SpIFF returns February 2024

Thanks for joining us for the 25th annual Spokane International Film Festival: we’re excited to bring you lovers and filmmakers together to celebrate some outstanding features and shorts from various countries.

This year we will be presenting the film selection through both in-person and virtual screenings via the Eventive.com festival platform. Check back to see this year’s schedule as we get closer to February.

Schedule:

February 9, 2024

7:00 PM  : Best of the Northwest - The Bing Crosby Theatre

Black & Blue

A teen girl and her friends who chronicle their bruises in a point-based game compete to collect the most injuries.

Pinwheel Horizon

On a barren planet, three elite warriors learn their final confrontation- a gang of 40- is waiting for them nearby.

#TalithaKoum

When a young mother suffers a sudden and grievous loss, she seeks a miracle from God.

The Retreat

Cloud Striker

Set in the 1930s, Chief Cloud Striker is on a quest to find his son Elijah, who has been forcibly taken from home and placed in Saint Ignatius Indian Residential School.

The Good Neighbors

A mother and son's morning routine is disrupted by a topless sunbathing neighbor.

 Impenetrable

Jules has a big goal for her birthday—and an even bigger obstacle to overcome: herself.

February 10, 2024

11:00 AM : Animation Showcase - The Magic Lantern Theater

Crumble

In a dying world, a scared stone clings desperately to the place he knows. Until the ground beneath him starts to crumble.

Harvey

Timeless, impressionistic and luminous, HARVEY, a short film adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, is a poetic tale about bereavement and coping with the loss of a parent, told through the eyes of a child with an overflowing imagination. The charming narration and delicate animation by director Janice Nadeau convey the misconceptions and anxieties of childhood with the lucidity that young minds show in the face of life’s defining moments. Crafted with a jeweller’s precision and immense sensitivity, and featuring elegant music by Martin Léon, this film is so personal that it strikes a universal chord.

Koet

Due to a new bridge, the skipper of a ferryboat is suddenly without passengers. A coot looking for stuff for its nest provides a solution.

Shakespeare for All Ages

How can you give the target age group, “smartphone” an overview of the work of a unique literary genius without getting bogged down in long-winded lectures on verse and drama theory? Shakespeare's works are timeless - this film proves it!

A Bear Named Wojtek

The story of Edinburgh Zoo's famous bear, Wojtek. A BEAR NAMED WOJTEK tells the fantastic journey of an orphaned Syrian brown bear brought to Edinburgh, having been previously adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II.

The Girl with the Red Beret

A girl takes a wild ride on the metro in Montreal. Travelling from station to station, she encounters an array of colourful characters in a bizarre musical journey that’s peppered with hilarious and unexpected incidents. This joyful, heartwarming animated film portrays Montreal in all its vitality, creativity and diversity, with plenty of humour and good cheer, to the tune of Kate and Anna McGarrigle’s timeless hit “Complainte pour Ste-Catherine.”

Zeb's Spider

An eight-legged force of fate spins a complex web of darkness and humour in Alicia Eisen and Sophie Jarvis’s animated short.

The Flying Sailor

The Flying Sailor is based on the Halifax Explosion of 1917 when two ships collided in the Halifax Harbour causing the largest accidental explosion in history. Among the tragic stories of the disaster is the remarkable account of a sailor who, blown skyward from the deck of a British cargo steamer, flew over 2 km before landing completely unharmed, but naked except for his boots.

Cinder

In a dark village dominated by a clock of death, Dante does not accept fate and engages in a desperate battle with the clock, causing him to miss his last moments with his son.

Drifter

As a child, DRIFTER dreamt of becoming an astronaut and now, as an adult, it seems he has made his dream come true. Every day, he shuttles back and forth between earth and space to carry out his daily tasks. Together with many others, in the rhythm of the great stream, he has become a prisoner of the mantra of construction, of the constant compelling demand for more and better.

11:30 AM : No Right Way - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

Georgie, a brazen tween, is thrust into the guardianship of her half-sister Harper whose attempts to parent only lead to exposing their paralleled childhood wounds.

1:30 PM : Through Indigenous Eyes - The Magic Lantern Theater

Headdress

When a queer Native is confronted by a non-Native wearing a ceremonial headdress at a music festival, he retreats into his mind to find the perfect response from various versions of his own identity.

he South Wind

An Inuit mother and daughter, Kumaa’naaq and Marguerite, must negotiate the pressures of assimilation after relocating to a new life in the South in the 1930s. Based on a true story.

