Sponsored by STCU.

Tickets are available at https://spokanefilmfestival.org/event/opening-night-northwests-best/

Join SpIFF on opening night as we celebrate the best short and mid-length films made here in the Pacific Northwest. Our annual Best of the Northwest Shorts program will be followed by a program of select PNW mid-length films. One ticket gets you admission to both programs.

Best of the Northwest

Mẹ

Directed by Derek Kwan

Mẹ, mother in the northern Vietnamese dialect, follows two generations of moms as they create a new dish for the family restaurant. Reimagining their parent’s pho shop, the next generation carries on the family legacy through Vietnamese cuisine.

The Child and the Dead

Directed by Karina Ripper and Marc Ripper

A modern gothic fable set in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. Cosmic wonder and fates collide when a father, his son and lover are left stranded after a car accident with a stranger. This is an occurrence, a crime, and the account through the eyes of a child.

Angel and the Bear

Directed by Dave Kotlan

Angel comes into the coffee shop everyday, not just for a cup of joe, but to flirt with the handsome barista. Unfortunately, the barista has a bit of an issue with shyness. Hiding behind a mask, he discovers a way to be himself; charming, funny, and eloquent. Mentored by his blunt talking co-worker, the barista must find the courage to strip away the mask and be himself, for Angel’s sake.

The Little Things

Directed by Evan Hoff

The Little Things is a nonfiction documentary story about the struggle of life as a victim of ASL. This film explores how Jenny fights ALS and how it has changed her view on life.

Civil

Directed by Stephen Takashima

A black door-to-door salesman struggles to make his first sale when he spots a Confederate flag hanging on the wall of his potential client.

Fruit Therapy

Directed by Nancy Gasper

The judge’s choice winner of the 2018 50 Hour Slam.

Bull Mountain Lookout

Directed by Vanessa Newell

A horror comedy about a Girl Scout troop leader who discovers the truth about the terrifying legend of Bull Mountain.

There Goes the Neighborhood

Directed by Dan Evans

Shot over the course of a year in rapidly changing Northeast Portland, Oregon, ‘There goes the neighborhood’ distills the visual experience of gentrification into a 3-minute time-lapse film. It is a vivid, photographic ride. Starting with the demolition of a century-old home, the film offers evidence of some of what is lost and gained through redevelopment. It burns rubber through the construction of new luxury condominiums, and culminates in a satirical dig at the end result of gentrification.

Midlengths Program

Proof of Life

Directed by Adam Harum

Three days before Brad Thiessen was to enter his first 50k trail run, he instead found myself being wheeled into the operating room to have a brain tumor removed. What was supposed to be a six-week recovery turned into an 18-month study in how things can go sideways. “Proof of Life” explores a year in the life of Brad Thiessen as he trains to finally run that elusive 50K, and showcases the link between nature, fitness, and tackling a challenging goal in the pursuit of a meaningful life.

From Parts Unknown

Directed by Michael T. Worman

Jesse “Madman” Manson decided to live out his fantasy by starting an underground Professional Wrestling league in the backyards of Spokane, Washington. Ten years later, Spokane Anarchy Wrestling is gaining momentum and popularity, but Jesse’s incurring injuries from years of wrestling are proving to be a threat to the one thing that has given him an outlet to express himself.

Forest on Fire

Directed by Reed Harkness

The Eagle Creek fire devastated the Columbia River Gorge, causing the local communities to evacuate, and stranding 150 day-hikers who dramatically hike nearly 20 miles to safety. A 15-year-old boy, who threw a lit firework into a dry ravine on the Eagle Creek Trail, set the fire. The film includes reports from an eyewitness who saw the boy start the fire, the stranded hikers, and people from the local communities that endured the elements and looked after one another.