Post Alley Film Festival at SIFF Film Center

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Doors open at 10:30 AM

Celebrating women’s voices in film. A day of outstanding shorts from around the block and around the globe. Diverse film stories by women, for everyone, reminding us of our shared humanity. Tickets and line-up will be available at SIFF.net for PAFF 2026. Meantime… Check out 2025 pictures from the event! And visit and follow us https://www.facebook.com/PostAlleyFilmFestival and https://filmfreeway.com/PostAlleyFilmFestival

We are very excited and proud to screen the 2026 Oscar-nominated short film, Jane Austen’s Period Drama, directed by Julia Aks and Steve Pender, our closing film. England, 1813. In the middle of a long-awaited marriage proposal, Miss Estrogenia Talbot gets her “friend.”. Her suitor, the dashing Mr. Dickley, mistakes her condition for an injury, and it soon becomes clear that his very expensive education has most certainly missed a spot. https://janeaustensperioddrama.com

…There are 11 countries represented at PAFF this year: Argentina, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, the State of Palestine, Turkey, and the US. Our fantastic program list and blocks: Oh Mother, Fantacy, Choices, Family Matters, Docs Rock, A Lighter Side.

OH, MOTHER: Mama, Comedy, Dramedy US 2024 | 12:00 Director/Writer Erika Kreutz; Producers Erika Kreutz, Christina Lind, Gene Gallerano, Kendra Kreutz. Featuring Kristin Slaysman and family. Language: English - MAMA probes the relentlessness of being a mother. Screenings: Seattle Premiere PAFF; Walla Walla Crush 2025 ABOUT: Ericka is an actress (Dead to Me, The Handmaid's Tale, Better Call Saul, Barry) and portrait and family photographer. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two strong-willed silly boys. First Time Filmmaker

Lǎo Lǎo (Grandma), Animation, US/China 2024| 1:30 Director/Animator Yang Hu Language: Silent. A journey of family portraits orchestrated by grandma, rendered in charcoal on a single sheet of paper. As each image is drawn, erased, and redrawn, the surface accumulates residue much like past memories leaving marks, reflecting on the end and the beginning of life. Screenings: Washington Premiere PAFF, CaamFest San Francisco ABOUT: Yang is a Chinese-born, bay area-based artist and animator whose work spans drawing, painting, and handcrafted animation. Originally from Lanzhou, China, having immigrated at a young age, Yang draws inspiration from the layered experiences of migration, familial history, and shifting notions of home. First time Filmmaker

The Weight of a Dog ,Drama US, 2024 | 15:37 Director/Writer Lucy Sandler; Writer Mechi Lakatos; Producers Lucy Sandler, Joey Fitzsimmons with Brooke Smith (Greys Anatomy, Silence of the Lambs, Big Sky, Them) and Chelsea Frei. Language: English - Newly retired Dawn chaperones her adult daughter through her abortion and explores unexpected revelations about her own life. The story explores the ever-evolving nature of the mother daughter connection and women learning from each other across generations. Screenings: Seattle Premiere PAFF, Walla Walla Crush ABOUT: Lucy Sandler is a director and photographer from the Bay Area. Connecting personally with her subjects, she creates space for them to explore their subconscious, bringing full-bodied characters to the screen, She pulls from her own lived experiences and family history to communicate universal elements. First time Filmmaker

Appetite for Destruction, Drama, Turkey 2025 |18:08 Director/Writer/Producer Zehra Eda Sert; Producer Salih Baran Ürdem Language: Turkish, English subtitles. A family struggles with suppressed emotions resulting in destructive relationships further shattered at a birthday gathering. Screenings: PAFF North American Premiere; 21th Kısa-ca International Student Film Festival İstanbul; 32nd Adana Golden Boll International Film Festival Turkey; 20th Boston Turkish Film Festival; Cappadocia International Film Festival Turkey; International Golden Rod Film Festival Istanbul; 12th Youth Film Festival Istanbul. ABOUT: Zehra Eda Sert was born in Istanbul, studied Cinema and Television at Istanbul University. For her university graduation project, she directed this first short film titled "Yıkım İçin İştah,” inspired by her own family who caused stress and shame throughout her life, reflecting moments where she wished she could have screamed instead of staying silent. First ime Filmmaker

