Raise the paddle and a brunch toast to the summer season at NWFF’s Sunny-Side Up Brunch Fundraiser – this year’s virtual replacement to our Annual Gala!

Virtual Brunch takes place June 12th at 11:00am-12:30pm PST via Zoom
Prep your meal at 10:30am with a special recipe from Ahamefule Oluo!

All donors will be automatically registered to attend the event, so give $1, $5, $20, $whatever, and experience some fabulous art, watch films from emerging filmmakers, and mingle with NWFF members and fellow champions of visual media arts!

Those who wish to give more can select additional rewards based on our "Menu of Offerings" below! Make sure you select your item upon check-out.

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Pete Vogt, one of our longest-abiding board members, is MATCHING ANY DONATIONS at the Private Film Screening level, with no cap in sight. That means your $350 will not only grant you a sweet private party in our cinema with bottomless 'corn, but will send a total of seven hundred dollars our way.

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ABOUT THE EVENT

Local horror-show hostess Isabella Price, will be taking the morning off from her typical role as the Queen of Darkness and ushering in the sunshine as our mistress of ceremonies. She’ll be joined by special guest SJ Chiro, director of the recently released film, East of the Mountains. Ahamefule Oluo – prolific polymath of cooking, music, writing, comedy and acting (recently in Thin Skin) – will also host a pre-program pre-recorded cook-along; opt in to get brunch ingredients delivered (within Seattle city limits)!

Let NWFF be your guide through a lavish suite of Zoom rooms, loaded with different activities (both participatory and passive), including:

quar-aoke (quarantine karaoke)
pet antics video competition
local music videos
at-home art-walks by community curators
a review of NWFF's history, growth and adaptations -- plus insights into the future ahead!

THE ZOOM ROOMS

MAIN PARTY: Hosted by Isabella Price, this is our our home base and where we will call folks back for whole-group announcements and events. Brunch begins with a group toast in the lobby, so that we’re all on the same aperitif-page, then follows with a curated interactive program featuring Forum highlights, testimonials, and conversations with our leadership team of Executive Director Vivian Hua, Artistic Director Rana San, and Managing Director Chris Day about the joys and challenges of the past year.

CINEMA 1: A program of locally-sourced music videos over the course of the evening! We’ll also showcase some of the work produced in our mid-pandemic workshops: plant- and cyanotype-based experimental filmmaking, stop-motion with coffee grounds, and more.

CINEMA 2: A NWFF party without karaoke is like … brunch without coffee? Between a crowd-pleasing selection of karaoke classics, which all are invited to dance + sing along to from home (on mute, please!), some of the most charismatic performers in our milieu have generously offered to record solo karaoke sessions for your entertainment… or ridicule, whichever seems appropriate.

ALLEY: Inexplicably, we’ve fielded surprising numbers of requests to permit pets into NWFF. (Not talkin’ service animals here.) Additional cleaning and allergy concerns: no thanks. But on Zoom, all fur and feathers are welcome! Malakie Peters has prepared a special critter-centric reel for folks to enjoy as they introduce their own pets to one another, show off their accessories, tricks, snaggleteeth, etc. There will also be a pet video contest, with extra points for film-themed looks! Stay tuned for participation details!

WORKSHOP ROOM: The forbidden fruit of the pandemic – the insides of other people’s homes. All that cool stuff – art, projects in progress, that folks have been waiting to share – REVEALED! We’ll be taking several virtual tours through the homes of friends of ours who have standout art collections: LINE-UP TO BE ANNOUNCED! :)

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"Menu" of Offerings

Make a donation of any amount and receive a ticket to Northwest Film Forum's virtual Sunny-Side Up Brunch, but for those who wish to contribute more, you have the option of receiving the following additional benefits! Have questions? Please e-mail vivian@nwfilmforum.org :)

NWFF T-SHIRT & LIMITED RISOGRAPH POSTER - VALUED AT $100

Choose from two potential Film Forum t-shirt designs and received a limited edition risograph poster! Includes delivery / shipment, and your choice of white on black tee or rainbow colored on white tee (pictured). Design by Samantha Wendel.

COOK BRUNCH W/ AHAM - VALUED AT $125

Ahamefule Oluo – prolific polymath of cooking, music, writing, comedy and acting (recently in Thin Skin) – will host a pre-program and pre-recorded cook-along! Opt in to get brunch ingredients delivered (within Seattle city limits), which include maple moonshine, a recipe from Aham for Ethiopian-Spiced Bagels, and other small treats. For the sake of instant gratification and sensory nostalgia, NWFF popcorn will also be included.)

