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PTFF 2017 Newsletters

December 11,2017 December 4, 2017 November 16, 2017 November 2, 2017 September 28, 2017 September 12, 2017 September 1, 2017 August 23, 2017 August 20, 2017 August 10, 2017 August 3, 2017 July 28, 2017 July 21, 2017 July 5, 2017 June 21, 2017 June 3, 2017 April 26, 2017 March 30, 2017 March 23, 2017 March 9, 2017 March 1, 2017 February 16, 2017 February 3, 2017 January 28, 2017

December 11, 2017 You truly are a super hero of the arts. That’s no exaggeration.

You understand, more than anyone else, how important arts are to the robust health and happiness of our community. Your vision and support each year ensures that the show will go on.

Your support has put PTFF and Port Townsend on the map as one of the best film festivals in the United States. Even Variety magazine thinks so. Your underwriting also covers a mission near and dear to our hearts:

During the year, we bring documentary filmmakers, one at a time, and take them to local schools, colleges and fellowships to offer hope and solutions for some of our community’s toughest challenges, such as PTSD, homelessness, abuse, autism and even suicide.

You also understand the power of film to inspire hope (and solutions) when things look hopeless.

As a patron of the arts, you also know that your support helps pay year- round costs for PTFF, such as April’s Women & Film weekend, our Film Fellowship, scholarships for film students and support for community projects–when even paying the rent can be staggering for an arts organization.

Speaking of staggering costs: We now begin rounds of negotiation with Hollywood agents—and let me tell you, they’re a tough bunch.

For example, a few years ago, we were poised to sign a contract with a star in July. But, at the last minute, she accepted a casting call for Star Wars. Imagine that! And in 2015, we were shocked when both Beau Bridges and Chris Cooper said yes (then you helped pay them both).

Why would a film professional, sometimes paid thousands per day for their time, even consider us? Because your support has allowed us to grow into a solid, trustworthy, arts organization that delivers what it promises.

You truly are the superhero of our Festival story.

It’s easy to donate. Just click the pink button below to our secure Paypal site.

Wishing you the very best in this season of giving, Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

December 4, 2017 First Tuesday Salon: Faces Places screens at the Rose Theatre 12/5 @ 7pm 2015 PTFF Film Fellow premieres at SUNDANCE! Welcome 2018 Film Fellow Lana Wilson At 88, French New Wave icon Agnes Varda found a kindred spirit in JR, the acclaimed 33-year-old photographer and artist who shared her passion for images. Deciding to collaborate, they traveled through the French countryside, cameras in hand, speaking with locals and producing large-scale portraits of their faces, turning the stories and lives of these everyday people into art. The result is a road movie unlike any other, a documentary as delightful and inspiring as any work in Varda's legendary career. Join us for a conversation about friendship, road trips, and how these things sustain us years later. Subtitled. Rated PG, 89 min

See the trailer HERE. Some of you will remember Alexandria Bombach, awarded our first Film Fellowship with co-director Mo Scarpelli. With the help of several donors, PTFF provided a fully furnished condominium on Water Street for Bombach and Scarpelli from June through August, 2015. Huddled for hours in a windowless room in front of editing screens, they transformed miles of footage they shot in Afghanistan into their completed film, Frame by Frame. Fearlessly shot in war zones, private homes and villages, the film follows four photojournalists who face challenges as they report for the post-Taliban free (but still subject to censure) press.

We’ve just learned that Bombach’s newest film, On Her Shoulders is one of 110 feature films selected for the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

On Her Shoulders, is a profile of human rights activist Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi, survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS. Repeating her story to politicians and media, this ordinary girl finds herself thrust onto the world stage as the voice of her people. Away from the podium, she must navigate bureaucracy, fame and people's good intentions.

The film will compete with 15 others in the United States Documentary competition at Sundance, Jan. 18- 28, 2018. Bombach’s film made the final cut over 3,901 feature length films submitted to Sundance this year.

Frame by Frame screened at the Port Townsend Film Festival and won prizes around the world. It is available in DVD from our film library. Introducing Lana Wilson, Our 2018 Film Fellow

Lana Wilson is an Emmy Award-winning director, writer, and producer based in New York. She joins us in Port Townsend in April, 2018 to work on her latest documentary, The Cure for Fear.

Her most recent release, The Departure, premiered in 2017 to extraordinary critical acclaim: “A genuinely spiritual experience” (The Washington Post), “Stunning” (Filmmaker Magazine), “Tender and quietly moving…like a haiku” (The New York Times). The Departure was recently nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary. The Departure will be featured at PTFF Focus: Women & Film April 14 & 15, 2018. Passes go on sale in January, 2018.

Celebrating this season of gratitude,

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

November 16, 2017 PTFF 2017 Alums: SKID ROW MARATHON Wins at 2 more festivals TRIBAL JUSTICE Top Prize at American Indian Film Festival Gratitude is always in Season at PTFF

PICTURED HERE: On the right, Gabi & Mark Hayes, directors of Skid Row Marathon, with editor Doug Blush and Lisa Klein, director of The “S” Word.

Here at PTFF, Skid Row Marathon won a Special Jury Award for Cinematography and the Audience Favorite Best Documentary Feature. This week we learned they won BOTH the Audience AND Grand Jury Awards for documentary at the 2017 Napa Valley Film Festival, then THREE MORE prizes over the weekend, this time at the Second Annual Coronado Island Film Festival near San Diego...Documentary Grand Jury, Audience and Emerald Awards! What an honor to bring this kind of inspiration to the screen. Thanks to the whole crew! PICTURED HERE: The Honorable Abby Abinanti, Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribe on the North Coast of California AND The Honorable Claudette White Judge White has served as Chief Judge for the Quechan Tribal Court since 2005

More fabulous news: Tribal Justice (PTFF alums 2017) just won the Best Feature Documentary Award at the prestigious American Indian Film Festival. This is amazing given the terrific competition. Thank you, AIFI! And thank you to Producer/Director Anne Makepeace for capturing their courageous, compassionate story! Our office will be closed starting on Wednesday, November 22nd for Thanksgiving weekend, so get your films from the library collection here in our 4th floor office in the Mt. Baker Block on Tuesday!

Celebrating this season of gratitude, Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

PTFF 2017 Alums: SKID ROW MARATHON Wins at 2 more festivals TRIBAL JUSTICE Top Prize at American Indian Film Festival Gratitude is always in Season at PTFF

November 2, 2017 First Tuesday Salon, JANE November 7th 7:30pm with chimp sanctuary co-directors, Diana Goodrich and J.B. Mulcahy 2017 Titles have arrived in the PTFF library Support Becoming Bulletproof in their new project, The Homecoming- A Musical

Jane Goodall’s observations of chimpanzees in the wild challenged conventional wisdom about what made humans exceptional. Brett Morgen’s documentary “Jane,” which tells Ms. Goodall’s story largely through footage of her expeditions, is such an absorbing account of her experiences at a reserve in what is now Tanzania that you may not pause to think about how its imagery was captured.