Letters, Documentary, Denmark/Bulgaria 2025 | 10:52 Director/Writer/Producer Aysel Küçüksu who stars with her mother Sadrie Küçüksu. Language: Bulgarian, English Subtitles - How much of ourselves have we left behind in words for others? In revisiting pieces of our past, we uncover not only lost memories but insights into who we were, who we are, and who we hoped to become. Screenings: US Premiere PAFF, Fipadoc Biarritz; Sarajevo Film Festival Bosnia; Golden Rhyton (Златен Ритон) Bulgaria; Adelaide Film Festival Australia (Honourable Mention); Cine Paris Film Festival (Best Director); Sofia Film Festival Bulgaria; Crystal Palace International Film Festival London; International Portrait Film Festival Bulgaria (Best Auto-portrait). ABOUT: As a Bulgarian filmmaker with Turkish roots, Aysel’s directorial vision bridges cultures and histories through storytelling. Her perspective as a human rights lawyer shapes her work, infusing it with a sense of doing justice to the human experience. First Time Filmmaker - A candle does not lose any of its light by lighting another candle. Turkish saying

Excess Baggage, Drama, France 2024 | 16:20, Director/Writer Myriam Garcia Marienstras; Producers Noam Dromi, Language: French, English Subtitles. When her daughter leaves for summer camp, Sophie finds herself alone for the first time, overwhelmed by emotional dependency. Screenings: Cambridge Film Festival; Pendance Film Festival Toronto; Cinemed Montpellier France; Scanorama Film Festival Lithuania; Clermont Ferrand Film Festival; International Film Festival Glasgow (Best International Film); Northeast International Film Festival United Kingdom; 41ème Rencontres Cinématographiques Gindou Film Festival France; International Signs of Night Festival Lisbon; London Breeze Film Festival (Honorable mention); Tweetfest London (Nominated Best International Film / Best performance); Queens World Film Fest NY; Snowdance Film Festival Germany; SANFICI - Santander Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente Columbia; Third Culture Film Festival New Zealand; Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin (Best Short Film/ Best performance); Imagine This Woman International Film Festival, NY ABOUT: Myriam Garcia Marienstras is a writer and director. Her work explores intimacy, emotional dependency and fragile human relationships, focusing on moments of silence and vulnerability. She is interested in characters who love intensely, often clumsily, and struggle to find their place within human bonds. First Time Filmmaker

LUNCH INTERMISSION One Hour & 10 minutes

 FANTACY: Sticky Buns, Ravioli, and White Cake Fantasy, US 2024 | 10:28 (proof of concept) Director Nicole Pouchet, Producers Nicole Pouchet, Abie Ekenezar. In this adult Alice in Wonderland romance, Alice, from the real world, and the Mad Hatter, must fall in love or the Mad Hatter’s mental illness will destroy Wonderland. Language: English. Screenings: Seattle Film Summit; Romance Rules Film Festival Australia; AtomaCon Film Festival (Best Fantasy Short Winner, Best Director Nominee); First Contact Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival NJ (Best SFX Nominee); Yosemite Fantasy Film Festival; East Village Film Festival NY Finalist; Atlanta Shortsfest (Nominee - Innovative Vision); The Art of Movie Making Film Festival Georgia; Seattle Film Society; Sistas Are Doin It for Themselves Film Showcase; Issaquah Film Festival; Seattle WorldCon; Lake County Film Festival Illinois; Albuquerque Film & Music Experience ABOUT: Nicole Pouchet is a novelist, writer, director and former assistant director on Broadway living in Seattle. Her horror/social thriller, Retch, premiered at the Seattle International Film, won Best Film at the Seattle Black Film Festival in 2020, and has shown on DirecTV, Amazon, PBS, and Alaska Airlines. Her subsequent films - a sci-fi short, Such an Honor, and a fantasy animation/live action, Lioness, have been official selections at festivals worldwide. She is a writer/director for the award-winning fantasy series, Strowlers and in development on her first feature film, an adaptation of romance fantasy best-seller Her Mad Hatter, for the WA Filmworks enhanced Small Budget Initiative Program

