The Port Townsend Film Festival’s ongoing “Focus Film” series is partnering with Dove House Advocacy Services in April to present the 2020 film “Promising Young Woman” as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Christy Spencer, program manager for the PTFF, reiterated that each month’s “Focus Film” screening stems from a partnership between the film festival and a local business and/or other community organization, so that the festival can help the community group reach and engage with a broader audience.

Yolanda Wilde, development director for Dove House. noted that “Promising Young Woman” will be its fourth film shown with PTFF for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The event also serves as an annual community fundraiser for Dove House’s nonprofit services.

Spencer recalled that last April the two organizations partnered to screen “I Am Evidence,” a 2017 documentary about the hundreds of thousands of rape kits left untested in police storage facilities each year. Last October they screened the 2021 documentary “And So I Stayed,” about survivors of abuse who received prison sentences for fighting back.

“In these cases, the point is to show films that are relevant to the group’s mission and the work that they do,” Spencer said. “The screenings are followed by conversations that are facilitated by experts in the given fields, but are also directed by the questions of the audiences who attend.”

Although the PTFF staff will suggest a handful of films to their partnering organizations each month, the organizations themselves choose the films.

“We chose ‘Promising Young Woman’ this year, to create a discussion around the trauma of sexual assault, what consent is, the responsibility of bystanders, and how healing happens, since grief is not always linear,” said Wilde. The conversation following the film would also seek to address some of the myths surrounding sexual assault.

Spencer, who suggested “Promising Young Woman,” among a number of other films, has seen the movie three times. She acknowledged “this is not an easy film to watch” but agreed with Wilde that it will spark no shortage of conversations.

“These films always inspire rousing talks,” Spencer said. “It’s always interesting to hear what sorts of questions people have in response. When our ‘Focus Films’ outline broader societal problems, what our audiences want to know, a lot of times, is the extent to which those problems are also facing our local community, and whether any progress has been made.”

Given the degree to which “Promising Young Woman” deals with sexual assault and violence, Spencer emphasized that viewers might find parts of this film disturbing, or even triggering. She noted “professionals will be in the room” to help viewers as needed. They always have the option to step out, if the viewing experience becomes too intense for them, she added.

“Ultimately, we still want to foster a safe environment for conversations to follow the film,” Spencer said.

“Promising Young Woman," will be screened at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, at the Balcony Theatre located at 211 Taylor St.

Dove House’s "Respect Week" runs from Monday, April 15, through Friday, April 19, at the Recovery Cafe, with a “Show Respect” workshop at 2 p.m. April 19, “Denim Day” in the community on Wednesday, April 24, and a “Yoga for Survivors” session back at the Recovery Cafe at 9 a.m. on Sunday, April 28.

For more information and tickets to the film on April 17, visit ptfilmfest.com/events.