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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Film Fest Audiences Miss Sunshine But Earn Rewards

Last weekend was one of those magical times in Seattle when the sun was out, the air was warm and the blue sky competed for attention with the snow-tipped peaks of both the Olympics and Mount Rainier.

Not that I saw much of it. When the Seattle International Film Festival is in session, I see mostly the dark insides of Capitol Hill movie theaters.

The 10 films I saw on the opening weekend of SIFF 23 led me to believe that this year’s lineup of 190 movies might be better than normal. And the descriptions of films that play today through Sunday only add to that feeling.

They include:

“Labyrinth of Dreams” (Egyptian, today at 5 p.m.): A Japanese mystery about a young women investigating the death of her friend in a bizarre bus accident.

“Wives III” (Harvard Exit, today at 5 p.m.): Third film in a trilogy from Norway about three woman, who in this installment are approaching their 50th birthdays.

“The Full Monty” (Egyptian, today at 7:15 p.m.): This British comedy concerns a group of unemployed men who turn to stripping for pay.

“Box of Moonlight” (Guild 45th, today at 7:15 p.m., Sunday at 6:30 p.m.): American director Tom DiCillo (“Living in Oblivion”) tells the story of an ordinary man (John Turturro) who, driven by inner voices, sets out on a personal sojourn.

Midnight movies (Egyptian): Tonight, late-night filmgoers can catch “The Big Heat,” a Hong Kong study in street violence. On Saturday, “Gonin II” has five Japanese women taking on the Yakuza.

“Pretty Village, Pretty Flame” (Egyptian, Saturday at 12:30 p.m.): Straight from Serbia, this war-torn story concerns two lifelong friends - one a Serb, the other a Muslim.

“The Other Side of Sunday” (Egyptian, Saturday at 3:30 p.m.): This Oscar-nominated film from Norway tells the coming-of-age tale of the eldest daughter of a conservative priest.

“The Tit and the Moon” (Egyptian, 9:15 p.m.): Spanish filmmaker Bigas Luna (“Jamon, Jamon,” “Huevos de Oro”) completes his trilogy with this look at a young’s boy’s obsession with a beautiful woman.

“Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl?” (Harvard Exit, Sunday at 12:30 p.m.): This documentary by American filmmaker Peter Meyer explores the mystery that was blues guitarist Robert Johnson.

SIFF at a glance

Sites: The Egyptian, 801 E. Pines; Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway; Harvard Exit, 807 E. Roy; Guild 45th, 2115 N. 45th.

Ticket prices: Individual tickets are priced at $7 for most evening screenings ($6.50 for SIFF members), $5 for matinees and midnight shows. Full series passes cost $350, Cinematic Six-Packs are $36, weekly passes are $125, Student and Senior Deals are $25 for any five films and tickets to the Films 4 Families series are $4.

How to order: Advance credit-card purchases by phone can be made by calling (206) 325-6150. Same-day purchases must be made at the theater where the film is showing. To order by Internet, access the SIFF Web site at www.seattlefilm.com (which carries the entire 25-day schedule). For other information, call (206) 325-6828.

, DataTimes