Attending the one-theater Vashon Island Film Festival (VIFF) in August, this Pacific Northwest event, which is just a quick and scenic ferry ride from West Seattle, is a summer weekend that elevates the indie-film lover’s soul and an appreciation for those who care about film community and culture. Vashon provides the backdrop for those of us who love to entrench ourselves in film festivals and independent film exhibitions dedicated to the art and process of storytelling through motion pictures.
You join fellow film lovers in the Vashon Theater & The Backlot with your hull from the snack bar and sink into your seat to watch films and enjoy the individuals who want to share in the experience. You are with filmmakers because a majority of the films at VIFF 2024 had their filmmakers in attendance, and they were very excited to converse with you about them, which is a unique and friendly experience at VIFF. After any screening, one can walk onto Main Street, where other like-minded folks enjoy Vashon’s wonders and beauty. Coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants abound, from the best Thia food ever to farm-to-table feasts and snacky spots, wine bars, beer gardens, old-school red cushioned barstool bars, and satisfying pizza—it’s all there and only steps away.
Vashon is beautifully green and full of places to explore, from trolls in the woods overlooking the water to lighthouses and trails aplenty. Stay in a guest house or try glamping, which may be the ultimate way to experience a complete immersion into Vashon, moving one from nature to cinema with ease and joy. Every year, VIFF gets better and better. This year, a special farm-to-table multi-course wine dinner was an added event that transported everyone to where one begs to be at an intimate film festival—a 21st Century Bloomsbury convening. Every moment of the dinner was savory in food and conversation, as it should be. As VIFF grows, it creates something special for a cultural experience many will soon crave.
“VIFF holds its weight as a unique experience for the independent film lover.”
For its third year, the Vashon Island Film Festival (VIFF) holds its weight as a unique experience for the independent film lover. As a program for the Vashon Film Institute, VIFF has the ability to acquiesce award-winning independent films on the current film festival circuit while providing local and regional projects. Raising the bar for 2024, many movies screened with filmmakers or a film staff or crew present make all the difference for some of the best post-film Q&As.
Vashon Film Institute President and Festival founder Mark Sayre has dedicated his love of independent film voice without a fault this year. “It’s an incredible feat to do this festival, and many people are involved in making it happen,” says Sayre. “It takes the whole community, but we’re growing every year with much more come. It’s all very exciting.”
Some highlights included well-chosen short programs, excellent documentaries, horror, and dramatic films, including the Cannes Film Festival’s Palm d’Or 2024 winner, Black Dog. Black Dog is a film that will begin to sweep awards as it enters public viewing. It is a once-in-a-lifetime work of art that solidifies how filmmaking connects on all levels, angles, and thoughts without any precursors except an open mind.
Bastards of Soul, nominated for the Quartermaster Award for Excellence in Feature Filmmaking, also making its way around the festival circuit, continues to be a music and musicians’ lovers’ favorite. “We had the incredible honor of screening as an official selection for the Vashon Island Film Festival,” says Bastards of Soul director Paul Levatino. “We’re humbled to be in the same category as Guan Hu’s Black Dog, which took home the award and was also the winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at the 2024 Festival de Cannes. Just being mentioned alongside such esteemed work is a true honor.”
