Filmmakers + Cinephiles Brave Seattle Drizzle for SIFF’s Opening Night

There's nothing quite like opening night. There's an electricity in the air as tents go up, marquees are set, and the staff makes final checks in their walkie talkies. Of course, it wouldn't be opening night of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) without at least a drizzle of rain, which began coming down in earnest around the time the red carpet arrivals kicked off.

I and my fantastic Echo colleague, Andrzej Montaño—whose beautiful photos adorn this piece—stood at the front of the queue to ask (what I consider to be) the most important question of all: "What are the films and filmmakers that have inspired your work?" I rephrased with each filmmaker, but this was at the core of what I wanted to know. The answers were as varied and unique as the filmmakers themselves. 

Director Wes Hurley and actress Jaime Roberts had this to say about what inspired their short film, Shelly's Leg:

And here's Joey Clift, director of the short Pow!, on his influences and the themes of his film:

I asked this because opening night is a celebration of the festival, but it’s also a celebration of film and how the medium brings us together as a community. Each speaker before the presentation of the opening film, Four Mothers, praised the virtues of film and its universal language.

As Rita Meher, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Tasveer and the Tasveer Film Festival accepted the Mayor's Film Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film, she gave a passionate speech about the exciting moment when Seattle can become an international destination for film. With Tasveer's acquisition of the Ark Lodge Cinema in March of 2025 and their plans for the transformation of that space, the vision of Seattle realizing that dream is growing ever closer.

Wes Hurley and Jaime Roberts (Shelley’s Leg); Joey Clift (Pow!); Beth Barrett (Artistic Director), Tom Mara (Executive Director), Stan Shields (Associate Director), Festival Programming at SIFF; Colin Thornton (Four Mothers); Megan Griffiths (View From the Floor) and Mindie Lind (View From the Bottom)

The Evergreen Echo

In another great moment from the red carpet, Co-Director of View From the Floor, Megan Griffiths, spoke about the women who inspire her work:

The packed audience in the Paramount Theatre—which began as the Seattle Theatre, an opulent movie palace and vaudeville performance space in 1928—took a while to settle after the rousing speeches, but as soon as the screen lit up, we were transported.

Four Mothers, directed by Darren Thornton, is about a gay YA author, Edward (James McArdle) who is taking care of his mother, Alma (Fionnula Flannigan), while she recovers from a stroke. As he details his struggles to his friends, they of course take this to mean that if he's good at taking care of one elderly woman, why not three more? Of course, comedy ensues as the four women have vastly different needs and feelings. As the film progresses it evolves into a heartfelt portrait of the very human need for companionship and connection.

Co-writer Colin Thornton explains his influences, especially when it comes to Four Mothers in particular:

This film is exactly why we brave the crowds and the unpredictable weather every spring. It's why we see films in theatrical spaces. Not because of the special effects or the grand scale filmmaking, but because to come together in the dark to laugh, cry, and gasp together is a communal experience. We come together for SIFF for movies, yes, but also to be with others who share our passions and who we can discuss our excitements, frustrations, and deep thoughts about the films we see. It's a place where everyone is free to have an opinion, to champion a film or filmmaker, and to discover the magic that people all over the world can create. 

Opening night is like a door being flung open and inviting us all to the rapturous world of film that awaits on the other side. As the nine full days of the festival commence we will enter darkened portals and come out the other side changed. Now, as we travel this space together, hold my (rhetorical) hand as we “escape to the reel world.”