Heritage

Heritage is a queer coming of age story following Rumiñahui, “Rumi", as he navigates his future with the guidance of his Indigenous Andean ancestors. Rumi finds the strength to succeed in a world seemingly working against him. Based on the true events of director Sebastian Rea’s own coming out story.

támqaliks ciklíitoqa

The people of Wal'áwa return to their homeland through the annual Tamkaliks celebration.

Cloud Striker

Set in the 1930s, Chief Cloud Striker is on a quest to find his son Elijah, who has been forcibly taken from home and placed in Saint Ignatius Indian Residential School.

Wabanaki Modern

The Micmac Indian Craftsmen (MIC) studio in 1960’s New Brunswick forever changed the landscape of modern Indigenous art in the Atlantic Canadian provinces. Our film is a celebration of the rich history surrounding these unsung artists from Elsipogtog and their era-defining works. Beaverbrook art Gallery co-curators Emma Hassencahl-Perley and John Leroux, and First Nation elders and artists including Percy Sacobie, Tara Francis and Jordan Bennett provide context forming the backbone of Wabanaki Modern. Explore the art, the key players and how their works impacted the next generation of Indigenous artists, and how their story reflects the challenges of Indigenous life in postwar Canada.

#TalithaKoum

When a young mother suffers a sudden and grievous loss, she seeks a miracle from God.

2:00 PM : Where the Rope Ends - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

In her relentless pursuit of happiness, Nichole found herself drawn to the exhilarating realm of canyoneering. Little did she know that this new daring interest would lead to a life-altering 60-foot fall, during which she would catch a glimpse of the happiness she was chasing.  A perilous volunteer search and rescue mission brought Nichole to safety only to face a new set of challenges and severe physical injuries.  Determined to regain her former life, Nichole disregarded her pain and learnings and continued the repetitive cycle of pushing toward a perceived happiness that was always just out of reach. At her lowest point, Nichole was forced to quit pushing against her reality, to sit still and ultimately uncover the secret path to happiness.

4:00 PM : PNW Makers - The Magic Lantern Theater

Twin Oaks

A captivating documentary about the Hoyt family, and their experiences trail building in the Pacific Northwest spanning over many years and multiple generations. The Hoyt family - Avery, and his parents, Daryl and Krista - each reflect on their own personal journeys, sharing their unique perspectives and experiences about trail building being a medium for connecting with nature and finding solace. They go on to describe the transformative nature of the journey itself and how it becomes an integral part of one's identity.

[Insert Short Film Title]

In the mind of every filmmaker, there are two wolves locked in an epic, eternal, and fierce battle for control and influence. The combatants? The analytical left brain and the whimsical right. [INSERT SHORT FILM TITLE] personifies these cerebral hemispheres in the monumentally (or at least marginally) comedic performances of Chrissy Mozylisky and Matthew MacCaull, evoking the cinematic manifestation of that cerebrum arm wrestle in the form of a meta-troll of the short film genre.

Things Long Left Unsaid
Things Long Left Unsaid is a short personal documentary about the sudden loss of the filmmaker's father and her coming to terms with all of the things the two never talked about, including the difficulty of existing as a Black family in her predominantly white suburban hometown of Spokane.

Night Stand

After reconnecting with an old flame, Laurel can't catch a break on her pursuit of a perfect morning after.

She Marches in Chinatown

In 1952, Asian American girls had no extra-curricular activities until Ruby Chow created the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, the only one of its kind in the world. Despite gentrification, Title IX, and a global pandemic, seventy years later the drill team continues to define, represent and celebrate the evolving Asian American experience of its dedicated multigenerational participants.

4:30 PM : Global Harmony - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

Richard Foster, a wealthy, award-winning journalist, leaves behind his family's business empire to found the Global Harmony Foundation, putting his inherited wealth into a new life's mission: to promote equality, justice and global unification. Richard, his wife, and the daughter they adopted after Richard found her mother in a difficult circumstance, move to the small Italian island of Lampedusa, historically known for receiving refugee children from poor nations. However, as Richard and his team prepare for a massive global conference, a crime ring is planning to thwart their plans. A social drama filled with suspense, heart, and a genuine social message.

