SIFF 2026 Roundup: Zach’s Don’t-Sleep-on-These Picks
I anticipated many films this year whose descriptions piqued my interest. These films satisfied me for the most part, but there were a handful of films I did not really expect to knock me back in my seat. It’s rare to capture a film's essence in a descriptive paragraph or even a trailer. It is in the mind of the watcher that a film becomes a more than pleasant surprise or, even better, truly great. The following films surprised and delighted me.
Spanish Films at SIFF Explore Spectrums of Intersectional Experiences
This year's Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) boasts a fantastic assortment of Spanish language films. Not only that, there are also two films in Basque, a language and a people whose ancestral lands span a portion of Spain and France.
Funnily enough, though, the three Spanish-language films that really excited me this year all come from Mexico. Like Mexico itself, these films are unique to their places and diverse in their storytelling. They take place in the ancient forests of untold beauty, the city with its grit and glamor, and the vast plains where the rancheros roam.
3 SIFF Films Challenge Perceptions of Bureaucracy
At this year's Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) there are a number of films that show us the depth and dehumanizing nature of bureaucratic systems, from the idealistic investigations of police officers accused of wrongdoing down to a cloistered community attempting to figure out if an outsider is who he says he is. We even get a look at what is the first taste many of us have of the strange beast of bureaucracy: high school.
Noveltease Illustrates Our Splendidly Fluid Selves with ‘Orlando’
I was obviously intrigued when I heard that Noveltease Theatre, Seattle’s literary burlesque company who blend burlesque, dance, and theater storytelling, were putting on an adaptation of Orlando. I was curious how Noveltease would interpret this dense literary text into visual language and choreography. And yet, speaking with the production’s director, Alyza DelPan-Monley, it quickly became clear how intuitive it was to make a burlesque version of the story.
Cadence Video Poetry Fest Inspires Interdependence with Blended Media
It was a warm and springlike day in Capitol Hill, but not even the good weather could deter the creative community from showing up for the Cadence Video Poetry Festival, which has been running yearly in Seattle during National Poetry Month since 2018. This was Day 3 of in-person screenings, and the event, titled proof that we were here, was about to begin.
‘The Orca Show’ is the Perimenopausal Fever Dream We Deserve
Let’s be clear: Society treats the onset of menopause like a slow-motion car crash into a nursing home. Menopausal women are expected to go quietly, perhaps draped in a drab beige sheet, clutching a bottle of magnesium oil and apologizing for their sudden lack of utility. But Aysan Celik isn't interested in apologies or beige aesthetics. In The Orca Show, Celik takes the change of life and dunks it headfirst into the freezing depths of the PNW. It turns out, if you want to understand why you’re currently possessed by the spirit of a 5-ton apex predator, you have to look at the only other mammalian girly who loses her period at forty: the orca.
Noveltease Arouses, Enlightens with Intersectional Literary Burlesque
If you believe burlesque isn’t for you or you’ve never attended a show before, Noveltease offers an experience that highlights the intersection of literature, dance, music, and history in a small venue, creating an intimacy that provides multisensory entertainment. I left feeling good, emboldened, and creative. And though glamorous clothes were shed, the message of the evening—particularly within the selected poems—was that of reclamation, self-affirmation, and pleasure without shame or exploitation.
Steven Marcus Releford’s Popup Comedy Injects Levity into Vegan Scene
Vegan. Black. Comedy.
Those aren’t words that come up in the same sentence—let alone the same event—ever, if at all. But Steven Marcus Releford is changing the landscape of how we perceive standup comedy at the intersections of Blackness, veganism, and West Coast vibes.
Moe Vegan Serves Soul in Food + Vibes
I pulled up to a stretch of road that holds two years of my 10-year history —just a block from where I first landed when I moved back to Seattle from Atlanta. It was a homecoming wrapped in a transition, but the moment I stepped into Moe Vegan, the famed “Seattle Freeze" officially thawed out.
ECCC Wrapped: Mixed Bag of Community Joy, Grumbles, Nerdisms
There were still plenty of comics professionals signing, sketching, chatting, and being cornered by fans who did not realize that their 20-minute theory on Aquaman's ability to communicate with sea life as part of a broader metaphor for climate change was not appropriate when other people waited patiently behind them. Yet, Artist Alley felt like a small piece rather than the centerpiece it had been in years prior.