CHOICES: Sona Drama, Islamic Republic of Iran | 15:00 Director/Writer/Producer Zahra Torkamanlou. A single woman living with her old mother in a traditional society, Sona attempts to overcome loneliness and sexual desire. Language: Azerbaijani, English Subtitles Screenings: PAFF US Premiere ABOUT: As a young female film director in Iran, Zahra faces difficulties but continues to make films that screen at international festivals and tap into emotions."Sona", is the result of one of her inner preoccupations.

Hard Boiled Eggs Drama, US/China |13:20 Director, Yi Meng; Writer Yuky Shen; Producers Yuky Shen, Pablo Zamorano. Language: Chinese, English, English subtitles. 10-year-old Yu hates hard boiled eggs and also suspects her mother is cheating after overhearing a mysterious phone call and decides to investigate only to find more harsh truth. Screenings: WorldFest Houston,WOW Film Festival Wales; LA Shorts. ABOUT: Yang is a Chinese-born, bay area-based artist and animator whose work spans drawing, painting, and handcrafted animation. Originally from Lanzhou, China, having immigrated at a young age, Yang draws inspiration from the layered experiences of migration, familial history, and shifting notions of home. First time Filmmaker.

Friend of the Year, Drama, US, 2024 | 11:05 Content Warning suggested physical assault. Director/Writer Natalie Parker; Producer Alexandria Hellman. Julia integrates Naya, an underclassman, into her friend group and it changes both their lives forever. Language: English. ABOUT: Natalie Parker is a Latina Writer & Director from Seattle, Washington currently residing in Brooklyn. She recently completed the undergraduate Film & Television Production program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Screenings: PAFF Seattle Premiere

The Middle Drama, US 2024 | 12:40 (proof of concept) Director/Writer Silvia Ray, Producers Silvia Ray Language: English. A desert teen tries to escape the consequences of a pivotal night and has to decide between telling the truth and protecting her family. Screenings: PAFF PNW Premiere; Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival; HollyShorts Film Festival LA (Best LatinX Film Nominee) ABOUT: Sylvia Ray is an award-winning Chicana/Korean-American director and a Satellite Collective Fellow born and raised in Barstow, CA. Her passion for storytelling was nurtured by her parents, who watched Star Trek and bootleg Korean dramas in separate rooms. PAFF Alumna, PAFF 2025 Winner Best US Film The Vote.

FAMILY MATTERS: A Trapdoor Drama, US, 2024| 23:20 Directors Angela DiMarco and David S. Hogan, Writer James James; Producers Angela DiMarco, David S. Hogan, James James. Language: English. Coming home from rehab for her sister’s wedding rehearsal dinner, Francis must confront her demons, her pain, and the truth of her father’s death. Screenings: Santa Paula Film Festival (Best Overall Film, Best Actor Angela DiMarco), Best Director (David S Hogan & Angela DiMarco); West Sound Film Festival (Audience Favorite Narrative Short Film); Issaquah Film Festival (Best Acting Angela DiMarco); Albuquerque Film & Music Experience, Best Cinematography Ryan Purcell, Best Actress Angela DiMarco, Best Narrative Short Film) ABOUT: Angela and David, partners since 2001, began Mighty Tripod Productions, each directing several films. Angela's directorial debut, Always, garnered several awards and premiered at SIFF, and internationally in CANNES short film corner in 2016.

Such a Pretty Girl Drama, US 2025 | 6:16 Director/Writer Debra Puette, Producers Rachel Stander, Debra Puette Language: English Meg returns home with her son to help her aging dad and discovers something deeper about her child and herself. Screenings: Berkshire International Film Festival; Sidewalk Film Festival Birmingham; Nòt Film Fest; Santarcangelo di Romagna Italy; Port Townsend Film Festival; Gig Harbor Film Festival; Leiden International Film Festival Netherlands; San Jose International Short Film Festival. ABOUT: “Inspired by my father’s refusal to acknowledge my daughter’s transition and my own journey.” Puette is a queer, femme creator of film, television, and theater, who grew up in an Irish-Catholic family of hunters who taught her to use a shotgun when she was eight. She’s lived around the globe, Paris to Juneau and credits her two decades as an award-winning actor with success as an emerging writer and director. Deborah’s first short film garnered nominations for Best Writer, Best Director, and Best Short. She expanded that into her first feature, Cash for Gold.

