This weekend — April 5 & 6 — the Everett Film Festival will showcase 13 movies at the Everett Performing Arts Center. Going on 26 years, the Everett Film Festival is the local destination for emerging and diverse voices in film North of Seattle.
What began as a celebration of Women in Film has expanded to suit the diversity and interests of the wider film community of Washington. The festival continues in its mission statement, supporting women in film, and the ever-expanding and inclusive nature of our local creative community.
For the 26th edition, the 13 films being shown span the gamut of features, shorts, and documentaries.
The festival opens Saturday with Fish War, a documentary about the fight for indigenous fishing rights around Washington, which will be preceded by a cultural presentation you will not want to miss, and followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Fish War has been popular at local festivals and among our local community — a Seattle Film Critics Society nominee for last year’s Pacific Northwest Film award.
You’ll want to stick around for the marine life double feature, as Fish War is followed by Echos of the Sound: The Story of Hugo and the Southern Residents (2023), a remarkable and heartfelt documentary short about Southern Resident orca populations and their dwindling food source of chinook salmon, which threatens the whole population. The short will be followed by a Q&A.
Capping off opening night is Lost in Paris (2016), a charming and whimsical French-Belgian comedy, about a woman who comes to Paris and has a ridiculous meet-cute with an unhoused man. She takes a trip, falls into the Seine a few times, and then falls in love, all in a good vacation.
Day two presents a smorgasbord of short film offerings with the “We Love Short ‘Shorts’” Collection featuring ten films of varying subject and theme, ranging from local interest stories to well-crafted short form works. Q&A sessions will follow Bravo Whiskey Red and Duke.
In hard news, Everett will be celebrating the life of late local filmmaker Della Chen with a showing of her short film She Marches in Chinatown. Tragically, Chen passed away earlier this year, and her first documentary, about the 70 year history of Chinatown’s drill team, will be shown in her honor. A Q&A with Chen was originally in the schedule, but Everett’s showcasing of her film will now carry her hope and love of community, inspiring cinematic dreams in all of us.
Saturday, April 5
Fish War – 1:05pm
Echos of the Sound – 2:45pm
Lost in Paris – 3:50pm
Sunday, April 6
Bravo Whiskey Red – 1:05pm
Gardening in a Warzone – 1:38pm
Savi the Cat – 2:18pm
She Marches in Chinatown – 2:35pm
Duke – 3:35pm
How Do You See Me – 4:08pm
Pickled – 4:17pm
Bottlecap – 4:30pm
I’m Not a Robot – 4:45pm
Back in Baby’s Arms – 5:07pm
Full disclosure: I proudly serve as a board member for the Everett Film Festival. See you there!