. No Frost-ian ruminations about roads less traveled for her (no poetry whatsoever, in fact). Because what would be the point? She has finally (finally) won Chuck's heart, and Blair is blissfully, perfectly happy thankyouverymuch.

It's just… Maybe she expected the happiness to feel a little bit different. To be less heavy.

But it does not do to dwell, so Blair clutches the sparkling diamond ring around her neck until it leaves angry red imprints on her palm, and reminds herself that she is very, very happy.

***

Dan tells himself he's over her. He dabbles in revenge for a little while, writing nasty tell-all essays about everyone in his life and hoping they will fill the aching hole inside of him where her pithy insults about his hair used to be. He lets it all drain out of him like a thick, infected puss until he wakes up one morning and discovers there's nothing left but a nasty scar. And suddenly, he is sad instead of angry.

So Dan throws himself into new pursuits — he re-enrolls at NYU, gets another internship, dates as many tall blondes and redheads as his schedule allows. He rents a new apartment and does his best not to feel sentimental when he finds three of her DVDs and a pot of La Mer face cream tucked away in the bedside table he's cleaning out.

Tossing everything into the garbage with a purposefully casual flick, Dan thinks of Blair only in the abstract. They were together until they weren't. It was wonderful until it wasn't. Until she decided it wasn't.

Whatever, he's over it.

***

It's five years later when they see each other again, at a Saturday Film Forum matinee, of all places. Blair hears herself calling out his name before she can stop herself, and when Dan turns around he looks so perfectly like himself (messy hair, a knowing half smile pulling at his lips) that it nearly takes her breath away.

It takes four long strides for him to reach her, and just like that Dan Humphrey is standing in front of her again, two steaming cups of coffee clasped in his hands. For a split second, Blair imagines that they are 22 again and that one of those cups is for her. She flicks the thought away with a sharp intake of breath.

"Blair," Dan says finally, and it comes out far gentler than she expects. "Are you here to see Rebecca?"

"Of course," she says, fidgeting idly with the edges of her skirt. She forces her fingers to still against her thighs. "It's a classic."

"Hitchcock's best, some might say."

"Some might say. Not me."

Dan smiles in spite of himself. "North by Northwest is still your favorite I assume?"

Blair cocks her head to the side. "And you preferred –"

"Vertigo," he nods.

She smirks in spite of herself. "You always did have a weakness for blondes."

"A long time ago," he acknowledges.

"How have you been?" she asks, and it seems like such a silly thing to say that she finds a blush creeping up her cheeks. But Dan just tilts his head to the side and smiles.

"I'm good," he says simply. "How are you? How's work? Chuck?"

"Work is wonderful, busier than ever," Blair smiles. “And Chuck is…Somewhere in Europe right now, I think. It didn't work out."

Dan's eyes crinkle. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

She shrugs it off with a wave of her hand. "It's fine."

They hold each other’s gaze for a moment before Dan murmurs, “I only ever wanted you to be happy, you know…”

It’s such a Dan Humphrey thing to say. A shade too earnest. A little wounded. Perfectly sincere.

Blair feels a lump rise in her throat. She opens her mouth to reply, but just then a petite woman with an auburn bob slides up next to Dan with two matching striped bags of popcorn in her hands.

“The line was so long. I hope all the good seats aren’t taken.”

Dan seems to startle ever-so-slightly before remembering himself and sliding his eyes away from Blair to smile down at the other woman. He fumbles with the coffee cups in his hands, passing one to her as he takes one of the bags of popcorn in between his long fingers. 

"Blair, this is Tess. Tess, Blair. Blair and I…went to high school and college together."

Blair’s eyebrows lift before she can stop them, but she quickly schools her face into something more neutral. “Nice to meet you.”

"Are you seeing the movie?” Tess asks, her smile wide and bright. “I'm a Hitchcock virgin."

Blair purses her lips, an insult on the tip of her tongue before she catches Dan's knowing smirk and stops herself. "Well you'll love Rebecca. It's the only one of his movies that ever won Best Picture.”