6:30 PM : Bones of Crows - The Magic Lantern Theater

Cree matriarch Aline Spears survives a childhood in Canada’s residential school system to continue her family’s generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse. She uses her uncanny ability to understand and translate codes into working for a special division of the Canadian Air Force as a Cree code talker in World War II. The story unfolds over 100 years with a cumulative force that propels us into the future.

7:00 PM : Punderneath It All - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

If laughter is the best medicine, then pun competitions are just what the doctor ordered.  Visiting the “pun scenes” in respective US cities, Abby Hagan’s Punderneath it All follows multiple characters as they create their own pun slams and navigate the live comedy world. You’ll meet an endearing cast of characters, including Seattle’s premier pun slam hostess, Forest Ember, as she forges her own path in the community and builds her “pun empire” across the Pacific Northwest.  Exploring such themes as linguistics, the ethics of controversial comedy, and inclusivity within this niche world, Punderneath it All ultimately centers around the idea of laughter as a means to foster community. Buckle in for the most pun ride of your life—let the groans begin!

8:30 PM : Punderneath It All - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

If laughter is the best medicine, then pun competitions are just what the doctor ordered.  Visiting the “pun scenes” in respective US cities, Abby Hagan’s Punderneath it All follows multiple characters as they create their own pun slams and navigate the live comedy world. You’ll meet an endearing cast of characters, including Seattle’s premier pun slam hostess, Forest Ember, as she forges her own path in the community and builds her “pun empire” across the Pacific Northwest.  Exploring such themes as linguistics, the ethics of controversial comedy, and inclusivity within this niche world, Punderneath it All ultimately centers around the idea of laughter as a means to foster community. Buckle in for the most pun ride of your life—let the groans begin!

9:15 PM : Fantasy A Gets a Mattress - The Magic Lantern Theater

Fantasy A, autistic Seattle rapper, suffers trials and tribulations from total creeps as he attempts to become a superstar. Along the way he also finds a mattress to sleep on, after being kicked out of his group home. Fantasy A Gets a Mattress will be available for in-person screening only.

February 11, 2024

11:00 AM : Richland - The Magic Lantern Theater

Richland is a sobering, meditative portrait of a nuclear company town that embraces its origins and divisive past, all while reflecting on its future. Filmmaker Irene Lusztig’s patient and inquisitive storytelling expertly navigates themes of security, violence, and community.

11:30 AM : This Time

Closeted sixteen-year-old Grace Walker is trapped in her very suburban, Christian existence. When news of her estranged biological father’s death, along with his belongings, make it to her stepfather’s funeral home, she discovers drawings, a burned music CD of his favorite songs, and a letter from his close friend Liza Minnelli. On the eve of her mother and stepfather sending her off to conversion therapy, she steals the funeral home’s hearse setting out on a road trip to deliver her father’s ashes to Liza—where she believes her father wanted them to go. Unbeknownst to Grace, in the back of the hearse is passed out, alcoholic, failed father figure, Vietnam vet, sixty-six year old Red—who works at the funeral home. Not having a driver’s license, Grace blackmails Red into driving her to LA. What Grace doesn’t know is that Red has struck a side deal with her stepfather and is planning on delivering her to the conversion therapy center.

1:30 PM : Family Affair - The Magic Lantern Theater

I Am What You Imagine

A sensual exploration of the unexplainable from Spokane favorite Matthew Modine.

Good Daughter

A small-time con artist rips off elderly dementia patients by pretending to be their daughter - before the con catches up with her.

Crossroads

Infinity!

A Japanese-American dance duo must choose between their passion or their lives as WWII concentration camps begin to rise in the U.S.

Taking Flight

In an area where traditional education fails students, one Mayan woman starts her own school in order to rebuild her community from the ground up. Through integral education, which includes meals for students and workshops for their parents, Ingrid Villasenor strengthens her home of Panajachel one step at a time.  

Please Ask For It

Down on the Blues Alley in Holly Springs, Mississippi, you might meet David “Fox” Caldwell, the beloved owner of Aikei Pro’s Record Shop. Established in 1960 and a landmark on the Blues Trail, his shop was the hang-out for great Hill Country Blues artists like Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside - earning a place in blues magazines all over the world. Amidst waves of change and pressure from other business owners in town to close up shop, Mr. Caldwell, lovingly dubbed the “Father of the Alley,” keeps the dream alive, against all odds. Featuring music by William Tyler, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Precious Bryant, Little Joe Ayers, and more.