If Ms. Goodall — who was 26 and had no scientific degree when she first ventured into the forest, hoping to gain acceptance from chimpanzees inclined to run from her — was mostly exploring on her own, who set up the camera for that incredible shot of her climbing? How is it that the animals are so calm in the presence of moviemaking tools? See the full NYT review HERE. We began looking for an expert on primates for our First Tuesday Salon, which led us to contact the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. When I told Diana Goodrich, the co-director that I was looking for a speaker to highlight the opening week of “Jane,” Diana replied, “I want to do that!” We will host she and her co-director, J.B. Mulcahy representing CSNW, a 89 acre farm in the Cascade Mountains. They are one of only a handful of sanctuaries in the country that care for chimpanzees. Here is a LINK to a blog post that Diana wrote just a week ago.

Join our First Tuesday Salon conversation following the 7:30pm screening at the Rose Theatre to hear more about Ms. Goodall and the wonderful work at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. 2017 Titles have arrived in the PTFF library All passholders are members at PTFF with benefits including the use of our film library. Licensing does not allow for all titles to be lent- some are available for streaming online, some are still in theatres and not available for purchase. But some of them are on the shelf ready for borrowing. All discs are BluRay, which brings the highest quality image to your screen and makes the filmmakers happy, too! New titles are available with a 3-day limit, allowing more folks to enjoy them. One of the most beloved films at PTFF, Becoming Bulletproof captured our hearts in 2015. Here is Jeremy addressing a standing room only crowd at The Rose Theatre explaining that he has so many friends on Facebook that they couldn’t allow him any more.

Now our heroes at Zeno Mountain Farms have a new project and they are asking for our support. This short CLIP will explain all the marvels that film and Zeno make possible:

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com September 28, 2017 NO MANS LAND director David Byars has a message for us First Tuesday Salon, Battle of the Sexes, Oct. 3, 7 pm, Starlight Room "Doctober,” Pickford Theater, Bellingham through October

Our Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature was No Man’s Land, an extraordinary look inside the takeover of the Malheur Bird Refuge two years ago. We knew director David Byars, would not be able to attend, and we asked him to send a letter of acceptance. His words continue to ring true as we face the world changing before our eyes. Thank you, David, for this essential reminder:

“Thank you for this wonderful honor. And thank you to Port Townsend and the film festival for being stalwart supporters of nonfiction storytelling. No Man's Land isn't your typical preach to the choir documentary. It challenges us to understand those whom we would oppose. In an era of resistance as doctrine, where collaboration can be seen as a defection from ideological purity, it is more difficult and dangerous to offer the olive branch than to be smug in our righteousness. Vanquishing our enemies in the modern era doesn't equate to conquest - there are 50 million voters out there that we can't simply remove from the equation. Victory means engaging with our so-called enemies and doing the difficult and time-consuming work of finding common ground.

Only when we seek to understand those whom we oppose are we able to acknowledge their grievances, and not necessarily adopt their solutions, in order to get at the truth and move the needle in our national conversation. It isn't simple, nor is it satisfying in the short term, but we cannot afford to further the false narrative foisted upon us by those who would see us fight amongst ourselves. Resist, yes, but more importantly, seek to understand.”

David Garrett Byars Meet Alyssa Carson, one of the subjects of THE MARS GENERATION (left), one of our honored guests appearing at the Festival with her very supportive dad. She spoke at Jefferson Community School and I surprised her by wearing my own “Nasa Blues.” What you cannot see is the patch on my right shoulder–a gift from a girl who is determined to go to Mars. In the center is a young Port Townsend fan, who dreams of walking in Alyssa’s footsteps.

For a complete list of winners, click HERE. First Tuesday Salon, Battle of the Sexes, Oct. 3, 7pm, Starlight Room

Reviewed in the New Yorker this week by Anthony Lane, and this quote from Max Cea, Salon.com: “There are a few different ways you could tell the story of the 1973 Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King….Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) opt for the most conventional. Simon Beaufoy’s (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) screenplay doesn’t wade into the conspiracy theories that Bobby Riggs threw the match. Nor does it fictionalize the event the way, say, Todd Haynes fictionalized Bob Dylan’s life in “I’m Not There.” Instead, Battle of the Sexes is a three-act PG-13 sports movie that climaxes in a monumental moment of odds-defying, sports-transcending triumph. It’s the same playbook used in Rocky, Remember the Titans, Rudy, Miracle and a million other sports movies. But man is it resonant now!”

Join us in The Starlight Room for a conversation following the film with a local tennis expert, because that is what First Tuesday Salon is all about! Read the New Yorker Review HERE. Read the complete Salon review HERE. “Doctober” at the Pickford Theater, Bellingham

Can’t get enough? Or if you missed some of our great documentaries on the big screen, check the website below for the Pickford’s documentary screenings October. Jane Julian, our PTFF programmer, works with The Pickford Theater to create a full month of amazing documentaries (50) on their three screens! Check out this great line up and thanks, Pickford, for sponsoring our Special Evening honoring Morgan Neville. Their line-up includes Big Sonia, Purple Dreams (see the photo above), No Mans Land, Skid Row Marathon. You may recognize PTFF and Women & Film alums in the lineup, too. Click HERE.

Hope you are enjoying this splendid Fall weather and remember to save the dates: September 21-22-23, 2018 for the Port Townsend Film Festival and April 14 & 15, PTFF Focus: Women & Film!

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

September 12, 2017 PTFF Opens Fri., Sept. 15th in 7 Theatres! Filmmaker Panels, Sat., Sun., 10am Festival Bar on the Dock Filmmaker Awards, Sun., Rose Theatre, 6:15 pm This week our programmer, Jane Julian, flies in from Colorado, over 100 filmmakers and their entourages start checking in, we build four theatres and our Festival Bar on the Dock, we host our volunteer movie night, the food carts set up in the plaza, Taylor St. is closed and tents, straw bales and signage goes up. And then, Friday morning at 9 a.m. SHOWTIME in 7 theatres.

Paper programs will be in Hospitality at 701 Water St., or look online HERE.

Just in case you missed our Sizzle Reel click HERE.

Filmmaker Panels Announced Sat & Sun 10am Festival Bar on the Dock- no age restriction Coffee will be available

Filmmakers Tell Stories, Festival Bar on the Dock, Sat. & Sun., 10 am Seating is limited! Coffee is free.

Sat., Sept. 16, 10 am: Topic: Strange Bedfellows: Movie-Making Partners Hear stories of collaboration with families, friends and helpful acquaintances–and how they weather this intense adventure of creation together.