"That's what Dan was saying."

"Go grab us some seats and I’ll be right in,” Dan says, and Blair tries not to notice the way he puts his hand against the small of Tess’ back before she walks away.

“Girlfriend?” Blair asks after a moment, when it’s just the two of them again.

“Not yet.” Then, “It’s new.”

“But it could be something?” she presses, unable to stop herself.

“Lots of things could be something,” Dan says vaguely, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the floor. Then he lifts his chin to look her right in the eyes. “If you get the timing right.”

They stare at each other for a few long moments before Blair finally says, “It was good to see you.”

Dan looks like he wants to say something else, but then he seems to think better of it. “Yeah, you too,” he says, then turns toward the theater doors.

Blair rocks back and forth on her kitten heels, staring at Dan’s back as he walks away. When he opens the doors and starts to disappear inside, she hears Joan Fontaine utter that haunting first line.

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

Blair sucks in a sharp breath and turns away from the theater. She’s not in the mood for a movie after all. 

***

Four hours and two glasses of wine later, Blair texts him, her fingers trembling over her phone. Maybe he doesn’t even have the same number.

Funny thing, I wasn’t happy.

Dan’s reply comes almost immediately.

Funny thing, I thought I was over you.

Blair bites the inside of her cheek, her heart racing as her fingers hover over the phone keyboard. Then:

Maybe we could get the timing right this time.

Maybe we could.

Want to get coffee tomorrow, Waldorf?

I thought you’d never ask, Humphrey.

[nomallmovieschicago]

2 August 2024

Film: TRAP (dir. M. Night Shyamalan, USA, 2024)

Forum: AMC Sauk Valley, Sterling, Ill.   Format: DCP

Observations: We saw this opening night in rural Northwest Illinois, where maybe only a dozen folks attended the evening screening. (It's really a marvel that these theaters still exist, to be honest.) Overwhelmingly, until the film began wearing its welcome in Act III, this was a taut, well-plotted cat-and-mouse game with two especially well-cast leads, Josh Hartnett and young Australian Ariel Donoghue. The long first act takes place at a music arena, and recalls (and compares favorably to) the memorable killer-at-a-stadium genre of BLACK SUNDAY (dir. John Frankenheimer, USA, 1977) and TWO-MINUTE WARNING (dir. Larry Peerce, USA, 1976).

[urbanadventureleague]

It's spring, so time to think about bike camping...again

Women’s Forum Viewpoint in the Columbia Gorge, 27 April 2023. Camera: Olympus XA Film: Kodak Ektar 100 While it is possible to bike camp here in the west-of-Cascades Pacific Northwest all year (at least in the lower elevations), winter bike camping isn’t exactly ideal. Sunsets before 5 PM equal long and lonely nights, something I especially tried to avoid during my lonely years during the middle…

[baanimationbournemouth]

We are super excited to finally announce that we have four of our fabulous graduate productions screening at the annual international film festival Children’s Film Festival Seattle.

Heartwood and The Moonseeker will be screening in the Living Fantasy (8+) short film programme, Static Focus is screening in the Figuring It Out (14+) short film programme and Stir Fry was selected for the ‘Hi I’m Home!’ (10+) short film programme.

This hybrid edition of CFFS will take place in-person at the Northwest Film Forum at 1515 12th Ave in Seattle and online from the 3rd to the 12th of February 2023.