2:00 PM : Loteria

Due to the travel ban imposed on Iran in 2017, immigrants were forced to cross the border illegally into the United States. This is the story of an Iranian man's multiple attempt to cross over the boarder illegally from Mexico to the United States in pursuit of a better life.

4:00 PM : Women's World: World Shorts

Maria Schneider, 1983

In 1983, French actress Maria Schneider gives an interview for the TV show Cinéma Cinémas. The conversation takes an unexpected turn when she challenges film industry practices and is asked to talk about the controversial film Last Tango in Paris (1972). Maria Schneider, 1983 will screen in-person only.

Left Handed

Maryam is a 38-year-old woman who heads a family of four. She decides to cut off her right hand while working in a poultry slaughterhouse because, in this way, she can get more money from insurance than losing her left hand to pay her debts.

Please Hold the Line

A young scam call operator is thrust into a moral dilemma as she navigates a life-changing situation.

the river that never ends

Along a river that undergoes a major change, Baby, a middle-aged transwoman, shuttles between her job as a companion-for-hire for strangers and her duty to her father. As the people around Baby start to disappear, she realizes that she has been left behind in a stagnating city.

Solo un Ensayo

Two sisters are hiding inside a wardrobe in an empty room, the younger one thinks it’s a game but it soon becomes apparent that a serious threat has appeared outside.

4:30 PM : To Die Alone - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

After suffering a terrible injury while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Irving must find a way to escape the woods alive and confront her inner demons with the help of a stranger.

7:00 PM : My Love Affair with Marriage - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

From an early age, songs and fairytales convinced Zelma that Love would solve all her problems as long as she abided by societal expectations of how a girl should act. But as she grew older something didn't seem right with the concept of love: the more she tried to conform, the more her body resisted. A story about the acceptance of the inner female rebellion.

7:00 PM : Queer Lives - The Magic Lantern Theater

The Closet

The closet is Sina's only refuge. He is a ten-year-old boy who has girlish tendencies and is always scolded by his father. So, he hides himself in the closet. One day at school, he is kicked out of class because he wears nail polish and hides in the lab closet in fear. But when the school is closed, he gets stuck there and

Hyphen

A second-generation Vietnamese-American teen must navigate the familial challenges of coming out despite being unable to speak the same language as her grandma.

Late to the Party

During his 25th birthday party, a Trans man runs into his ex-best friend who ghosted him after confessing his feelings for her- only she doesn't recognize him post-transition.

Swimming in the Dark

When the swimming competition is coming, Wen is under lots of pressure. Ann who is inseparable from her found out something different. To confront Wen’s closure and trauma, Ann decides to be closer to Wen. But, when she gets closer to Wen, it pushes them further...

Workout

When Jackson discovers his favorite HITT class is being taught by his ex, he must decide whether to throw in the towel or **** it up and work it out.

Chimera

Haunted by the past, a brilliant tech-addicted developer faces an impossible dilemma: recreate her ex-girlfriend in virtual reality or hold onto the crumbling relationship with her current one.

Headdress

When a queer Native is confronted by a non-Native wearing a ceremonial headdress at a music festival, he retreats into his mind to find the perfect response from various versions of his own identity.

February 12, 2024

6:30 PM : Fancy Dance - The Magic Lantern Theater

Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax has cared for her niece Roki by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of losing custody to Jax’s grandfather, Frank, the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow. What begins as a search gradually turns into a far deeper investigation into the complexities and contradictions of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world and at the mercy of a failed justice system.

7:00 PM : A World of Hurt & US Shorts - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

Eggs

While anxiously awaiting a medical diagnosis, a middle aged woman named Frances becomes occupied with her chicken’s missing eggs and the 10 year old girl she catches stealing them. Eggs is a story that mirrors the different stages of womanhood and explores the ways we consider women to be obsolete when they reach middle age.

Sleepless

Suzie, a Chinese immigrant girl, is suffering from insomnia. One night, when Suzie is almost asleep, she is awakened by the sound coming from her grandmother's room.

Roommates

After completing lengthy prison terms (for murder and arson, respectively), two women forge a strong bond within a nursing home catering to the formerly incarcerated. Creating a positive present tense in the wake of complicated pasts, these survivors cling to simplicity, routine, and each other.

