If you're not too SIFF-ed out this weekend, consider getting STIFF-ed. Seattle's True Independent Film Festival gets under way today and continues through June 15 with 138 feature-length and short films, as well as live music and comedy. A number of locally made films will be showcased at the festival, which takes place at the Jewel Box Theatre at the Rendezvous, Central Cinema and Capitol Hill Arts Center. Single-ticket prices vary; the best deal is to get a $50 all-festival pass. View the full schedule and buy tickets/passes at stiff.bside.com/2008/schedule. (You can also find a full preview of the event at www.seattletimes.com/movies.)
Starting Sunday, Northwest Film Forum presents a 35th anniversary screening of "Wattstax," Mel Stuart's 1973 concert film documenting the evening known as "the Woodstock of black America," in which artists of the recording label Stax Records came together to commemorate the 1965 Watts riots. Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, the Emotions and Richard Pryor (doing comedy monologues) are among the performers. Also screening Sunday through Thursday is "Respect Yourself — The Stax Records Story," Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon's documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Memphis soul label. NW Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle; for more information, see www.nwfilmforum.org or call 206-267-5380.
Never mind the gloomy weather; SAM has a film series in store this summer that should chase anyone's blues away. "Screwball Summer: American Comedy Film Classics" begins with the sublime 1936 William Powell/Carole Lombard comedy "My Man Godfrey" on July 10. (Formerly husband and wife, Powell and Lombard have a dippy on-screen chemistry that's a joy to watch.) Five more films follow on subsequent Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., including two Cary Grant classics ("The Awful Truth," "The Talk of the Town"). Series passes are on sale through the SAM box office at 206-654-3121: $39 for six films ($35 for SAM members). Go and giggle.
Film collector Dennis Nyback is bringing his vast archives to the Grand Illusion this week for the Zero to MTV Music Festival, a week of short music films. The festival includes 14 themed programs, including a history of musical short films from 1914 to 1984; the 1965 Rolling Stones concert documentary "Charlie Is My Darling"; and compilations titled "Hillbillies in Hollywood," "Jazz in the 1920s," "Boogie Woogie Boogie Woogie Boogie Woogie," "The High Lonesome Sound" (films by John Cohen featuring backwoods musicians), "Harlem in the Thirties" and more. Nyback will host the event, which takes place at 7 and 9 nightly through Thursday. 1403 N.E. 50th St., Seattle; for more details, see www.grandillusioncinema.org or call 206-523-3935.
Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com
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