Our brief each year is to develop a head-turning festival campaign that excites SIFF’s distinctly smart audiences, and which reflects SIFF’s mission to host complex conversations and gather the community around great film. Although SIFF is huge, it is truly a “people’s festival” and colored by local PNW flavor. Old audiences prize SIFF as a unique Seattle experience and they are passionate about immersing themselves in an abundance of films. New audiences are looking to dip their toes into this vibrant, urban cultural experience and community. The festival poster is not only a show piece for the campaign, but the art within it is also used as a larger toolkit across print, web, and broadcast.

The Seattle International Film Festival is a ritual for many local film lovers to gather and open themselves up to transformation through this shared space. The inspiration for this year’s campaign, “Seek New Cinema,” came from the ecstatic, movie-adoring community that SIFF brings together. The poster and campaign invite everyone who loves new cinema to be part of a kooky, fun and welcoming group pursuing a higher plane of cinematic nirvana – and of course, choosing the next cult classics. The artwork reflects all the good things about cults - think Partridge Family, not Manson Family. Think crystals, kaftans, and comfortable footwear. And popcorn – lots of popcorn.

Our clients at SIFF are thrilled with this year’s festival poster, and they have referred to it as a work of art that support stheir mission to inspire, delight and connect audience members. From Beth Barrett, SIFF Artistic Director: “We live in an age when people gather, not necessarily based on their geography, but around their passions, beliefs and interests. Communities – online and in-person – are a source of great connection and joy, and the film community is a “cult” of passion and interest – with all of the accompanying ritual, celebrations, and history.”