Films shown during SIFF are of all various subjects and come from a variety of different countries. Here’s a sneak-peak at a few films written, directed or filmed locally.

• Back to the Garden, Flower Power Comes Full Circle (Documentary Feature):  In the late ‘80s, Seattle native Kevin Tomlinson travelled to a small town in Eastern Washington called Tonaskat where he interviewed a hippie sect whose practices were of love, peace and healing. Twenty years later Tomlinson is back on the trail of those he interviewed in Tonaskat, seeing what became of their visionary, new-age practices and to see if everything they had dreamed of has come to fruition. (Shows June 1 & 2 @ Pacific Place – $11)
• It Takes A Cult  (Documentary Feature):  This film is about The Israel Family, a small commune that began in a house atop Queen Anne hill and in ten years turned into a full fledged cult boasting over 300 members. The director Eric Johannsen, who grew up as part of this commune, interviews members of The Israel Family who share their experiences which included the relinquishing of all personal belongings and the forgetting of all birthdays, marriages and anniversaries. (Show May 26 @ SIFF Cinema & May 28 @ Pacific Place – $11) 
• The Spy and the Sparrow (Feature):  This international story of espionage and intrigue was both shot and produced locally by Eke Pictures. (June 10 @ SIFF Cinema & June 13 @ Egyptian Theater – $11) 
• Sweet Crude (Documentary Feature):  Local filmmaker, and Seattle Central professor, Sandi Cioffi and her crew comprised entirely of locals (and one Nigerian) were thrust into the limelight during the shooting of this documentary about the Nigerian oil industry when military officials siezed Cioffi and her crew and took them into custody. Cioffi’s documentary was also almost entirely funded by Vérité Coffee, a local business with three locations throughout Seattle. (June 3 and 13 @ Egyptian Theater & June 7 @ Kirkland Performing Arts Center – $11)

For more films with local ties, visit SIFF’s Northwest Connections.

A few years ago, one of our CSRs in the Phone Center was part of SIFF’s Fly Filmmaking Challenge, where three groups of filmmakers venture to put a film together from start to finish in 15 days – 5 days to write, 5 days to shoot and 5 days to edit their original film.  While Pagliacci had been a sponsor of SIFF for years, that was the year we became an official sponsor of the Fly Filmmaking Challenge, providing pizza for the film crews during their endeavor. 

Don’t miss this year’s challenge.  This time filmmakers were tasked to make a film noir – a genre popular in the 40′s and 50′s. In addition to the three films being debuted there will be a fourth film screened made by documentarian Shannon Hart-Reed giving a unique and stylish behind-the-scenes experience of this year’s Fly Filmmaking Challenge appropriately dubbed, Anatomy of a House Fly.  The other three films being screened are Arthur, Black Coffee, and Safe Passage.  Screening at the Egyptian May 25 and June 10.

From May 21 until June 14 Seattle is home to the United States’ largest international film festival, otherwise known as SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival). Pagliacci is one of the many proud sponsors behind this year’s festival.

There’s always an air of mystery that surrounds SIFF, especially their notable showcase appropriately dubbed “The Secret Festival”. It is here where certain ticket holders view four different films that are completely unknown to them prior to their entrance and will never be spoken of upon their departure. Every “Secret Festival” viewer must sign a confidentiality agreement before attending stating that they will never speak of or write about any of the films viewed during their screening.

Continuing on in the intrigue, SIFF is also holding a scavenger hunt in which participants must follow a series of clues throughout Seattle collecting stickers on their cards which are redeemable at the box office for a free pair of tickets.

To get your SIFF on, visit their website and reserve your tickets today!

Cheese!  Glorious cheese!  Pizza is all about the dough, sauce and, of course, the cheese!  When the Seattle Cheese Festival first took over Pike Place Market’s cobblestone street five years ago, we naturally wanted to show our support.  Each year we honor the festival with it’s own pie.  There’s still time to enjoy this year’s primo. 

You can thank Seattle Cheese Festival for the addition of our Margherita pizza.  We introduced it a few years ago in honor of the event.  Our friends at DeLaurenti Food & Wine showed us how to make our own fresh mozzarella to feature on the pie.  The pizza was such a success we had to add it to our menu permanently.