‘Ashes, Ashes’ Snapshots Family, Grief, Humor in Kenmore
Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down, written by Gretchen Douma, premiered February 5-8 at As If Theatre. The play, with its familial themes and living room-confined location suited the small, homey venue well. Staff greeted guests with warmth, ensuring all felt welcomed into the budding Kenmore arts community. Upon entering the Kenmore Community Club, a donation-based concession stand sold fresh, homemade cookies which added a unique layer of care, commitment, and connection to the performance and the theater space that often goes unfelt by patrons at larger venues.
Trans* Talk: SweeThe4rTs Art Show
On February 13, Common Objects opened its doors for SweeThe4rts, a T4T art show and market, created by the Trans community, for the Trans community to share art centered on the relationships between Trans folks.
‘SHe Said’ Delivers Rockin’ Story of Relationship Evolution
On January 15, the Intiman Theatre in Capitol Hill debuted SHe Said, a musical inspired by Trans love, resistance, and a whole lot of rock ‘n roll. Jen Ayers, along with a talented backing band, tells the true story of her partner coming out as transgender and the whirlwind of emotions that ensued. SHe Said is a heartfelt musical, touching on every feeling, heartbreak, and swirling thoughts that Jen experienced, along with the love for her partner that kept her aloft.
Queerly Beloved: We are Gathered Here to Laugh at This Thing Called Life
As a cultured Queer, I only recently learned straight people also do improv. Jet City Improv’s monthly Queerly Beloved, quite obviously, is not one of those instances.
The Ink Drinker Brings Together Bibliophiles, Beverage Lovers in Ballard
The Ink Drinker, which opened last month, has a substantial number of books open to the public. Even if you forget your current or feel-good read, there is no excuse not to join in on the fun. Although you cannot check them out, rows and rows of books stand resolute as they call individuals inward. Even if one’s literary tastes differ from another, every person can appreciate and find refuge or a second home here.
Life on the Moon Powerfully Illuminates Familial, Autistic Expression
On December 14, I was lucky enough to attend the PNW premiere of Life on the Moon, a play written by Anna Tatelman, directed by Jeremy Radick, and produced by Baker Theater Workshop. Hosted at ReAct Theatre, Life on the Moon is a family drama that centers on the relationship between siblings Piper, an 18-year-old with autism, and her older brother Spencer, who has just returned home from the army for the holidays.
Communion Restaurant & Bar: Homecoming on a Plate
Communion Restaurant & Bar sits inside the historic Liberty Bank Building in the heart of Seattle’s Central District. For me, this wasn’t just dinner; it was a return to my roots. I grew up on 20th & Union, and this exact spot used to be Thompson’s Point of View, a restaurant I frequented all through elementary school. Eating here felt like stepping into a memory with a modern twist.
The Return on Silver Screen Proves Why Fans Come Back to Twin Peaks
I have watched The Return several times now since its release in 2017. Each time, it feels like descending into a cave that should feel familiar—haven’t you been here a hundred times already? And yet, each descent into the third season of Twin Peaks feels almost alien. There are always hidden caverns to explore, new narrative threads to pull and unravel that often feel like they lead you nowhere.
Twin Peaks: The Return Offers Meditation on Grief, Feeling Life in the Moment
Two days after the dream, I entered a darkly lit theater in Northwest Film Forum to the familiar sound of the synth-heavy, nostalgic yet eerie Twin Peaks theme song, and shuffled into a seat. I was about to spend two hours watching episodes five and six of Twin Peaks: The Return (2017), as part of a collaborative screening of the entire 18-episode season held by Northwest Film Forum, SIFF, The Beacon, and The Grand Illusion Cinema between November 13 and December 16 of this year. I had only watched the first four episodes of the first season of David Lynch’s masterpiece series set in our home state. But there I sat, going in blind.
Studio 18 Supports Emerging Artists with Shared Delusions
Their exhibit opened to the public for a one-day event on Saturday, November 15 at Studio 18 Artist Collective. “This is a very historically [sic] arts building. They used to throw raves here in the ‘90s, early 2000s,” Reinhardt stated. The building is tucked beside train tracks underneath busy roadways—empty and bustling all at once. At the top of a thin staircase was the gallery opening, alive with visitors and music.
