Northwest Film Forum's Local Sightings returns in-person & virtual this September

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Northwest Film Forum
Welcomes Audiences Back
for In-Person Screenings with the
24th Annual Local Sightings Film Festival

The beloved annual event will be presented with a hybrid of in-person and virtual events, taking place September 16th - 26th.

Opening Night: Thin Skin
Closing Night: Manifest Destiny Jesus

Presented by Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum, the 24th Annual Local Sightings Film Festival is a virtual showcase of creative communities from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The 2021 program, which runs from September 16-26, features a competitive selection of curated short film programs and feature films, inviting regional artists to experiment, break, and remake popular conceptions around filmmaking and film exhibition.

Local Sightings 2021 champions emerging and established talent, supports the regional film industry, and promotes diverse media as a critical tool for public engagement.

Sep. 16 at 7pm 
Opening Night: Thin Skin
(Charles Mudede, US, 2020, 90 min)

Join us for a special evening curated by the cast and crew of Thin Skin! Final details TBA, but expect performances and a live conversation.

A struggling single dad clings to his dream of being a musician, much to the chagrin of his absent Nigerian father, until a mysterious illness throws his world into chaos. Thin Skin is a music-infused, darkly comedic true story about keeping it together when you’re falling apart, starring Ahamefule Oluo as its main character, and with support from Annette Toutonghi, Ijeoma Oluo, Dwayne Kennedy, and Hari Kondabolu.

Sep. 26 at 6:30pm
Closing Night: Manifest Destiny Jesus
(Josh Aaseng, Daemond Arrindell, T. Geronimo Johnson, US, 2021, 40 min)

This special event features a pre-show happy hour, live Q&A with the filmmakers, and a short musical performance!

Manifest Destiny Jesus is dedicated to the future memory of white supremacy. To illuminate the path forward, this Seattle-centric documentary features a number of local artists, religious figures, and other community members to examine the links between white Jesus, the crucifixion, lynching, police brutality, and gentrification. Manifest Destiny Jesus finds inspiration in a transracial family, a sermon by a black female theologian, and a uniquely integrated Seattle congregation.

Ryan Davis