You can learn how to make your own fresh mozzarella.  DeLaurenti Food & Wine will be holding mozzarella making demonstrations at Seattle Cheese Festival which takes place at Pike Place Market this weekend. 

While you are there, don’t forget to sample the cheeses.  Over 200 types of cheese are represented in the cheese showcase.   Mmm… cheese!

Mahaffey's Dolls

Last week, you could feel it in the air.  Even Mother Nature joined in our Battle of the Bands as rain poured down on the Emerald City.  We experienced casualties before the first beat of the drum.  Jesse Fox dropped out at the last minute after their drummer threw his back out over the weekend.  Waves of Mind also suffered a band member injury, but took to the stage anyway.  Despite the set backs, the event was fun – as it always is. 

Battle of the Bands judges - Josh Powell, Greg Garcia and Pete Greenburg

When the show began at 9:30, the judges were all settled in with clipboard in hand ready to rate each performance on composition, arrangement, creativity, originality, musicianship and audience satisfaction.  The judging panel consisted of Joshua Powell, Program Director of The Vera Project; Pete Greenberg, Talent Buyer at Chop Suey; Greg Garcia, Talent Buyer at Tractor Tavern; and Rachel Ratner, DJ at KEXP and member of Partman Parthorse. 

What What Now

It was a throw down from the get go.  Mahaffey’s Dolls kicked off the show with their alternative indie rock.  Next up was Black Science with their psychedelic transdimensional sounds.  Waves of the Mind got the crowd moving and even sought audience input to show off their freestyle rap, a dramatic difference to the thrash metal rock of Slackhabit.  Fat Cat rocked the stage and their wardrobe.  What What Now provided an interesting contrast of hoarse vocals and poppy melody.  WormWood closed out the show with their hip-hop beats.  When they picked up the mic they drew the crowd away from the bar and up to the stage.

Airpocolypse

While the evening was all about the bands proving their musicality, Airpocolypse stole the show.  The trio of air guitar artists featuring our very own Jason Cheung from University Pizzeria performed between a couple of sets.  The combination of passionate pantomime and eighties spandex won the crowd and the judges needed to be reminded that they could not vote for Airpocolypse.

WormWood - This year's champions!

When the dust finally settled and the speakers stopped vibrating, it was WormWood who walked away victorious with trophy, title and 2 days of recording studio time at Bear Creek Studios.  Congratulations WormWood!  And a big thanks to Vera Project who received a $5000 donation at the end of the night.

Black Science

Waves of the Mind

Slackhabit

Fat Cat

Nestled in the trees of Woodinville sits a converted turn of the century barn.  It is here where this year’s winner of Pagliacci’s annual Battle of the Bands will spend a few precious days recording in the relaxed atmosphere of an established and well-known recording studio.  The 10-acre estate sits in the wilderness complete with recording studio, bedding accommodations, and a remodeled 1920′s farmhouse situated just across the way. There’s no way this year’s winner couldn’t draw from some deeper inspiration brought on by the serene and utter beauty of this recording studio. Over the years the staff of Bear Creek Studio (a staff boasted on their website to be comprised of employees with over thirty years of experience) have seen a number of bands enter their barn doors virtual unknowns and leave with records that would go on to make them stars. Some of the artists to have recorded at Bear Creek Studio are: Ra Ra Riot and their recent release The Rhumb Line, The Fleet Foxes recent EP Sun Giant, and past successes like local artists The Gossip and their album Standing in the Way of Control and Bainbridge Island’s very own Holy Ghost Revival and their album Bleeding Light.  Not to mention bands like Modest Mouse, Foo Fighters and Soundgarden.  The question now remains which of this year’s Battle of the Bands contestants will go on to follow this line of success?  The grand prize of 24 pre-paid hours of recording studio time at Bear Creek Studio is quite an incentive! Will it be Black Science, FatCat, Jesse Fox, Mahaffey’s Dolls, Slackhabit, Waves of the Mind, What What Now, or WormWood? To be there when the winner is crowned, join us at Neumo’s on May 4th at 9pm.

For more information about Bear Creek Studio and the services they provide, visit their official website at http://www.bearcreekstudio.com.

-Daniel Calderon