Northwest Film Forum's Profile

Founded in 1995 by filmmakers Jamie Hook and Deborah Girdwood, Northwest Film Forum (NWFF) is a Seattle-based non-profit organization dedicated to becoming the nation's leading center for film artists. Operating the region's first and only non-profit center for the film arts, NWFF programs a true cinematheque, embracing film production as well as film exhibition, with two cinemas (46 and 120 seats), film production and post-production facilities and equipment, educational workshop space, filmmaker offices, a film vault containing over 1,000 titles, and a filmmaking library in its new space at 1515 12th Ave.

Nearly 1000 members strong, NWFF aides 250 filmmakers in the production of nearly 80 films, and offers more than 60 workshops annually. Our innovative Start-to-Finish grant program partners with a local artist to produce a feature length film, using both for and non-profit funding, a model unique in the non-profit world. The most recent film, Robinson Devor's Police Beat, premiered in Dramatic Competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, and has played to great acclaim at festivals worldwide.

Our cinemas showcase the best in American and international cinema, 360 days a year, as well as quarterly world premiere live performances. Recent highlights include: a 27 film retrospective of Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu that included ten commissions for live musical scores; Cinema K: Children's Film Festival Seattle; a lecture and class by legendary designer/filmmaker Pablo Ferro; a retrospective of the documentaries of Ross McElwee that included a visit from the artist; and the strongest music film programming in the nation.

In our new 8,000 square foot facility are housed:
- A 120-seat 35mm Dolby-equipped cinema and mainstage live theater
- A 49-seat 35mm Dolby-equipped cinema and theater
- Dedicated workshop space/filmmaker lounge with free WiFi
- Two film and video post-production suites
- A dedicated animation studio
- Production gear rentals
- A vault, housing our 1,000 title film archive

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