American Film Festival

While the STIFF programming team is busy screening films I am taking some time to travel and check out some other film festivals. I just arrived in Wrocław, Poland for the 2nd annual American Film Festival. The American Films Festival is a sister festival to the New Horizons Film Festival that has been happening here since 2001 and features and international program. The American Film Festival features a mix of classic American Films and Polish Premiers of American films that have had an impact on the international film festival circuit over the last year as well as the world premiere if the Joe Swanberg film "Caitlin Plays Herself". Joe Swanberg, Todd Solondz, Terrence Malick and Billy Wilder are all receiving retrospective screenings. AFF also has a strong Documentary section including Errol Morris's "Tabloid" and "Page One: a Year Inside the New York Times". Seattle ties include "The Oregonian" in which STIFF Programmer Meredith Binder has a small role, Amy Seimetz from the Seattle film "The Off Hours" is expected to be in attendance and "Holy Rollers" a Documentary about Gambling Card Counting Christians from Seattle with Seattle resident Dusty Wisniew featured in the film is expected to attend. I am here because my good friend Urszula Sniegowska is the Director of Programming. She attended STIFF last year while she was in Seattle for SIFF. She has promised me a chance to do a Q&A with Joe Swanberg, I will let you know how it and the rest of the festival turns out.