Moderator: PTFF Juror Todd Elgin Panelists: Michael Barnett (Director, The Mars Generation) Tyler Strickland (Juror/Compose, The Mars Generation) Sloan Copeland (Director, Life Hack) Jessica Copeland (Producer/Actress, Life Hack) Mark Hayes (Co-director, Skid Row Marathon) Gabi Hayes (Co-Director, Skid Row Marathon) Alternates: Doug Blush (Editor/Producer, The S Word) Lisa Klein (Director, The S Word)

Sun., Sept. 17, 10 am PTFF’s traditional “Sunday Morning Storytellers”

We love the stories they tell on the screen, now we listen to personal stories of their journey as filmmakers

Moderator: Steve Edmiston (PTFF Board Member) Jody Lambert (Director, Brave New Jersey) Ted Crockett (PTFF Juror, Executive Director, Nashville Film Festival) Marta Renzie (Director, Her Magnum Opus) Tyler Dunning (Writer/Subject, A Field Guide to Losing Your Friends) Karen Allen (Academy Award Winning Actress, and Director, A Tree. A Rock. A Cloud) Robin Ungar (Director, Soy Cubana) Filmmaker Awards, Rose Theatre, Sun., Sept. 16, 6:15 pm.

Join us to celebrate all of the films accepted for our festival, honor the Jury Award Winners, learn who wins the Audience Choice awards, the Young Director’s Award, and the 2017 recipient of the “Spirit of the Port Townsend Film Festival,” (a bronze “Galatea” by sculptor Sara Mall Johani and the Lateral Line Bronze Foundry).

We’ll watch a clip from each of the nominees for Jury Awards. Co-hosted by actress Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark), and PTFF Executive Director, Janette Force, awards will be presented by jury members. The Jury-award winning Documentary and Narrative Features will screen at the Rose and Rosebud at 9 p.m.

Did you really wait this long to buy your passes??

Purchase your pass online by Wed., Sept. 13, midnight HERE.

After the deadline, passes can be purchased or upgraded in person at Hospitality, 701 Water St. All pass levels are still available.

Questions? Call us at 360-379-1333.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

September 1, 2017 Pick Up a Print Program Early First Tuesday Salon, A Trip to Spain Sept. 5, 7:30 pm Starlight Brave New Jersey preview Read our interview with Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville and circle your films early by picking up our just published program at the Rose Theatre or from our office, 211 Taylor St., Suite 401. The jokey, movie themed ads are hilarious. Many thanks to our program editor, Chris McFaul (also a software designer with husband, Pat) and Leader staff. The program will be inserted your Wed., Sept. 6 Leader, and it’s already a page-turner on their website, see HERE.

And HERE is the PTFF version. First Tuesday Salon 9/5 A Trip to Spain Starlight Room 7:30pm

The latest installment in the largely improvised British comedy between director Michael Winterbottom and co-stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. It follows the basic “travel show” template of the two comedians, who take a road trip–sampling the finest cuisine, seeing the local sights–while pondering their lives and engaging in a constant game of one-upmanship. The formula still works here thanks to the inspired play between the two stars, who can wring laughs from just about anything. Watch the trailer HERE. Brave New Jersey with director Jody Lambert for Q&A Sept 15-17

The story follows the town’s mayor clerk (Tony Hale,“Veep”), an unhappy housewife (Heather Burns, “Manchester by the Sea”), a timid schoolteacher (Anna Camp, “Pitch Perfect”), a fearful sheriff (Mel Rodriguez, “The Last Man on Earth”), and an erratic reverend (Dan Bakkedahl, “Life in Pieces”) as they wonder how they’re going to spend what might be their last night on earth. With the help of the town’s reclusive war veteran (Raymond J. Barry, “Training Day”), everyone steps up and prepares for the battle of their lives! Meet director Jody Lambert at PTFF’s opening night screening, Fri., Sept. 15, 9:15 pm, Rose Theatre.

15 DAYS and counting!! Purchase passes at all levels HERE.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com August 23, 2017 Festival Previews for September 15-16-17, 2017 18th Annual Port Townsend Film Festival

See film trailers on our website! Bugs & Beer! Health Dept. Approved! Volunteers’ Screening Thurs., Sept. 14 for our amazing PTFF crew

Go to this LINK and cruise thru our remarkable program with trailers and more! Bugs & Beer! Sun. Sept. 17, 2 p.m., join professional bug chef and former Port Townsend resident, David George Gordon, as he fries up insects featured in “Bugs on the Menu.” Director Ian Toews covered the world to make the case for insect protein. Gordon has appeared nationally with his cookbook, “The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook, Revised: 40 Ways to Cook Crickets, Grasshoppers, Ants, Water Bugs, Spiders, Centipedes, and Their Kin.” He’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Time magazine and National Geographic Kids and has appeared on Conan O’Brien, The Wil Wheaton Project and The View.

Learn why so many millions of people on the planet are eating bugs. Really! It’s not too late to volunteer for PTFF! (photo by Deja View Photography)

With 7 indoor movie theatres, 6 special events & parties, 100 filmmakers and hundreds of passholders arriving soon, there are many, many ways for you to help PTFF serve our community. Thanks to Kendra Golden, our remarkable volunteer coordinator, we can take your talents and apply them where they are needed most. Please sign up today: HERE.

If you join our crew, you will be invited to a special Volunteer Screening at the American Legion on Thursday, Sept 17th 7pm….Just sayin’!

22 DAYS and counting!! Purchase passes at all levels HERE.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

August 20, 2017 Festival Previews for September 15-16-17, 2017 18th Annual Port Townsend Film Festival

Complete 2017 Program, with trailers, is on our website! We screen 9 new short films at BIMA, Sept. 6 Outdoor Movie Revealed: Twenty Feet from Stardom, Sept. 16 Complete 2017 Program, with trailers, is on our website! Films, their synopsis and trailers are now posted at www.ptfilmfest.com. You’ll also find here an interview with our special guest, Academy Award winning director Morgan Neville, “How it Works” if you’re a newcomer to our Festival, and you can buy your passes online. To see photos from past Festivals and beautiful Port Townsend, look for the Instagram image (a camera) at the bottom right of our home page. Thanks to program editor Chris McFaul and webmaster Ann Welch! Preview for PTFF Sept. 6th Bainbridge Museum of Art

Nine of our favorite short films chosen for 2017 will be shown in an hour-long program at BIMA, 550 Winslow Way West (near the ferry landing). Screenings are held in BIMA’s comfortable theatre, with behind-the-scenes stories, and refreshments. Admission $10-$12, Brown Paper Tickets HERE.

PTFF Exec. Director, Janette Force, was recently interviewed by Bainbridge Community Broadcasting about the BIMA preview. Listen HERE (17 minutes).

See Twenty Feet from Stardom outdoors with Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville Prior to this screening with be 45 minutes of dance music on Taylor Street, a great way to warm up for Academy Award-winning Twenty Feet of Stardom. It’s about backup singers behind some of the world’s most iconic rock musicians. What a time to be reminded that dreams can come true! Screening starts at 7:30, bring your own lawn chair or sit on a straw bale. The beer and wine garden is open under the big tent too.

Watch this wonderful short film, created by The Academy, to honor these ladies & their story: HERE.