PRIVATE FILM SCREENING W/ POPCORN! - VALUED AT $350

The Film Forum isn't open to the public just yet, but as an ardent supporter, here's your chance to watch a film in our cinemas! Get festive with a three-hour private party and screening, and the bottomless popcorn's on us! *Note: Events must take place from July 26 or the month of August. Subject to COVID-19 capacity at time of screening; all COVID-19 protocols must be followed.

FILMMAKER TOOLKITS - VALUED AT $500
Each Toolkit below is a set of consultation sessions, to be purchased as a pack. (Each keynote speaker will have their own Zoom meeting date and time, noted in parentheses; purchasers of a Toolkit pack are welcome to attend all four!) Sessions begin with a ~15-minute presentation by the keynote speaker, followed by questions and free-form discussion among the speaker and the group. Your support for these Toolkits not only secures your slot, but also helps NWFF offer two slots per workshop to emerging BIPOC filmmakers!

Fimmaker Toolkit #1 – DEVELOPMENT (10 slots available)

Developing Your Fundraising Plan with Jennessa West (Producer, Thin Skin) – Aug. 23 at 10am PT
Production Legal Tips from Matthew Dresden (NWFF Board Member & Lawyer) – Aug. 25 at 6:30pm PT
Developing Your Script with Lindy West (Writer & Producer, Shrill, Thin Skin) – Aug. 18 at 7:30pm PT
Demystifying Representation: Agents, Managers & More from Jen Au (Literary Agent) – Aug. 19 at 7:30pm PT

Filmmaker Toolkit #2 – PRODUCTION (10 slots available)

Advice on Working with Actors from Megan Griffiths (Writer & Director, Lucky Them, Eden) – Aug. 29 at 10am PT
Pulling Your Team Together with Wes Hurley (Writer & Director, Potato Dreams of America) – Aug. 28 at 10am PT
Techniques for Editing & Soliciting Feedback with Celia Beasley – Aug. 25 at 7:30pm PT
Effective Prep Techniques & Set Etiquette with Tony Becerra (DGA) – Aug. 29 at 11am PT

Filmmaker Toolkit #3 – DISTRIBUTION (10 slots available)

Advice on Connecting with Your Audience from Bao Tran (Writer & Director, The Paper Tigers) – Aug. 21 at 10am PT
Publicity Tips from Smarthouse Creative (Seattle-Based PR Agency) – Aug. 26 at 7:30pm PT
Distribution & Film Festivals from Amanda Salazar (NWFF Programmer) – Aug. 22 at 11am PT
Fourth guest TBA!

Filmmaker Toolkit #4 – DOCUMENTARY (10 slots available)

Researching Your Subject with Gilda Sheppard (Director, Since I Been Down) – Aug. 19 at 6:30pm PT
Social Change Storytelling with Tracy Rector (Managing Director of Storytelling, Nia Tero) – Aug. 18 at 6:30pm PT
Development Tips for Shorts & Features with Chloë Walters-Wallace (Manager, Firelight Media’s Artist Programs) – Aug. 26 at 6:30pm PT
Doc Resources & Suport from Sundance Institute – Date/time TBA!

SUNSET COCKTAIL SAIL - VALUED AT $500 (SOLD OUT!!!)
Ahoy mateys! Enjoy a two hour sunset cruise for up to four people on a classic 28’ Alerion sailboat.Breezy cocktails, wine, and tasty hors d’oevres will be served. Leaves from Elliot Bay. Note: Buyer can choose a date; subject to availability.

VACATION GETAWAY IN METHOW, WA - VALUED AT $2,000 (1 slot available)
For three (3) days and two (2) nights, this will be your home away from home! Whether you wanna raft, swim and ski, or just loaf, loll and lounge, you’re set. The house comfortably sleeps 18 (yes, you read right!) and is complete with an expansive, well-equipped kitchen, hot tub, and pool. *Note: Only available in March, April, September, October, November (but not Thanksgiving), and December (before the 15th). Subject to availability.

SPONSOR A QUARTER OF WORKSHOPS! - VALUED AT $5,000
Northwest Film Forum's in-house production company, Remove the Gap Productions (RG Pro), works to support and uplift the careers of girls, women, nonbinary, femme, trans, and gender-nonconforming filmmakers. Our Production Intensives series is offered quarterly and provides training on essential skills for people who want to apprentice with RG Pro, who are entering the production industry, or who creating their own film and media projects. By supporting it with your generous donation, you help support the next level of filmmakers!

Sunny-Side Up Brunch Fundraiser for Northwest Film Forum

Raise the paddle and a brunch toast to the summer season at NWFF’s Sunny-Side Up Brunch Fundraiser – this year’s replacement to our Annual Gala!

Team Members