To peruse the festival programme and buy tickets visit the festival website here:

https://nwfilmforum.org/festivals/childrens-film-festival-seattle-2023-hybrid/

[sewerwolfmp3]

we're all going to the worlds fair at the northwest film forum . life can be

[bigfootbeat]

Bigfoot and the Weekly World News

Bigfoot is one of the most persistent and mysterious characters in North American legend. Bigfoot is a big, hairy, bipedal humanoid that has been the focus of numerous sightings, tales, and studies. Indigenous traditions in the Pacific Northwest have passed down legends of a massive, ape-like creature over the years, forming the basis of Bigfoot folklore. The mid-20th century saw a rise in contemporary interest in Bigfoot, especially with the introduction of mass media, which was crucial in popularizing and sustaining the story. The tabloid The Weekly World News, well-known for its dramatic and frequently ludicrous tales, has played a significant role in preserving the Bigfoot myth in the public consciousness. First published in 1979, the Weekly World News gained notoriety for its strange headlines and made-up stories that blended elements of reality with pure fiction. Bigfoot's enigmatic and elusive character made him the ideal subject for tabloid journalism. Stories regarding Bigfoot sightings, reported encounters, and even outlandish assertions about the creature's habits and way of life were regularly published in the publication.

The Weekly World News's ability to combine mystery and fun in its coverage of Bigfoot remains one of the show's most notable features. Articles frequently portrayed Bigfoot in a variety of unlikely situations, such as campaigning for public office or discovering him at the neighborhood grocery store. Despite being obviously false, these tales captivated people's interest and added to the Bigfoot mythology. Even if some people still believed that Bigfoot might exist, readers were able to interact with the phenomenon in a fun manner because of the tabloid's humorous perspective on mythology. The Weekly World News profited from people's curiosity about the paranormal and the unknown. The tabloid made sure that Bigfoot was always a subject of discussion and conjecture by including frequent mentions of the creature in its pages. This ongoing exposure cemented Bigfoot's reputation as a cultural icon, fusing aspects of mythology, cryptozoology, and entertainment. The newspaper's stories frequently explored the conflict between skepticism and belief, encouraging readers to consider the lines separating fact from fiction while also appealing to their sense of wonder. The Bigfoot stories in Weekly World News, however fictitious, touched on a deeper psychological and cultural issue. Bigfoot symbolizes the possibility of unresolved mysteries in the world, highlighting our fascination with the wild and the incomprehensible. A sense of adventure and the unknown is evoked by the creature's elusiveness and the wide, wild landscapes that are frequently linked to reports of sightings. The notion that something as amazing as Bigfoot could exist provides a means of escape and a link to the wilder sides of nature in a society that is fast modernizing.

The myth of Bigfoot has endured in recent years, supported by films, TV series, and internet forums devoted to examining and discussing the existence of the monster. Even though Weekly World News stopped publishing in print in 2007, the impact of its dramatic stories and internet platforms continues to make a lasting impression. Bigfoot continues to stand for the eternal human curiosity about the unknown and belief in the fantastic, demonstrating the influence of myth and media on how we view the world. In the end, the interactions between the Weekly World News and Bigfoot highlight the dynamic interplay between popular culture and mythology. In addition to providing readers with entertainment, the tabloid's creative and lighthearted take on the Bigfoot tale helped to maintain its validity and continuity. By doing so, the Weekly World News helped to weave the intricate web of myths and legends that surround this enigmatic monster, ensuring that Bigfoot will always be a fascinating figure in people's minds.

[tristenives]

Their films have screened globally at Crossroads Film Festival, Exploding Cinema at the Cinema Museum in London, the Saigon Experimental Film Festival, Winnipeg Underground Film Festival, CURRENTS New Media, Montreal Underground Film Festival, Light Matter Film Festival,  ICDOCS, Film Diary NYC, and more. Alongside their screening history, an article documenting their work and artistic practice was published in Analog Cookbook in 2022. 

Tristen is the Head Projectionist at Union Cinema in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have worked as the Head Projectionist at Block Cinema in Evanston, Illinois, as an Assistant Head Projectionist at FilmScene Cinema, and as a projectionist at SIFF and Northwest Film Forum in Seattle, Washington.