One’s Own Skin Comedy, Argentina 2025 | 12:13 Director/Writer/ Guadalupe Docampo, Producer Aníbal Garisto. Language: Spanish, English Subtitles. Flora lies to her daughter, mother, and sister and secretly meets-up with her ex-husband. Her exposed deception is the push she needs to finally close that chapter of her life. Screenings: PAFF US Premiere; World Premiere Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente. ABOUT: Guadelupe Docampo has a long career as an actress in the Argentine audiovisual industry. She studied film at UBA. La Propia Piel (One’s Own Skin) is her latest short film. She is currently developing her debut feature, The Ceremony.

We Have Sinned Before You Drama, Isreal, 2024 | 19:18 Director/Writer/Producer Ifat Nener Orgad Language: Hebrew Subtitled: English. A game designed to pass the time on Yom Kippur brings up secrets and difficulties that could tear the Dagan family apart. Screenings: Solidarity Film Festival Tel Aviv; International Film Festival Macedonia; Euroshorts Young Filmmakers Warsaw; The International Film Festival Napoli; Atlanta Jewish Film Festival; Worldwide Women's Film Festival Phoenix; Mitzpe Ramon Film Festival Israel; CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival Bellingham, WA; Columbus Jewish Film Festival; Fisheye Film Festival United Kingdom; Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival; Katze Film Festival Tel Aviv; Cleveland Jewish Film Festival; MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival; Gold Coast International Film Festival NY; Budapest Jewish Film Festival; Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist Ukraine; Boca International Jewish Film Festival Florida; Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival; Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia; East Bay Jewish Film Festival CA; Houston Jewish Film Festival. ABOUT: A “non-standard” student for an MFA degree at Tel Aviv University (48 years old, married with 4), Ifat produces and writes successful music videos on social media, produces tours of major Israeli artists in the US and produces plays for an Israeli theater in the USA. She has a degree in Industrial Engineering and graduated from the Rimon Jazz Music School and the Anat Barzilai Acting School. First time Filmmaker

DOCS ROCK: Brewer Documentary, US 2025 | 10:38 Director Erika Valenciana; Producer Anuradha Rana; Editor Magdalena Hernandez. Brewer juxtaposes poetic visuals of the beer brewing process with the reflections of underrepresented brewers confronting bias in their industrial work environment. Language: English Screenings: St. Louis International Film Festival; Anchorage International Film Festival Frozen River Film Festival Minnesota. ABOUT: Erika Valenciana is a Chicana filmmaker from Chicago with a Film & Video BA from Columbia College Chicago. Valenciana’s work has been supported by Tribeca Film Institute, Cine Qua Non Lab, Stowe Story Labs, Puffin Foundation, Kartemquin Films, Chicago International Film Festival, DC Environmental Film Festival, Frozen River Film Festival, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and Illinois Arts Council. Valenciana amplifies the voices of her local community filmmakers of color through the Mezcla Media Collective and as a mentor for Kartemquin Films Diverse Voices in Docs. She uses film to share underrepresented stories building towards a media landscape where diverse experiences are visible and celebrated.

