HBO DOCUMENTARY "LOVE CHILD" TO SCREEN AT SIFF CINEMA

SEATTLE -- July 18, 2014 -- SIFF and sponsor HBO are proud to present a special preview screening of Love Child next Wednesday, July 23. This timely documentary shines a light on how new technology can have unforeseen dire consequences. In 2010, the death from malnutrition of South Korean infant Sarang became an international news story when the circumstances were revealed: The parents had neglected her for an online fantasy game. Their subsequent trial, in the first case involving Internet addiction, established a global precedent in a world where virtual is the new reality. 

Director Valerie Veatch - a native Seattleite - weaves this tale of personal tragedy together with social commentary. Veatch is one of the youngest filmmakers ever to have two documentary feature films debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Her previous film, Me @the Zoo, debuted on HBO in summer 2012. She is available for interviews by phone, or in-person from July 20 - 22. There will be a post-screening discussion with Veatch; the film's executive producer, T-Mobile CEO John Legere; and Cosette Rae, LCSW, co-founder and clinical director of reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program, whose mission is to help launch tech-dependent youth and adults back into real-life interactions. The discussion will be moderated by Lucy Mohl, SVP at Workhorse Media and founder of Film.com, whose years of experience in the arts and technology have included positions at King-TV, Real Networks, SeattleTimes.com, and Microsoft.

Last fall, SIFF and HBO debuted a series of free screenings of thought-provoking, challenging, and entertaining documentaries not yet seen by television audiences. The selections for the second year of the series are below. They will be presented once a month beginning in September, along with special guests from each film and community organizations or individuals connected to the topics presented attending for in-depth discussions. More details will be announced soon.   

LATER THIS FALL
Dates are tentative; special guests TBA

Terror at the Mall: The Nairobi Siege

September 10 | 7:00PM | SIFF Cinema Uptown

Following in the footsteps of his earlier documentaries Terror in Moscow and Terror in Mumbai, filmmaker Dan Reed travels to Nairobi to investigate the recent terrorist siege of the West Gate Mall in Kenya.

Private Violence

October 8 | 7:00PM | SIFF Cinema Uptown

Everyday in the U.S., at least 4 women are murdered by abusive partners. The reflexive response is: why didn't you just leave? This feature-length documentary from Executive Producer Gloria Steinem sheds light on the question.

The Last Patrol

November 5 | 7:00PM | SIFF Cinema Uptown

Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Sebastian Junger (Restrepo, Which Way To The Frontline) journeys on a walk from Washington, D.C., to New York with fellow journalists and combat veterans - through swamps, ghettos, suburbs and dead factory towns - to encounter the pulse of America and learn, as men, how to give up war.

About SIFF

Founded in 1976, SIFF creates experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world with the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and SIFF Education. Recognized as one of the top film festivals in North America, the Seattle International Film Festival is the largest, most highly attended film festival in the United States, reaching more than 150,000 annually. The 25-day festival is renowned for its wide-ranging and eclectic programming, presenting over 450 features, short films, and documentaries from over 70 countries each year. SIFF Cinema exhibits premiere theatrical engagements, repertory, classic, and revival film showings 365 days a year on four screens at the SIFF Film Center and the historic SIFF Cinema Uptown, reaching more than 120,000 attendees annually. SIFF Education offers educational programs for all audiences serving more than 13,000 students and youth in the community with free programs each year. 

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