One month! and counting!! Purchase passes at all levels HERE.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

August 10, 2017 Festival Previews for September 15-16-17, 2017 18th Annual Port Townsend Film Festival

A Taste of the Festival–in 60 seconds Different Flowers: Comedy that lands in your heart! The Bullish Farmer: A love song to farming

The image above is from the film, Seat 25, one of the 89 films we welcome in September. Thanks to film editor Sana Gomes, HERE'S a montage of this year’s curated films in 60 seconds! Turn up your volume!

Different Flowers: Comedy that lands in your heart! Director Morgan Dameron has made the “Girl Power” film she’s always wanted to see. Raised in Kansas City, Dameron began making films at age12, earned a full-ride scholarship to film school. Different Flowers is her first film. Two VERY different sisters tell a story of love lost, and love found. Learn more on their Facebook Page: HERE.

The Bullish Farmer: A love song to farming

Over a decade ago, John Ubaldo, aka “John Boy,” decided to call it quits with his career in high finance. Distraught over the loss of his best friend in the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, John purchased 185 acres of land on the Battenkill River in Cambridge, NY, and left the city to live a quiet life farming. His goal was to raise delicious and nutritious food. The film describing his journey is described as "... one of the world's most inspiring and life-affirming films of 2017." Meet director Ken Marsolais here for the screening of The Bullish Farmer, Sept. 15-17. See the trailer: HERE.

One month, 4 days to PTFF and counting!! Purchase passes at all levels HERE. Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

August 3, 2017 Festival Previews for September 15-16-17, 2017 18th Annual Port Townsend Film Festival

North of Known sparkling cinematography The NW Inupiat Dancers here with Angry Inuk Buy a Concierge or Patron Pass–No waiting! How would you capture a journey that begins with daredevil paragliding off the top of 20,000-ft. Mt. Denali? Brian Smith, director of North of Known, will be here for Q&A after we screen his remarkable documentary of strength, endurance and bravery. Two screenings during the Festival, Sept. 15-17.

Watch the trailer HERE. Angry Inuk takes us into the homes of Inuit Arctic hunters. The NW Inupiat Dancers join us on stage

Seal hunting, a critical part of Inuit life for thousands of years, is defended by a new generation armed with social media and their own sense of justice, tempered with humor. Challenging the anti-sealing groups, they now have the unfiltered means to add their own voices into the conversation. Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril joins her fellow Inuit activists as they challenge outdated perceptions of Inuit and present themselves to the world as a modern people in dire need of a sustainable economy.

Larry Ahvakana, master Inupiat artist from Barrow, Alaska; graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and member of the NW Inupiat Dancers, introduces this remarkable portrait of Inuit activists with traditional dance.

See the trailer HERE. What makes these iconic Port Townsend nights possible each September? A Concierge or Patron-level pass ($650 and $1500) includes a tax-deductible donation to PTFF AND it gives you Concierge Service. You can book all your films in advance with these passes, skip the lines and enter the theatre first. PTFF is able to keep growing and bringing you better content throughout year, thanks to donors like you. Purchase passes at all levels HERE.

One month, eleven days to PTFF and counting!!

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

July 28, 2017 “Keiko” at Finnriver was spectacular!! Soy Cubana captures the sound of Cuba First Tuesday Salon August 1 The Big Sick Starlight Room 7:30p Finnriver Cidery’s Crystie Kisler sent us a lovely thank you poem following Chimacum’s July 15 “Interdependence Day.” Thanks to Miles and Sherry McRae of McRae Theater Equipment (Seattle) for screen and projection, along with PTFF’s sound engineer, Gary Engbrecht. Dozens of volunteers helped celebrate farm, community and George Huntingford’s 100th birthday–and then watched Shaun the Sheep under the stars until after midnight. Hooray for community! PTFF takes you to Cuba with Soy Cubana Santiago de Cuba is the cradle of Afro-Cuban music. Soy Cubana, screens at September’s PT Film Festival. It follows the exciting musicianship of the “Vocal Vidas,” quartet, winner of the 2016 CUBADISCO Award for best vocal group. Great footage of Santiago de Cuba too, and Director/producers Robing Miller Unger and Jeremy Unger will be here for Q&A

Watch the Trailer: HERE. First Tuesday Salon The Big Sick Starlight Room, Tues., August 1, 7:30 pm

Held over for three weeks because we REALLY need some comedy. Any family that has spent time in the hospital, knows the kind of humor that unfolds there–even in the darkest hour. In The Big Sick, both culture wars and authentic family collisions are captured with precision.

A genre-defying film, based on a true story, tells what happened when Kumail, a Pakistani-born comedian, meets Emily, an American grad student. Throw in a medically- induced coma and you have something besides a romantic comedy. Salon conversation will be around why we need to laugh when we are struggling and how grateful we are to be surrounded –sometimes more than others–by the ones we love. Watch the trailer: HERE.

And, at First Tuesday Salon we will tell you more about the amazing line up for the 18th Annual Port Townsend Film Festival which you should TOTALLY buy passes for right HERE.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

July 21, 2017

Adult Life Skills actress is the new “Dr. Who.” The Mars Generation sends us an astronaut in training How Festival Juries make or break a film We fell in love with Adult Life Skills at first sight. When rumors of a new “Dr. Who” (a popular television series) began to swirl, the name “Jodie Whittaker” kept tickling my memory–why is this name familiar? Ah, she’s the STAR of Adult Life Skills. See the film Sat. or Sun. at the Festival. Our program listing times will be posted in August. Watch the trailer HERE.

The Mars Generation sends us an astronaut in training Go to Space Camp with The Mars Generation.

Awed by the six young subjects of his film, director Michael Barnett says, "What I thought I knew about space was annihilated by their knowledge.” 16-year-old Alyssa Carson, a veteran of Space Camp who just returned from the Arctic (where she tested NASA space suits), will first speak to students at the Jefferson Community School Fri., Sept. 15. You’ll meet her when she rides in a Rakers car in our Opening Ceremonies Parade, Friday at 4 p.m. on Washington St. And she’ll appear at the 9:15pm screening at the NW Maritime Center on Saturday night. Be there to cheer on the future! See the trailer: HERE.

Behind the scene with PTFF Juries! PTFF invites top film professionals from across the country to evaluate submissions for awards. This year Ted Crockett, Executive Director of the Nashville Film Festival, saw a film he loved, Life Hack. Crockett, whose opinion is well respected by film distributors, picked up the phone and initiated a chain of events leading to theatrical distribution for Life Hack. Meet director, Sloan Copeland, in person with his very timely film about computer spying and blackmail at the Festival’s two screenings.

Watch the trailer HERE.

We expect another sold-out year and recommend that you buy your passes now. You can buy HERE or call our box office at 360-379-1333. We take all credit cards, checks and American currency.

First Tuesday Salon is August 1st! Watch for time, details and more insights to our September 15th-16th- 17th celebration of cinema and community,

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

July 5, 2017 Guess the Guest REVEALED!! First Tuesday Salon and Happy Birthday Rose Theatre July 11th 7:30pm Pass Sales for 2017 are Heating up

PTFF is thrilled to welcome Academy Award winning director Morgan Neville as our Special Guest for the 18th Annual Port Townsend Film Festival September 15-16-17, 2017.

