The very heartbeat of this Festival is the filmmakers; those who submit their work (whether selected or not) and those who come to this immersive celebration of Northwest filmmaking looking for inspiration in the films screened and for the many opportunities to rub shoulders, exchange ideas, and learn about the filmmaking resources that are pumping through this vital region.

The Festival offers all that as well as a new feature this year, Fresh Film Northwest, spotlighting outstanding work from filmmakers age 13-19 and creating places for them within the Festival to find recognition, information, and encouragement.

This year’s Festival again enjoys the support—financial and spiritual—of longtime sponsors that include The National Endowment for the Arts, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, LAIKA, Wieden+Kennedy, MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company, and so many others. On behalf of all who find encouragement, recognition, and discovery from the Festival, we thank them.

We also thank, and so enjoyed working with, our marketing creative team, Austin Hilde and Mike Houston, for the “for your consideration” campaign and the vivid images of the filmmakers’ hearts laid bare. The same deep appreciation goes to the heartfelt generosity of Maureen Selwood, this year’s Festival Judge, whose distinguished accomplishments as a filmmaker and as a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts inform this year’s selections.

The six films Selwood selected for her Judge’s Awards are wildly different but share a rib-spreading sincerity that distinguishes this region’s best work. Here’s your opportunity to check the pulse of Northwest filmmaking—you’ll find it bursting with creativity and heart.

Thomas Phillipson, Festival Manager
Bill Foster, Director, Northwest Film Center