With the Seattle International Film Festival opening tomorrow with Son of Rambow, and a long weekend stretching out in front of you, there’s plenty of time to dive into the festival. Below, a collection of recommendations, ill-informed speculation, and other suggestions from your pals at Metroblogging Seattle (Josh, Zee, and Patricia) on ways to kick off your SIFF .

Aachi & Ssipak [siff] - Another midnight showing and another film I think is best seen after a drinky drink. All natural resources have been depleated except for… wait for it… human shit. In this animated Korean film, good, err, producers, are rewarded with the addictive Juicybars. For more informaton [imdb & aanss]. Saturday May 26th, Midnight at the Neptune or Sunday, June 17th at 9:30 pm at the Neptune. –PJ



The Aerial (La Antena) [siff] - The last sentence in the description did it for me: A stunning amalgam of comic books and ’20s-era science fiction. For trailer and official site, see: laantena (QuickTime required). Friday, May 25th, 7 pm at the Northwest Film Forum; Monday, May 28th, 9:30 pm at the Northwest Film Forum. –PJ

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soapbox [siff] - If you’ve ever seen a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap, you’ve spent a few minutes reading the text that blankets every available bit of label and you’ve wondered about the person who wrote it. See this doc about the Doc and wonder no more. Saturday, May 26, 4:00 PM SIFF Cinema, Monday, May 28, 7:00 PM SIFF Cinema –ZG

Fly Films [siff] - Every year, SIFF challenges local filmmakers and writers are given ten days to make a ten minute film. With a compressed schedule of five days of shooting and five for editing, plus a few obstacles thrown in for good measure, it’s a tough, adrenaline-charged, frenzy and a great way for Seattle talent to show off for a big crowd. Monday, May 28, 7:00 PM; Wednesday, June 13, 4:30 PM– J



Girls Rock [siff] - A slew of dedicated rock’n'rollers (including Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney) give girls aged 8 - 18 a chance to discover and nurture their inner rocker. Friday, May 25, 7:00 PM Harvard Exit; Sunday, May 27, 1:00 PM SIFF Cinema (Director Arne Johnson and Producer Shane King are in town; graduates from the camp perform in the early afternoon at Chop Suey on 26 March.) — ZG

Once [siff] - This sweet music-infused love story starring the lead singer of the Frames has gotten some exceptional reviews, including one from Stephanie Zacharek [salon]. However, it will be opening locally in a matter of days; so if you’re feeling conflicted and not determined to be among the first to see it you might hold off until later. Sunday 27 May, SIFF Cinema 6:30 PM –J

Manufactured Landscapes [siff] - Could this be the An Inconvenient Truth of massive construction projects? A filmed slideshow presentation about the geologic-scale influence of humans on the environment looks like the sort of thing best enjoyed on a big screen. Sunday, May 27, 7:00 PM Harvard Exit; Tuesday, May 29, 4:30 PM, Pacific Place– J

Paprika [siff] - An animated sci-fi film from Japan about a doctor who uses a new invention to enter the dreams of her patients. Beautiful, vivid artwork adds an additional layer of depth to a lavish story. Friday, May 25, 9:30 PM Neptune Theatre, Monday, May 28,:1:15 PM Neptune Theatre –ZG

Paris je t’aime - A Collective Feature Film [siff] With a dazzling cast and mindblowing collection of directors — when is the next time you can expect to see a Wes Craven film in the same two hours as one by Gus Van Sant? — it’s no surprise that tickets for this series of “love letters to Paris” disappeared quickly. If you don’t feel lucky enough to brave the rush line, add it to your Scarecrow Video queue [#]. It is entirely possibly that my eager anticipation for this film is directly related to an impending departure for the city on the receiving end of these mash notes. (Elias McConnell in attendance) Saturday, May 26, 6:30 PM, Harvard Exit; Monday, May 28, 11:00 AM, Harvard Exit — J

Secret Festival - Well, we can tell you when it is, but we can’t tell you anything else about it. I probably shouldn’t even tell you how many secret festivals I’ve been to - or even if I’ve been to one before. But, if you don’t have a problem signing an NDA and want to get up early for the next 4 Sundays, I highly recommend it. SIFF members only! Sundays at the Egyptian - 11 am. –PJ

Them (Ils) [siff] - I’m a sucker for a thriller, particularly when it’s delivered at midnight, at the Egyptian. Not only is it late, on a Friday night (or early on a Saturday morning depending on your watch), but immediately after, there are Frites. (more on that in a later post). Trailers available [imdb]. If you can’t make the Midnight showing on Friday, May 25th at the Egyptian, you can also see it Sunday, May 27th, 9:30pm, at the Neptune. –PJ