PT Film Fest rings in 20th anniversary

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Twenty years in, the Port Townsend Film Festival gained a new locale to celebrate its anniversary toast Sept. 19, as filmmakers, film fans and patrons of the festival sipped from glasses and grazed on hors d’oeuvres during the late afternoon at the Port Townsend Vineyard’s wine plaza in the city’s downtown.

A few errant drops of rain failed to spoil the open-air festivities, as conversations gathered around fire pit tables and filmgoers such as Carleen Bruins and Craig Britton sought to plan out their schedules as best they could for the busy weekend to come.

The two have lived in Port Townsend the past seven years and attended the film festival for at least four of those years, with this year seeing them step up to host the visiting makers of the documentary short film “Grateful.”

“We’re just trying to figure out tomorrow’s viewing,” Bruins laughed. “We’ll worry about Saturday and Sunday as we get to them.”

Britton described their shared tastes in film as covering “a broad spectrum,” although he conceded their fondness for “controversy, environmentalism and comedy,” while Bruins expressed her appreciation for documentaries, as well as material that’s “thought-provoking and current.”

Port Townsend Film Festival Executive Director Janette Force and ReCyclery board member Kees Kolff were on hand to greet Molly Gordon and Miles Yanick, two Suquamish residents who have attended at least 17 of the 20 Port Townsend Film Festivals.

Force mentioned the Saturday morning screening of “Ernie & Joe” that would be attended by Port Townsend Police Chief Mike Evans, and with Kolff present, also gave a shout-out to “Motherload,” the documentary about the cargo bike movement.

“What’s interesting is the role that the bicycle played in the history of women’s suffrage, by affording them a greater degree of independence,” Force told Gordon.

When asked what’s compelled her to make the trek from Suquamish to Port Townsend for the better part of two decades, Gordon gestured around her and said, “You’re looking at it. It’s a welcoming community in a beautiful location, showing interesting, intelligent movies you’re not likely to see elsewhere.”

Gordon described herself as open to “whatever’s here,” although she confessed a fondness for “strong documentaries and nice narratives,” while Yanick’s interest in silent films was piqued by hearing about the short films of Lotte Reiniger on the schedule.

“Twelve Conversations” screenwriter Joshua Scott and director Emanuele Valla shot their film in Port Townsend, but this year marked the first time either man had attended the Port Townsend Film Festival in any capacity, even as moviegoers.

“Emanuele had used my songs for three of his previous films, so my first screenplay was for him,” said Scott, who hails from Poulsbo, while Valla comes from Italy. “I actually didn’t think our film would get into this festival, because it has pretty high standards, but we’ve both been to enough other film festivals to realize that this one is unique.”

From the multiple screenings of almost every film, to the ride they received from the airport, Scott said, “We’ve been treated like royalty, and my Italian friend here is in hog heaven.”