Aetherius

The Aetherius Society is a new-age religion that aims to create a better world through their education and application of teachings from advanced, extraterrestrial beings.

A World of Hurt: How Medical Malpractice Fails Everyone

"A World of Hurt: How Medical Malpractice Fails Everyone" presents three powerful stories from the perspectives of patients and doctors who have been directly affected by medical malpractice. Through these personal accounts, viewers gain insight into the emotional and financial toll that medical errors can take on individuals and families. Additionally, the documentary features interviews with medical experts who discuss the root causes of medical malpractice and propose solutions for preventing these errors in the future. "A World of Hurt" is a powerful and thought-provoking documentary that sheds light on an important issue affecting us all. Through personal stories and expert insights, the film offers a compelling argument for the importance of improving communication and accountability in our healthcare system.

Val (-e-ree)

A first responder suffering from agoraphobia after a sexual assault at work must walk through the flames of a past trauma to step into a new life.

February 13, 2024

6:30 PM : Daruma - The Magic Lantern Theater

PATRICK (bitter wheelchair user) must enlist the help of his cantankerous neighbor ROBERT (double amputee veteran) to transport the daughter he never knew he had to live with her maternal grandparents on the other side of the country. DARUMA is the recipient of the Project ReFrame stamp of approval from Women in Film and The Sundance Institute.

7:00 PM : Coming Around - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

A young, queer Muslim woman is grappling with the decision to come out to her devout mother, and ends up marrying her boyfriend to evade silent disapproval. This is a mother-daughter love story that reveals the often unseen intricacies of coming out and of seeking common ground and family.

February 14, 2024

6:30 PM : Avenue of the Giants - The Magic Lantern Theater

Avenue of the Giants is based on the life of Herbert Heller, one of the few to survive both Auschwitz and the Birkenau Death March. Herbert kept the miraculous story of his escape a secret from everyone including his own wife and children until 2004. The film focuses on the week of 2004 when Herbert shares his story with Abbey, a teen who has just barely survived a life threatening overdose. In sharing his secret with Abbey, she is inspired to share her own traumatic secret with him, which liberates them both and gives each a new found reason to live.

7:00 PM : Coming of Rage: World Shorts - The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate

The Steak

A birthday ceremony preparation gets upside down as something horrible takes place.

Red Fruit, Blue Sea

In a rural area in Northeast China, a young man and woman arrive at the town's train station early in the morning. Their goal is to head towards the "sea," but they don't board the train. In front of an outdated "stereoscopic viewing machine," they gaze through two lenses, seeing both inside and outside, here and afar, themselves and others. Red Fruit, Blue Sea will be available for in-person screening only.

Chevalier

Lonely and abandoned by her father and society, Emma, eleven years, throws herself body and soul into a lost cause

Dissociation

Pouya is suffering from not recalling his deceased mother’s voice. His aunt is trying to help him.

Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays

Hungry for sun, light and warmth, a group of teenagers embark on a dream trip to the Balearic Islands.

Solo un Ensayo

Two sisters are hiding inside a wardrobe in an empty room, the younger one thinks it’s a game but it soon becomes apparent that a serious threat has appeared outside.

The Winner

Vahid’s new bike which his dad bought for him so he could participate in a race is resembling his friend’s bike that has been recently stolen

February 15, 2024

6:30 PM : Hard Miles on Closing Night

The film is based on the true story of the cycling team at Colorado’s Ridge View Academy, which for decades has given at-risk youth a second chance through academic rigor, targeted treatment, competitive sports and leadership.

7:00 PM : Les Filles du Roi

1665. Louis XIV has seen fit to send a gift to the New World: surplus women to bring succor and support to French settlers in what is now Quebec. Among them is Marie-Jeanne (Julie McIsaac), who immediately falls foul of the matronly Madame Savoie (Claire Johnstone) by making nice with a native Mohawk trader, Jean-Baptiste (Raes Calvert), and his naive young sister Kateri (Kaitlyn Yott).

Date : February 9 - 16, 2024

Location :

The Magic Lantern Theater Intimate - 25 W Main Ave #125, Spokane, WA 99201
The Magic Lantern Theater - 25 W Main Ave #125, Spokane, WA 99201

Click Here For More Information.