Neville, 49, won the 2013 Oscar for Best Documentary Film for 20 Feet From Stardom. The film follows the journey of four outstanding women who worked as backup singers behind some of America’s biggest stars.

His following film, The Music of Strangers, is a lively account of cellist Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble that features top musicians from throughout the world playing instruments little heard in western music.

Both films will be screened at this year’s festival. The Music of Strangers will be screened on Friday September 15th in the 250-seat American Legion Hall with Neville attending for Q&A. “20 Feet From Stardom will be screened, Saturday, Sept. 16, as the evening outdoor movie on Taylor Street and is open to the public.

Neville said that he has never been to Port Townsend but has heard good things about the annual festival and has wanted to attend for some time. “I’ve heard this festival is a real gem,” he said. “At festivals, you get to interact with people who are true film fans. There’s something about the engagement and the energy that I love. The best festivals have a magical air about them, where real life stops and everyone comes together.

Winner of our Guess the Guest contest was the legendary local cinephile, DD Wigley. She wins a $220 Festival Pass that includes unlimited films during our 3 day festival and salmon dinner on Friday evening. We will also make certain she meets Morgan Neville!

First Tuesday Salon & Birthday Party! July 11th 7:30pm Rose Theatre Director Robin Swicord attending for Q & A following Wakefield

What would your life look like without you in it? Outwardly, Howard Wakefield (Bryan Cranston) is the picture of success. He has a loving wife (Jennifer Garner) and two daughters, a prestigious job as a Manhattan lawyer, and a comfortable home in the suburbs. Inwardly, though, he’s suffocating. One day, something snaps and Howard goes into hiding in his garage attic. Leaving his family to wonder what happened to him, he observes them from the attic window—an outsider spying in on his own life. As the days of self-imposed isolation stretches longer than he planned, Howard begins to wonder: is it even possible to go back to the way things were? Driven by a tour de force, darkly comic performance from Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, WAKEFIELD is a provocative look at what it means to walk away from it all. Watch the trailer: HERE. Rocky is giving all of US a birthday present, hosting the remarkable director of the film, Robin Swicord. Be there for the interview following the film. Tickets might still be available: HERE. Thank you Rocky, for 25 years of cinema magic!!

Remember that we ran out of Film Festival passes one year?

Well, so far you are safe but why wait? We have just finished selection of 88 films from 15 nations. Travel on a motorcycle in Kurdistan, learn book repair and track 100 years of the amazing Pulitzer Prize- the film industry is opening more and more windows into our world. From the bottom of the coral reefs to the galaxies far, far away, join us September 15-16-17 for the journey that brings us all together!

From $40 to $1,500 there is a seat for everyone,

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com June 21, 2017 PTFF sponsors NPR’s “SAYS YOU!” Fri., June 23, 7 pm, Chimacum High Big Sonia needs our help Celebrate July 4th OUTDOORS, we move First Tues. Salon to July 11

PTFF sponsors the nationally-acclaimed NPR word game show, Says You! live broadcast from Chimacum High School Auditorium, Friday, June 23, at 7 p.m. Ticket proceeds benefit the Jefferson Clemente Course in the Humanities.

Join regular cast members Carolyn Faye Fox, Barry Nolan, Murray Horowitz and KUOW's Seattle host, Greg Porter, along with our local hall of fame punsters Patti Miles, Brion Toss and Lela Hilton for a night of "bluff and blunder, words and whimsy."

The Jefferson Clemente Course in the Humanities offers free college humanities courses to low-income adults. Books, tuition, childcare and transportation are provided at no cost to qualified students. Founded in 1999, it is the only rural program in a network of 30 courses nation wide.

Tickets are $35 General Admission. ($50 Reserved Seating includes the pre-game cast party at Finnriver Farm & Cidery. Tickets are available on line at Brown Paper Tickets or at Port Book and News, Port Angeles and Quimper Sound, Port Townsend ($5 for each ticket sold through Quimper Sound will also benefit KPTZ).

For more information contact: [email protected]

Big Sonia, one of the most popular films at Women & Film this year, is headed for national distribution, but the director needs our help! If you are interested in assisting with the launch, here is your chance: LINK. “First Tuesday Salon” postponed to July 11. Celebrate 4th of July OUTDOORS July 4th will be a wonderful celebration with friends and community all over the country. We happily report no film on July 4 will interfere with the fireworks!

We also want to report that we’ve accepted most of the films that will be screened at the Festival, Sept. 15- 17. The process begins in January and concludes each June. What a ride it’s been!

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

June 3, 2017 FIRST TUESDAY SALON! Wonder Woman, Rose, June 6,7:30 pm Sept. 15-17 is right around the corner, buy passes now! “Ina’s Kitchen,” is at Imprint Books Roger Ebert.com writes, “Wonder Woman is beautiful, kindhearted, and buoyant in ways that make me eager to see it again. Jenkins and her collaborators have done what I thought was previously impossible: created a Wonder Woman film that is inspiring, blistering, and compassionate, in ways that honor what has made this character an icon.”

For the full review click HERE.

See the trailer HERE. Join our local Wonder Woman, Marcia Perlstein, to discuss why female super heroes matter, now more than ever!

Thanks to local artist Don Tiller, whose painting of our iconic downtown is a knockout, our 2017 passes are ephemera collector items. Once again we expect to sell out. Don’t miss out on our truly remarkable, independent film selections! We changed the name of our former “Director Pass,” to Concierge Pass to eliminate confusion for our many film directors attending the festival. See our pass levels and purchase here (program will be online in mid-August): click HERE. Good news! Many of you met charismatic Chicago restaurateur, Ina Pinkney, when she attended Women & Film in April. Her book, “Ina’s Kitchen,” is now at Imprint Books on Water Street, with her personal stories folded in between recipes. Purchase her book, and Ina will send you your own bookplate, autographed just for you. She loved being here to share her film with our audiences.

Our programmer, Jane Julian arrives next week after months of winnowing films for us at major film festivals. We’ll be writing contracts with filmmakers for the next month as we make our final list for the 2017 Festival. Like Port Townsend Film Festival on Facebook where we post news several times a week through the summer.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

April 26, 2017 SPECIAL FIRST TUESDAY SALON! Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope Chimacum High School Auditorium, May 2, 6 pm, with Special Guest, early childhood trauma expert, Jim Sporleder. Free.

Don’t Miss the Wearable Art Show, McCurdy Pavilion, May 13, two shows. PTFF brings you up close!

