5.15.2011

Seattle: Movie House Central

On the basis of sheer size, the Seattle International Film Festival is the true gathering event for cineastes. And the 2011 edition — with 441 films from 74 countries spread over 25 days — kicks off on Thursday. There’ll be a lot to digest; below, three trailers indicate the breadth of subjects and styles about to be unleashed at what is, pound for pound, film for film, the biggest movie festival in the world.

Beginners, directed by Mike Mills (Thumbsucker), stars Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor as a father and son coming to grips with changes: Dad’s announcement that he’s gay goes up against his son’s shaky foray into a new relationship. What promises to be a moving, hilarious study of the cockeyed plans of life and love opens at SIFF on May 24.



Highly stylized and awash in color, Saigon Electric presents the story of an outsider fighting for recognition in a closed youth subculture in Vietnam. Like Slumdog Millionaire, Saigon blends dance, romance and conflict in a highly personal story. Screens on May 28.



Hailed as “vital,” “riveting” and a “gotta-see” documentary, Page One: Inside the New York Times explores the process of producing the world’s pre-eminent newspaper in an era when the newspaper industry is under siege like never before. SIFF screens it on May 25, May 28 and 30.




SIFF logo: © 2011 Seattle International Film Festival

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