The 2015 Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival (NWFest42) (formerly the Northwest Film & Video Festival) takes place November 12 to 18, 2015 and will present 45+ short and feature films from filmmakers across the Northwest.
Festival film highlights include director Lewis Bennett’s THE SANDWICH NAZI, a feature-length expansion of his short film, which screened at the 39th Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival; Zach Weintraub’s SLACKJAW makes its Portland debut after premiering earlier this year at the Locarno Film Festival; WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS, Courtney Coulson’s involving portrait of a mobile, cross-cultural circus for children in Palestine; Michael Turner’s THE WAY WE TALK (pictured above) investigates one of medical science’s most baffling and enduring disabilities — stuttering — through the personal experience of its director; Ian Berry’s MAKE MINE COUNTRY uncovers the curious impact of classic country music on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia; Sasha Snow’s HADWIN’S JUDGEMENT focuses on the non-fiction drama behind the removal of the largest, oldest, and most valuable trees from British Columbia’s forests; and Pam Minty gently unearths her mother’s memories of landmarks remembered from before the loss of her sight in DIRECT ROUTE.
In addition to features, the Festival offers three programs of short films. Shorts I: Fantasies and Diversions— a collection of films from makers based in Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Tacoma, WA, and Vancouver, BC—will kick off the Festival on Opening Night at 7 p.m. with filmmakers in attendance. Shorts II: Tracing Space and Shorts III: Intimate Portraits are collections of films by makers throughout the NW region, ranging from the experimental to animation to narrative and non-fiction.
Beyond the numerous screenings on offer, the Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival also provides opportunities for aspiring and working filmmakers to interact directly with peers and industry professionals through events such as the Northwest Filmmakers’ Un-Conference, previously BarCamp, an opportunity for the regional filmmaking community to gather together and explore the issues and challenges facing today’s independent filmmaker. Filmmakers whose work did not make it into the Festival have been invited to submit their short film into the popular program, “What’s Wrong with this Picture?,” hosted by Seattle curator Warren Etheredge for a program illuminating the pitfalls of selling your film to a programmer in 2 minutes or less.
With the exception of one film, all Festival screenings will take place at the Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Avenue. MAKE MINE COUNTRY will screen at the Skype Live Studio (1210 SW 6th Avenue).
To whom it may concern,
please stop the producer from taking advantage of my kindness and trust. that’s so immoral.
The producer Lewis Bennett refused to join me on a talk show on 980 CKNW. to discuss the matter.
https://twitter.com/drex/status/649385178356252672?s=04
I don’t know how you come up with The Sandwich Nazi as a Canada/Lebanon, for country? do you really consider the film as a Lebanese production? I am a Canadian citizen and is it because I am originally from Lebanon and that makes the movie a Lebanese Movie?
This movie has nothing to do with Lebanon. and I represent the Canadian culture more than I represent the Lebanese culture. I have been in Canada since 1979
This documentary does not even represent me and it does not reflect who I am.
don’t you think someone should contact me to verify if I was really a male escort or just making up stories. did I really live in 18 countries? what if I was writing a novel and i tested it on people to see how believable it is!
I am a stand-up comedian in my deli.
I was dealing with the most stupid producers. that I can tell them anything and they believe me. they, on purpose closed their eyes, and they didn’t want to search for the truth.
they wanted something that sells. it doesn’t matter if it was a truth or not.
I am sick and tired of the producers and their lies. since when this documentary is Canadian and Lebanese production?
All the reviews were written by people who didn’t even asked any question or questions. what ever happened to them?
What did it happen to all the brains and the smart people who run the film festivals?
I don’t insult but i might needle my customers with abandon. I joke with them with abandon. my customers love me.
they say they filmed for 2 or 3 years. give me a break! these people would disappeared for few months and reappeared again over and over.
the thousands of names at the end of the movie, where did they come from? I asked Calum Macleod in Austin Texas. He replied I will tell you later. that helps us to sell it.
this documentary is a nothing but a joke. The truth will come out one of these days.
I am NOT for sale and neither are my family members, my volunteers, homeless people, my charity works and my friends.
I know that lately there has been a lot of talk among the Sandwich Nazi documentary, etc. In light of the messages that I received on my Facebook page, I felt like now was the perfect time to clarify something here for everyone.
Lewis Bennett said in his e-mail:
“ I’m sorry if we weren’t clearer about the plans for the film. We never really had much of a plan for the film, to start with, but the hope was always to try to reach a larger audience”.
The truth is if I know the documentary would be for commercial and making money purposes, I would not be part of it. I always made sure that producer knew where I stand on this matters.
*Before anyone gets upset, I’m not saying that my particular stance on this issue is better than anyone else’s, or that people should see things my way. I totally understand those who don’t. I merely want it to be clear where I in particular stand on this issue, because I feel pretty strongly about it.*
This documentary should be screen for free. I feel like the producer Lewis Bennett and his team did not tell me truth about their intentions. Until I went Austin TX, I did not even know that the documentary was for sale and making money. I was really shocked.
I did not have a good life or did I have terrible life. I tried to live the most colorful life.
My life is not all about being rudeness and masturbation. I am a man of conviction and contradiction . With my customers, Most of the time I have the most serious discussions and conversation about life and I love to listen to them about their personals and family issues. They trust me and tell me almost everything if not everything. When I talk dirty, is really mostly to cheer them up.
In many ways I wish that the producer had dug a little deeper and worked way more about the homelessness problem and the good will and desire of volunteers to help.
some people in this film said things were not real.
I would not have agreed with them If I saw the whole thing before the premiere.
are you for real?
Salam Kahil
607 – 32 west Pender St
Vancouver BC
V6B 1R6
604 688 9719
please don’t get me wrong, I am not after money like the producers
Financially I am a very comfortable man
it costs me over $1500 every month to feed the homeless in Vancouver east side
this film movie/documentary does not represent who I am. It is about me and I am the guy who has the right to say: yes, this movie represent me or not? the final word and input should mine
it is your decision but since i have notified you of the danger and the risk on my brother’s life and my life. I will take a legal action for screening the movie.
I am just warning you.
please govern yourself accordingly
thank you