Filmmakers Raves For “Women & Film”: Thank You for Coming

Jim Sporleder is a pioneer in bringing traumatized children of all ages back from the brink of despair and disengagement. Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope brings us new neuroscience and research to help kids move into a brighter future. Doors open at the Chimacum High School auditorium, Tues., May 2, at 5:30 p.m. for the 6 p.m. screening. Free public admission, thanks to Jefferson County Public Health and substance abuse prevention expert, Denise Banker. Jim Sporleder is the former principal of a Walla Walla high school that was reeling from gang violence. His visionary leadership changed his community and inspired new approaches to childhood trauma. Details on the event: HERE. http://www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/index.php?cpc-free-family- program-1 Watch the trailer:HERE.

Don’t Miss the Wearable Art Show

After 17 years of building theatres and enhancing sound and on-screen images, it’s our pleasure to assist the JCCF “Fund for Women & Girls” to produce The Wearable Art Show. Two shows are Saturday, May 13 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm. at McCurdy Pavilion, Fort Worden State Park. Because we’re committed to great images for our community, what better way to support our own mission of “connecting filmmakers and audiences” than to undertake a three-camera live-shoot to bring the audience up close and personal with the remarkable creations that will appear on the runway. Our PTFF tech team helps you see what only a camera can see.

Tickets might still be available: HERE.

Filmmakers Raves For “Women & Film”

We just received a note from one of our filmmakers who screened her work at our Women & Film event, April 8-9: “Port Townsend is a magical place and showing your film there is magic. The audiences are thoughtful, engaged and extremely educated. It’s a place where discussing your film’s thesis is not out of order, but is in fact welcomed. And the conversation promises to be excellent. That, coupled with the stunning natural beauty of the rugged coastline and profusion of tame deer, make PTFF a must-attend festival." We could not agree more! Save the dates for next year: April 7 & 8, 2018.

A special thanks to Deja Webster for capturing these images–and to all of you who made this event so dynamic.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

March 30, 2017 So popular! Kedi, Rosebud Cinema, April 4, 7:30 pm, with guest Sara Penhallegon, Center Valley Animal Rescue Agnes Martin Before the Grid: One of our favorites for Women & Film, April 8-9. KPTZ interviews four directors for Women & Film, including legendary Terrence Davies, on air April 5 & 6

Kedi, a soulful documentary following stray cats’ wandering in Istanbul, Turkey, profoundly illustrates the symbiosis between humans and animals. Director Ceyda Torun shoots from the cats' eye-level, following some of these principal characters as they live their lives. She also talks to the humans who share the cats' public space, under no illusion that the cats fully accept this. See the trailer HERE. https://www.kedifilm.com Sara Penhallegon, founder and director of Center Valley Animal Rescue will talk with us about our relationship to local cats and other critters.

Agnes Martin Before the Grid Thanks to local artist Jane Mitchell and art lover Tom Duke, PTFF was introduced to an in-depth documentary of renowned painter, Agnes Martin, Agnes Martin Before the Grid. At Women & Film, Sat. morning, April 8, at the Rosebud, we welcome both the director and producer of this tender tale of a legendary artist emerging and finding her true voice. For more inspiration from Agnes Martin, enjoy this insightful article on her determination to live a joyful life HERE.

KPTZ interviews Tune in to KPTZ 91.9 FM, Wed., April 5, 5:05 p.m., for “Interviews with Directors.”

Thanks to skilled interviewers Marcia Perlstein and Larry Stein, you can listen to four film directors discuss their work.

Wednesday, April 5, 5:05 pm, Big Sonia, Director Leah Warshawski; Drawing the Tiger, Director Amy Benson; A Quiet Passion, Director Terence Davies; and Breakfast at Ina’s, Director Mercedes Kane. Rebroadcast Thurs., April 6, at noon. Gotta love community radio.

Did you buy your pass for Women & Film? All passes ($75) include concierge service, your choice of four films, plus special Saturday night mixer with filmmakers at Taps and screening at Fort Worden’s Wheeler Theatre. www.ptfilmfest.com or call 360-379-1333. Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

March 23, 2017 Highlights for Women & Film April 8 & 9

Meet Gael Towey, director of Portraits in Creativity Big Sonia inspires us to treasure every day Kamala Lopez: United Nations, then Port Townsend Women & Film

Don’t miss this! Gael Towey, in 1990, helped launch Martha Stewart Living magazine. She designed the inaugural issue, initiating the magazine’s distinct and iconic visual style. As creative director, she also helped launch five more magazine titles and several product lines reflecting the changing lifestyles of American women.

Today she travels the world as a storyteller and filmmaker. Her Portraits in Creativity, a series of short- form documentaries, delights in the seduction of creative work. She will attend Women & Film with her Portrait of Sheila Berger, Sat., April 8, 10:15 am at the Rose Theatre. Ms. Berger, a New York painter and sculptor, examining nurturing and the fragility of nature, will also attend.

Big Sonia Sonia Warshawski is 90-years old and about to be evicted from her tailor shop in an abandoned shopping mall. At first the film seems to be a tribute to Sonia Warshawski as a tailor, then as a survivor and finally, the gift she has to share with us that will stay with you long after the film has ended. Join editor Eric Firth to learn how filmmaker and editor capture this “firefly” on the screen. Masterful editing and animation guides this film from beginning to end. See it April 8, Sat., 1:15 pm., Rose Theatre.

Kamala Lopez, Director of Equal Means Equal comes to Port Townsend after her recent appearance at the United Nations, speaking on behalf of women’s rights world- wide. She was also featured in March on Ms. Magazine.com blog. How many years have women been demanding change? Now more than ever, this conversation about government and gender rights could not be more relevant. Thanks to JCCF Fund for Women & Girls for their support. Now more than ever, this conversation about government and gender rights could not be more relevant. Click HERE for the complete interview.

Three great reasons to buy your pass now!

We must limit pass sales to the number of seats in the Rose and Rosebud, and all passes have concierge service. Included in your W&F Pass is Saturday evening’s event at Fort Worden’s Wheeler Theatre, 7 p.m. (doors open early so you can save your seat). And don’t miss our “Taps at the Guardhouse” mixer, where you can meet all of our honored guests, 5-6:30 pm, Sat., April 8. See our complete list of films and buy your pass online at www.ptfilmfest.com or call us at 360-379-1333. We take all credit and debit cards, checks and cash!

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com March 9, 2017 Women & Film, April 8 & 9, Buy Passes Now Bastards y Diablos with actor Dillon Porter, March 16, 7 pm Reaching Blue, with PTFF alum Ian Hinkle, March 17, 6:30pm Women & Film, April 8-9

Join 11 film professionals for two days of unique perspectives on women around the world.

When we opened this program three years ago, there was no way to imagine the quality of talent and insight that lay ahead. This weekend will take us to Chicago, Tel Aviv, Nepal, NYC and Tunisia. We meet artists, orphans, poets and a warrior princess who takes on big Pharma and wins. We share the bittersweet final days of a restaurant created with love and maintained for decades by the queen of the kitchen, Ina Pinkney. And you will meet all of these women! Screening begin each day at 10 am at The Rose Theatre and Rosebud. We have time for lunch, then continue at 1 pm. All pass holders are invited to Taps at the Guardhouse at Fort Worden, 5 p.m. Saturday for a meet and greet with our guests (no host bar, order from the menu), then move over to the Wheeler Theatre at 7 pm to meet Rita Coburn Whack, director of the award-winning documentary Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. She’ll be interviewed by Akuyoe Graham, founder of Spirit Awakening Foundation prior to the show. Q & A follows.