More of Tristen’s work can be found on their Vimeo

[irisfilmcollective]

Engauge 2023 unreels very soon in Seattle, celebrating sprocket-driven, artist-made experimental celluloid. Films from Iris Film Collective members Nisha Platzer and Alex MacKenzie are in the mix: Alex’s WAITING ROOM plays in the GRAIN, CLOUD, ATMOSPHERE programme on Friday Nov 3 at 6:30pm, while Nisha’s TULIPS ARE MY FATHER’S FAVOURITE FLOWER features in WHAT WE TENDED on Saturday Nov 4 at 6:30pm.

Be sure to check out the whole festival if you are in town, plenty of great programmes, plus a Harry Smith Centenary Celebration!

@engaugefilmfest #nishaplatzer #alexmackenzie #16mm #analog #film

[junezandona]

Happy to announce that our dance film "this is concrete" wins best experimental short film at Local Sightings Film Festival 2023!

Huge thanks to Northwest Film Forum, an essential and amazingly supportive community resource for the Seattle film community. Congrats to all the winners and go see their films!

@fantasyagetsamattressmovie

midsummernightsdreaminprison.com

#thisisconcrete #dancefilm #filmfestival #localsightings #northwestfilmforum #malacarne

[talbottoabbott]

Vivian Maier

Vivian Maier is one of the most mysterious yet renowned photographers of the 20th century.  She was born in New York City in 1926 but spent most of her life in France before moving back in her mid-20s (“About Vivian Maier”).  Growing up, she always had a fascination with photography.  First, she played with a Kodak Brownie during her childhood but later became fixated with a Rolleiflex after her return to NYC (“About Vivian Maier”).  Soon after, Maier left New York for Chicago where she worked as a nanny.  While there, she had the facility to create her own private darkroom in her bathroom and began self-developing rolls of black and white film (“About Vivian Maier”).  As opportunities for work began to decline, she began experimenting with other types of film and cameras.  Maier began experimenting with Kodak Ektachrome 35mm film shot with a Leica IIIc (“About Vivian Maier”).  Due to financial instability later on, however, she was unable to continue processing her rolls of film and soon enough, photography.  By the 1990s, most of her equipment, negatives, and unprocessed film were kept in storage (“About Vivian Maier”).  They will never see the light of day until several decades later.  In 2007, her belongings in storage were sold off to an auction company due to a non-payment in rent, and were subsequently auctioned to several buyers, one of them being John Maloof (“About Vivian Maier”).  At the time, Maloof was looking for images depicting the Northwest Side of Chicago for a historical book he was working on.  To make the book, the publisher required Maloof and his co-author to compile a little over 200 photos of the neighborhood (“History”).  In doing so, he stumbled upon and purchased Maier’s negatives at the auction, although he was not able to examine them closely.  Although they were not useful for his project Maloof later scanned the negatives and posted them to the internet forum, Flickr; the images went viral (“History”).  This launched Vivian Maier into stardom after her passing.  As a result, John and another collector, Jeff Goldstein, have been on a mission to recover, archive, preserve, and publish Maier’s work.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Two of the books containing Maier’s work published by Maloof are Vivian Maier: A Photographer Found and Vivian Maier: Self-Portraits.  The images in both books were primarily taken in Chicago and New York using black and white film and Maier’s Rolleiflex.  However, they also consisted of some color work and images shot on 35mm film.  They showcased her skills in photography, particularly in self-portraiture as seen in Figures 1 and 2. Her stylistic approach remains consistent between the two books; containing pictures that are self-portraits but done in such a way that they could also be considered street photography.  All of her photographs feel like Maier’s creating a visual diary.  The framing/composition of her photographs is simple and candid.  The exposures are perfect, displaying deep shadows causing an immense amount of detail in her subjects.  She also takes full advantage of her environment.  Maier often uses reflections around her to take these portraits (Figure 1, Figure 2).  These characteristics are what make her work unique and striking.

