Interviews — Features — Cinema As We Know It

The Kids Are Alright, or an Abridged History of NFFTY

NFFTY is home to the world’s largest film festival for young filmmakers, and it resides here in Seattle. Each year, the four day festival showcases over 250 remarkable films from up and coming filmmakers while also the providing tools and resources to help realize their next project. As it enters its fifteenth year, NFFTY has grown into one of the most significant, lesser known festivals in the country, and it began with someone who was once in the shoes of a young filmmaker…

Visions from the LA Rebellion: An Interview with Charles Burnett and Billy Woodberry

In the late 1960s, the first generation of Black filmmakers at UCLA broke new ground for with their thoughtful, thorough, compassionate portrayals of the Black Americans on film, forming the cinematic movement that would eventually be known as the LA Rebellion. In honor of the retrospective at this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival, we sat down with cinematic legends Charles Burnett and Billy Woodberry to discuss the films that changed Black representation in cinema, the factors that influenced their work, and their enduring legacy that continues to inspire generations of filmmakers

‘Bull’ Interview with Director Annie Silverstein

In the days following SXSW’s cancellation, we sat down with two time Cannes attendee, Annie Silverstein, to talk about her latest film, Bull. In our conversation, we discussed the five year creative process going from short to feature, the influences that inspired her characters, and how the film recontextualizes the Western genre with new faces.

An Interview with Eddie Muller, The Czar of Noir

In the days leading up to Seattle’s Noir City at SIFF, we sat down with the Czar of Noir himself, Eddie Muller, to discuss the festival’s history, the contemporary social underpinnings in this year’s lineup, audience’s undying fixation on the genre, and the borderless unification noir has on us all.

Burning Cane Interview with Director Phillip Youmans & Producer Mose Mayers

In the midst of the three week long festival that is the Seattle International Film Festival, we took a few moments to talk to one cinema’s most promising new talents Philip Youmans. Along with his producer and school mate Mose Mayer, they sat down to talk about their film Burning Cane, what influences them, and where their careers will take after the success of their first outing.

The Art of Self-Defense Interview with Riley Stearns

Way back in March, we saw the world premiere of The Art of Self-Defense at SXSW. Fast forward two months and the film made another appearance at SIFF, and along with it came writer director Riley Stearns. During the festival, we had the opportunity to speak with the director and discuss where the idea came from, the process of scripting such a tact-sharp comedy, and whether or not he himself knows karate.