Passes available online ptfilmfest.com. Once you have purchased your passes, you will receive an email from our concierge to select your four film choices. Saturday night’s events are included in your pass. Bastards y Diablos with actor Dillon Porter, March 16, 7 pm. By donation We host one more screening of Bastards y Diablos, this time with actor Dillon Porter. The film just won another Audience Choice Award, this time from the Durango Film Festival. Join us at the Balcony Theatre, 211 Taylor St., Suite 401-A. Doors open at 6 pm. After hours admittance requires you to ring our electronic doorbell on the outside door. Elevator to the 4th floor is behind the stairs. Dillon is eager to tell you more stories of filming in Columbia and how the project changed as filming progressed. All donations at the door support the film. Reaching Blue with PTFF alum Ian Hinkle, March 17, 6:30 pm Quimper Unitarian Join your neighbors at QUUF, 2333 San Juan Ave., for a screening and reception for the uplifting environmental insight into the fate of our Salish Sea. Produced by PTFF alum, Ian Hinkle, go beneath the surface in our fragile world to fall in love and learn about protecting the gem we call home. Tickets: $10 at the door. Details? Call Kees Kolff

206-295-2275 ([email protected])

Watch the trailer HERE!

Just a note for those who may not know that PTFF lost one of its brightest stars last Monday. Robert Osborne, legendary host of Turner Classic Movies and great friend to our festival, was Peter Simpson’s college roommate. Thanks to Robert, we opened our first festival with Tony Curtis. Thanks to Robert, we hosted Jane Powell, Piper Laurie and countless film lovers who came to Port Townsend in the hope of meeting Robert Osborne. He remained devoted to The Rose Theatre and our Festival through the years, always sharing contact information for guests and cheering us on. We will honor his legacy by carrying the torch for love of cinema and a generous world.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

March 1, 2017 Sea Gypsies with Director Nico Edwards March 2 Fort Worden 7p FREE Unveiling of our 2017 Festival Poster Painting, Fri., March 3, 5:30p First Tuesday Salon March 7 Lion Starlight Room 7:30p Director and videographer Nico Edwards finds passage on the sailing yacht “Infinity” on an Antarctic expedition and discovers more than just penguins, the seventh continent and open seas. PTFF and the Port Townsend Public Library kick off the annual “Community Read” of Jim Lynch’s “Before the Wind,” with Sea Gypsies at the Wheeler Theatre, and afterwards, Q&A with Edwards. After growing up on a houseboat in Northern California, Edwards is enamored of the “ownerless” ocean and especially enamored of characters who don’t fit in most other places. His stories are about people living creative and alternative lifestyles told to broaden audience perceptions about life’s possibilities. Sea Gypsies is his first feature film. It was originally screened at PTFF’s 2016 Festival. Now you can see it Thurs., March 2, 7 p.m., Wheeler Theater, Fort Worden State Park. Free!

Sponsored by Friends of the Port Townsend Library, Port Townsend Film Festival & Kris Nelson’s Family of Restaurants: Sirens Pub, Alchemy Bistro, and The Old Whiskey Mill

View the trailer HERE.

Unveiling of our 2017 Festival Poster Painting, Fri., March 3, 5:30p

Don Tiller unveils his new, original painting for our 2017 poster and his new gallery, this Fri., March 3, 5:30 p.m. at Flagship Landing, 1015 Water St. The acrylic painting is a beauty and vividly captures the essence of the Festival. Tiller, a Port Townsend artist, is best known for his fluid, colorful landscapes. He’s captured a luminous downtown in the dark where we celebrate film and community on Taylor St for three nights every September. Thanks, Don. First Tuesday Salon Lion March 7, 7:30p Starlight Room with Guests

Please join us on Tues., March 7, at 7:30 in the Starlight Room for a screening of Academy Award nominated Lion, set in India, with Q&A afterwards with David and Julie McCulloch. The son of missionary educators, David grew up in northern India, speaks fluent Hindi, and he and Julie are frequent travelers to India. The story: Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him hundreds of miles across India, away from home and family. He must learn to survive alone in teeming Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home. “This heart tugging film roars with strong performances,” says the Seattle Times critic Moira Mcdonald, and “Lion has one of those plot lines that feels like a Hollywood screenplay–except it actually happened.” Nominees for Actor/Actress in a Supporting R ole were British actor Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. Patel’s breakthrough came in 2008 with the leading role of Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire, and in 2012 in the highly successful The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Watch Patel giving us the inside story behind the film: HERE. Women & Film full program will be available next week!!

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

February 16, 2017 Fumiko Hayashida reminds us of our collective history Oscar Gala Feb 25th Don’t miss this event Sea Gypsies with Director Nico Edwards March 2 Fort Worden 7p FREE

In February, 1942, Exclusion Order No. 1 authorized the first “relocation,” targeting Japanese American citizens living on Bainbridge Island, Washington to be taken from their homes on a day’s notice and transported at gunpoint to internment camps. One of them was 31-year-old Fumiko Hayashida, a pregnant mother of two. She was one of 227 members of her community who, dressed in their best clothes, assembled at the Eagle Harbor ferry landing on March 30th, 1942. As they waited to be taken off the Island by armed military escorts, Fumiko, holding her 13-month-old daughter Natalie Kayo, was photographed by a Seattle Post-Intelligencer photographer. The photograph has since become a lasting iconic symbol of the internment experience.

A guest of PTFF in 2010, 92-year-old Fumiko Hayashida shared her story with students and audiences. Her tale gains importance in 2017 and underscores the essential role that film and art play in reminding us of decisions based on fear. Thanks to director Lucy Ostrander for bringing “Fumiko Hayashida: The Woman Behind the Symbol,” to our festival. Here is a clip from the film: https://vimeo.com/83799572 The complete film is available in our PTFF library! Sign up for PTFF Adventures, Hear About Our Crazy Beginning and Obstacles We Overcame, Meet NPR Radio Personality Luke Burbank and

Get the Dirt on Oscar Contenders at our Gala, Sat., Feb. 25, NW Maritime Center.

Jan Halliday, who covered the west coast for magazines, has created a travel bureau at our Gala with the help of artist Max Grover, Martha Pfanschmidt, David Kellum, and Patti Wickline (Home staging). We offer 20 daytime adventures you can sign up for, including garden tours, berry picking, secrets of boatyards, the fort, and even Bremerton. Most are $135 per person and include lunch! See them HERE.

Guess the most Oscar winners and you can win a $900 membership to the Rose! See details (champagne, dinner!) and buy your tickets HERE.

Or call us at 360-379-1333. We take checks and all cards!

Sea Gypsies: The Far Side of the World, with director Nico Edwards

Thurs., March 2, 7 p.m., Wheeler Theater, Fort Worden State Park. Free.

