SIFF announces lineup for fourth annual DocFest returning to SIFF Cinema Uptown October 3-10

SEATTLE – SIFF’s fourth annual DocFest will return on October 3 and run through October 10, screening 15 films at SIFF Cinema Uptown. Tickets for the festival, a celebration of documentary films from around the world, are on sale now to SIFF members and go on sale to the general public on September 6.

New this year, the festival will feature a new audience voted award for favorite Documentary. “Seattle has one of the most enthusiastic documentary-going audiences in the world, which is what initially inspired us to conceive of this Festival in 2021,” says Stan Shields, SIFF’s Associate Director of Festival Programming, “Documentaries are meant to engage and ignite conversation, and we’re looking forward to hearing directly from our audiences on this expansive lineup with this new award.”

The 2024 lineup includes the Berlin Film Festival’s 2024 Golden Bear Winner exploring France’s repatriation of Benin’s royal treasures with closing night film Dahomey, a riveting thriller recounting an Indigenous nation’s fight for sovereignty in Yintah, an affectionate ode to a music industry newcomer who transformed his quiet town into a mecca for some of the biggest musicians in the world with opening night film They All Came Out to Montreux, the story of the owner of an idiosyncratic multiplex in the woods of Northern Ontario in The Movie Man, and more stories from filmmakers around the world.

Learn more about VoteMo and the SIFF DocFest Audience Award here.

Passes for the event are on sale for $75 for SIFF members and $100 for non-members. Tickets for individual screenings are $9 for SIFF members and $14 for non-members (on sale September 4 for members and September 6 for non-members).

DOCFEST 2024 SCHEDULE & GUESTS:
SIFF Cinema Uptown: Oct. 3-10

They All Came Out To Montreux: An affectionate ode to a music industry newcomer who, seemingly overnight, transformed his quiet Swiss town into a mecca for some of the biggest musicians in the world. Featuring an abundance of performance footage from A-list musicians from Aretha Franklin to Miles Davis to Prince. (UK 2023, 93 min., d: Oliver Murray)
Thursday, October 3 @ 7:00PM - Opening Night pre-show hosted by KNKX

Wilding: Based on a bestseller by Isabella Tree, Wilding is the inspirational story of an English country estate that embarks on a trailblazing 3,500-acre rewilding project that may change the way we think about nature and how we can heal our planet. (UK 2023, 75 min., d: David Allen)
Friday, October 4 @ 5:00PM

Yintah: Filmed over the course of a decade, Yintah provides a riveting account of an Indigenous nation’s fight for sovereignty as they take on gas companies, the Canadian government, and armed police to fight the construction of a major pipeline. (Canada 2024, 125 min., d: Jennifer Wickham [Gidimt’en-Witsuwit’en], Brenda Michell [Unist’ot’en-Witsuwit’en], Michael Toledano)
Friday, October 4 @ 7:00PM

Farming While Black: Committed to reversing the decline of Black-owned farms, a movement of activists and change-makers shed light on the challenges they’ve faced in the USA, and lay the groundwork for a new generation to reclaim their heritage. (USA 2023, 77 min., d: Mark Decena)
Saturday, October 5 @ 1:00PM

Every Little Thing: With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s sitting head of state, director Vanessa Hope’s eye-opening documentary investigates the election and tenure of Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan. (Australia 2024, 93 min., d: Sally Aitken)
Saturday, October 5 @ 3:30PM

Devo: When a problem comes along, you must whip it. And when a movie about Devo comes along, you must watch it. Jump back in time with director Chris Smith (American Movie) for the unfiltered truth about the radical and deeply political band. (USA 2024, 93 min., d: Chris Smith)
Saturday, October 5 @ 7:00PM

Driver: Nesa Azimi’s soulful debut feature embeds us with a determined group of female, long-haul truck drivers as they forge a network to pursue safety and equitable treatment on the road. (USA 2024, 90 min., d: Nesa Azimi)
Sunday, October 6 @ 1:00PM

The Movie Man: In this love letter to independent movie theaters, director Matt Finlin introduces us to an eccentric entrepreneur and his life’s work—owning and operating an idiosyncratic multiplex in the woods of Northern Ontario. (Canada 2023, 88 min., d: Matt Finlin)
Sunday, October 6 @ 3:30PM - Director Matt Finlin scheduled to attend

Checkpoint Zoo: Checkpoint Zoo follows a daring rescue mission by courageous zookeepers and volunteers to save thousands of animals trapped in a beloved Ukrainian animal refuge as the Russian invasion approaches. (USA 2024, 103 min., d: Joshua Zeman)
Sunday, October 6 @ 7:00PM

Witches: Utilizing archival footage alongside insightful interviews from experts and friends, Elizabeth Sankey’s deeply personal documentary examines the relationship between the cinematic portrayals of witches and the all-too-real experiences of women experiencing postpartum depression. (UK 2024, 90 min., d: Elizabeth Sankey)
Monday, October 7 @ 5:00PM

Searching for Amani: A 13-year-old aspiring journalist investigates his father’s mysterious murder within one of Kenya’s largest wildlife conservancies. As a ravaging drought encroaches, his quest to find the killer shifts as the collateral damage of a warming world is revealed. (USA 2024, 80 min., d: Nicole Gormley, Debra Aroko)
Monday, October 7 @ 7:30PM

New Wave: Mile-high hair. Synthesized music. Underground parties. Elizabeth Ai’s lively first feature delves into the rebellious 80s Vietnamese new wave music scene, blending nostalgia with a deeply personal re-examination of her community's hidden and unexamined past. (USA 2024, 94 min., d: Elizabeth Ai)
Tuesday, October 8 @ 5:00PM

Eno: Visionary musician and artist Brian Eno — known for producing David Bowie, U2, and Talking Heads, among many others; pioneering the genre of ambient music; and releasing over 40 solo and collaboration albums — reveals his creative processes in this groundbreaking generative documentary: a film that’s different every time it’s shown. (USA 2023, 90 min., d: Gary Hustwit)
Tuesday, October 8 @ 7:30PM

Dumble: A Life Well Built:
(USA, 16 min, d. Ryan Cory)
Tuesday, October 8 @ 7:30PM - screening prior to Eno

500 Days in the Wild: Award-winning director and cinematographer Dianne Whelan embarks on an epic, six-year odyssey — hiking, biking, paddling, snowshoeing, and skiing across Canada, becoming the first person to traverse the entire 24,000-km Trans-Canada trail. (Canada 2023, 120 min., d: Dianne Whelan)
Wednesday, October 9 @ 7:30PM - Director & Subject Dianne Whelan Scheduled to Attend

Dahomey: Blurring the line between fiction and documentary, the Golden Bear-winning new film from Mati Diop (Atlantics) exploring France’s repatriation of Benin’s royal treasures is a poignant commentary on the role of museums and the enduring ghosts of colonialism. (France 2024, 94 min., d: Mati Diop)
Thursday, October 10 @ 7:30PM

PRESS ONLY:
To apply for press accreditation, RSVP for screenings or request filmmaker interview requests, email press@siff.net.

About SIFF:
SIFF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization. Our mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that we foster a community that is more informed, aware, and alive.

Press inquiries and materials requests can be made at press@siff.net. For showtimes and event updates, visit siff.net.