Figure 3

Figure 4

Vivian Maier: A Photographer Found is a much larger collection of 250 images and other materials depicting Maier’s full range; aside from self-portraits, the book also includes portraiture and street photography.  On the other hand, Vivian Maier: Self-Portraits compiles 64 of her black and white and color self-portraits.  Like her self-portraits, these images shown in Figures 3 and 4 are unposed and represent snapshots of her everyday adventures.  It’s mesmerizing how she is able to capture these amazing shots considering how difficult it can be to maneuver a Twin Lens Reflex camera.  It’s like Maier has the ability to slow time and create these pictures.  The focus is sharp despite the bustling settings and moving objects.  The exposures are just right.  The slight obstruction in Figure 3 accentuates the subject’s face.  Her outfit makes her stand out from those in the background as well and viewers are left to wonder what her backstory is.  In Figure 4, she captures a very tender moment of a couple during their carriage ride.  With these photos, the intimacy is flipped and allows audiences to wonder about the subjects, the moments, and the environments.

The two curations made Vivian Maier a world-renown street photographer after her death in 2009.   She was a private individual who never showcased her work which made it difficult and time-consuming for Maloof to stitch her life together.  Maier’s photographs allow us as viewers to see the world how she saw it; what was interesting, what these major cities were like in the 20th century, etc.  While many photographers praise her work, the way in which the negatives were shared calls into question if publishing them was ethical.  Did Vivian ever intend to share her work with the world?  Why did she choose to remain as a nanny?  Was it ethical for Maloof to publish her works?  These questions will forever be debated amongst those in the photographer community, however, this message is clear: Maier is incredibly talented and she will continue to influence photographers around the world.

Works Cited:

“About Vivian Maier.” Edited by John Maloof, Vivian Maier Photographer, Maloof Collection, https://www.vivianmaier.com/about-vivian-maier/. 

“History.” Edited by John Maloof, Vivian Maier Photographer, Maloof Collection, 23 Dec. 2018, https://www.vivianmaier.com/about-vivian-maier/history/. 

Maier, Vivian, et al. Vivian Maier: A Photographer Found. Edited by Howard Greenberg, Harper Design, 2014.

Maier, Vivian, et al. Vivian Maier: Self-Portraits. PowerHouse Books, 2013.

Mini Research Paper

Presentation Link

Sharlene Escaro

[scottrory]

First time at Northwest Film Forum (even though it’s around the corner). Here to see the Tribeca Film Festival honored shorts from 2022! #northwestfilmforum (at Northwest Film Forum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnI44EwLYVmRyHM4hgCf6PKzA4R4kRAgbsk4DM0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cinemawithoutpeople]

Cinema without people: So Pretty (2019, Jessie Jeffrey Dunn Rovinelli, dir.)

[screenshottery]

Characters together in So Pretty (2019, Jessie Jeffrey Dunn Rovinelli, dir.)

[baanimationbournemouth]

Great news from festival land!

We have four of our fabulous graduate animations screening at the Children’s Film Festival Seattle (CFFS).

Himal will be screened as part of the ‘Best Buds’ short film programme, Le Chateau des Chats is selected for the ‘Surrounded by Symphonies’ screening. Off-Track is screening in the ‘Queer Quests’ short film programme and Train Ride will be screened in the ‘Lost and Found’ programme.

CFFS will be presented as a hybrid festival (both virtually and in-person) from the 2nd to the 10th of February 2024, with additional screenings for school groups through March 2024.

In-person screenings will be held at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle, WA. Virtual screenings will be presented on the CFFS Eventive virtual cinema platform and viewable on demand throughout the festival.

You can check out the full festival programme and purchase tickets for the screenings on the CFFS website here https://nwfilmforum.org/festivals/childrens-film-festival-seattle-2024-hybrid/

[murphy---lee]

"An evocation of the macabre whimsy of fairy tales in its examinations of loss and grief." Luca Dipierro short film for Father Murphy "Rising" at Local Sightings Festival  (Northwest Film Forum). Sat. Sept. 21@ 10 p.m. (After Dark: Horror Shorts) Thu. Sept. 26 @ 6:30 p.m. (Moving Lines - Animation Shorts Program)