Director and videographer Nico Edwards finds passage on the sailing yacht “Infinity” on an Antarctic expedition and discovers more than just penguins, the seventh continent and open seas. PTFF and the Port Townsend Public Library kick off the annual “Community Read” of Jim Lynch’s “Before the Wind,” with Sea Gypsies at the Wheeler Theatre, and afterwards, Q&A with Edwards. After growing up on a houseboat in Northern California, Edwards is enamored of the “ownerless” ocean and especially enamored of characters who don’t fit in most other places. His stories are about people living creative and alternative lifestyles told to broaden audience perceptions about life’s possibilities. Sea Gypsies is his first feature film. It was originally screened at PTFF’s 2016 Festival. Free! Sponsored by Friends of the Port Townsend Library, Port Townsend Film Festival & Kris Nelson’s Family of Restaurants: Sirens Pub, Alchemy Bistro, and The Old Whiskey Mill.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

February 3, First Tuesday Salon, Hidden Figures Starlight Room, Feb. 7, 7:30pm Emily Lindin with UnSlut returns February 6-10th Oscar Gala-Was your invitation Overprinted?? First Tuesday Salon, Starlight Room, Feb. 7, 7:30pm, Hidden Figures

What better way to begin Black History Month than with this inspired tale of three savants we meet for the first time in Hidden Figures. Nominated for multiple Oscars, director Ted Melfi brings us the brilliant women whose engineering, mathematics and computing ability, made NASA’s space program triumph. As Joe Morgenstern (Wall St. Journal) reminds us, “Hidden Figures brings us to the breaking of many barriers–space, race AND gender!” Here is a link to the actresses acceptance speech for “Best Ensemble” from The SAG Actors Guild: HERE. See the trailer HERE.

Order your tickets early for our First Tuesday Salon screening and conversation with Professor Joseph Daccurso following. Attend free screenings, Q&A with Emily Lindin, Director of The UnSlut Project, Feb. 6-10

When she was 11-years-old, Emily Lindin was labeled a “slut” by classmates and was bullied at school, after school, and online. During all this, she kept a diary. Now a Harvard graduate, author and recent PhD, Lindin began The UnSlut Project by blogging her own middle school diaries. This led to an online community, book, film and personal appearances on television and throughout the world. She’s coming to Port Townsend with her award-winning film, Unslut, Feb. 6-10, to visit classrooms and speak after three public screenings, thanks to over 10 community partner organizations. You can see her:

Mon., Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., Bainbridge Island Museum of Art Auditorium, Winslow Wed., Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. Chimacum High School Auditorium Thurs., Feb., 9, 7 p.m. Maier Performance Hall, Port Angeles You’ll Love Our PTFF Gala–Even if Your Invite Was a Mess. Sat., Feb. 25.

Our printer is scratching his head on this one. Some of your mailed invitations were mistakenly overprinted with another document. Never fear, just call us at 360-379-1333 and we’ll clarify! Remember, our fundraising event of the year is the night before Oscars, Sat., Feb. 25, 5:30-8:30 at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend. Doors open at 5 p.m. Your $85 ticket price includes champagne, hors d’oevres, dinner, a dash for the most amazing desserts, and entertainment. We’ll be voting on the next night’s Oscar winners and if you guess correctly, you could win a $900 pass to the Rose Theatre. Ticket sales are brisk, seats are limited to 100.

Please see a description of the evening, our catalogue of adventures, and buy your tickets HERE.

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com

January 28, 2017 PTFF Film Fellow Andrew Perez opens at Key City Public Theatre January 27th Emily Lindin with UnSlut returns February 5-10th

Oscar Gala February 25th Benefits PTFF & Takes you behind the scenes before you watch the broadcast! Our 2017 Film Fellow, actor and screenwriter Andrew Perez

is writing his new screenplay in Port Townsend. He’s hosted by one of our generous donors who extended his stay to the end of February. Now he’s bringing fellow actors from L.A. for a reprisal of Annie Baker’s 2010 Obie Award winning play, The Aliens, at Key City Public Theatre. Andrew, who was here with his first film, Bastards y Diablos, performed this play to a packed house during the 2016 Festival. (Ah, to have the energy of the young again!). Don’t miss this show! To purchase tickets: www.keycitypublictheatre.org or call KCPT’s box office at (360) 385-5289.

When she was 11-years-old, Emily Lindin

was labeled a “slut” by classmates and was bullied at school, after school, and online. During all this, she kept a diary. Now a Harvard graduate, author and recent PhD., Lindin began The UnSlut Project by blogging her own middle school diaries. This led to an online community, book, film and personal appearances on television and throughout the world. She’s coming to Port Townsend with her award-winning film, Unslut, Feb. 6-10, to visit classrooms and speak after three public screenings, thanks to over 10 community partner organizations. You can see her:

Mon., Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., BIMA Auditorium Bainbridge Island Wed., Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m. Chimacum High School Auditorium Thurs., Feb., 9, 7 p.m. Maier Performance Hall Port Angeles Oscars! Don’t we love them!

This year we’ve moved our annual fundraising gala to the NIGHT BEFORE THE OSCARS, Sat., Feb. 25, at the NW Maritime Center. That’s so you can help support the Festival AND the next night, curl up in your pajamas and watch the broadcast on your comfortable couch. The party will be much the same as in the past–with some new twists.

Returning is NPR and Live Wire Radio host, Luke Burbank and his sidekick, Carey. Their wit and love of PTFF will carry the night, along with John Ellis, from the improv/comedy troupe, “The Edge.”

We’ll be screening trailers and telling you the inside story of the nine films nominated by The Academy for Best Feature Film (and a host of other honors). (The person who correctly guesses the winners enters a chance to win a $900 membership to the Rose)!

And, instead of a silent auction, where just one person takes home the prize, everyone will win. We’re offering 20 exciting short trips you can sign up for at a fixed price. These include a tour of Heronswood Garden with Victoria O’Donnell, a tour of the Makah Reservation with travel writer Jan Halliday and a libations tour with designated driver, Janette Force. We’re also doing a dessert dash, and you know how great the bakers in this town are!

Doors open at 5 p.m. for live jazz, appetizers, and our legendary cocktails. Dinner at 6:30 and on with the show. Tickets $85 per person, please reserve your seat by calling 360-379-1333 or buy tickets online HERE.

First Tuesday Salon February 7th The Rose Theatre To Be Announced

Janette Force, Executive Director for PTFF 211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-1333/ Cell 360-774-1978 www.ptfilmfest.com The 22nd Annual Port Townsend Film Festival will stream September 23-October 3, 2021!

The mission of the Port Townsend Film Festival is to spark community by connecting filmmakers & audiences!

211 Taylor Street, Suite 401A • PORT TOWNSEND, WA 98368 360-379-1333 • Email Us © 2017 PTFF

PTFI is a non-profit corporation registered with the State of Washington EIN # 52-2455215