EXCLUSIVE: Seattle International Film Festival selects two documentary projects and two narrative features for programme.

The Silk And Flame

The 43rd Seattle International Film Festival has selected the participants for its inaugural New Works-In-Progress Forum.

The new initiative is designed to nurture emerging voices in world cinema by connecting the announced groups with industry veterans.

The documentary film teams chosen for the event are: Jordan Schiele’s The Silk And The Flame (China/USA), and Maximilien Van Aertyck and Axel Danielson of Plattform Produktion presenting Cecilia Björk’s A Good Week For Democracy (Sweden) and Hemen Kurda’s Children Of Arbat (Sweden).

The documentary industry mentors are Shane Smith, director of programming at Hot Docs; David Nugent, artistic director for the Hamptons International Film Festival, and Monika Navarro, senior manager content and initiatives at ITVS.  

The narrative features chosen for the event are: Alvaro Delgado Aparicio’s Retablo (Peru), and Roxy Toporowych’s Julia Blue (Ukraine/USA). 

The narrative industry mentors are Alesia Weston, consultant to independent filmmakers and film festivals, and former head of Sundance Institutes year-round international feature film programme; Chelsea Benson, literary manager at Echo Lake Entertainment, and Lael Lowenstein, film critic–KPCC, LA Film Critics Association. 

SIFF’s Forum invites both members of the film industry and audience into the filmmakers’ creative process at a critical stage. 

Artistic director Beth Barrett said: “I am excited to launch this new programme to celebrate the filmmaking process at all its points of entry. It means a great deal to us to welcome our New Works-In-Progress Forum filmmakers into the SIFF family.” 

WIP curator Kathleen McInnis added: “Our 2017 New Works-In-Progress Forum filmmakers and mentors comprise an extraordinary freshman class. We hope relationships begun here have a lasting impact throughout all stages of our storytellers progress.” 

For more information on the programme, click here.