Jawaher Documentary, The State of Palestine 2023 | 4:47 Director Samar Taher Lulu; Co-director Hamdi Khalil Elhusseini Language: Arabic, English subtitles. Jawaher farmed with her father as a young girl and is a beekeeper in old age. To her, beekeeping is a way to overcome the difficulties of life. Despite all she faces: the economic situation, climate change, and war, she holds on to her source of livelihood and joy. Screenings: ConnectHer Film Festival Austin. ABOUT: Samar Taher Lulu is a passionate filmmaker and storyteller from Gaza, Palestine. Her films Jawaher and Khalil Hanaa won awards at the ConnectHer Film Festival in 2023 and 2025. As a 2024–2025 ConnectHer Fellow, she led documentary workshops in Gaza, mentoring emerging filmmakers and supervising several films including Al-Maram, which won Best Documentary in 2025. Her acclaimed film Adas Felasteen also received the Al Jazeera Documentary Award and international recognition. Through her films, Samar brings Gaza’s untold stories to the global stage with depth, courage, and poetic vision.

Old Girl in a Tutu Documentary, US 2025 | 8:02 Content warning: nudity Director/Writer Cheri Gaulke; Writer Sue Maberry; Producer Cheri Gaulke. Feminist scholar, Susan Rennie, seizes her iPhone and sneaks her queer, octogenarian body into master works of art, disrupting the narrative of the male gaze. Language: English. Screenings: Port Townsend Film Festival, Chicago Underground Film Festival, 29 Queer Film Festival, Chicago Underground Film Festival. ABOUT: Cheri Gaulke is a pioneer in the feminist art movement in Los Angeles and an award-winning filmmaker whose films have screened in national and international film festivals. Gaulke’s work has been presented at the Museum of Modern Art (NY), the Museum of Contemporary Art (LA), and in a Smithsonian-touring exhibition.

THE LIGHTER SIDE: What is the Word Comedy, Canada 2025 | 3:08 Director/Writer/Producer Allison Beda; Writer Tara Cheyenne Language: English. A comedic exploration of aging, memory loss and our increasing addictions to our phones and devices. Based on the stage show “I Can’t Remember the Word for ‘I Can’t Remember’” by Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg. Screenings: PAFF World Premiere. ABOUT: Experimental humourist filmmaker, conceptual sculptor and Dada Gallerist who loves joyful guerilla art interventions, turning difficult life experiences into comedic works of art, and working with what you have, Allison Beda’s film art is personal, darkly comic, subversively feminist. Mx. Beda lives and works on the unceded and traditional territory of the xwməθkwəyə̓ m (Musqueam), səlilw̓ ətaɁɬ (Tsleil- Waututh) and Sḵwxw̱ ú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). Allison is a PAFF Alumna.

Lumen Comedy, Canada 2023 | 13:28 Director/Writer Stéphanie Bélanger; Writer Rocio B. Fuentes; Producers Giacomo Nudi, Carmen Sylvestre. Language: French, English Subtitles. Claudie, 70 years old, sheltered at home, compulsively buys lamps to dispel the solitude and bring some light into her life, at any cost. Screenings: Palm Springs Short Film Festival World Premiere, Nevada City Film Festival. First time filmmaker. ABOUT: After immersing herself in the Parisian audiovisual industry for a decade, Stéphanie returned to her Quebecois roots to pursue screenwriting. She traverses the spectrum from absurd humor to gripping drama, manipulating the intricacies of the human experience. She makes her directorial debut with 'Lumen,' a pandemic-inspired endeavor that delves into the solitary enclave of a tech-savvy septuagenarian, tethered to her computer as if it were a lifeline.

Cockroach Comedy, US 2025 | 8:41 Content Warning: sexual subject matter, brief nudity. Director/Writer/Producers Heather Older; Producer Adam Sweeney. Language: English. Juliette tries to survive a breakup with her longtime girlfriend by chronically masturbating and convincing herself to date men. Her delirium is finally relieved (sort of) by an unexpected stranger. Like cockroaches, love finds a way to survive the odds. Screenings: CinePride Film Festival Waco; Independent Film Festival; Sydney Underground Film Festival (Audience Award); Eastern Oregon Film Festival; Lone Star Film Festival Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival; Bizarroland Film Festival; San Francisco Independent Film Festival; Poppy Jasper International Film Festival. ABOUT: Heather Older is an Oregon based screenwriter and Executive Director of the McMinnville Short Film Festival. "Cockroach" marks her directorial debut. Prior to this, she has written and produced two award winning short films, "AC" and the Oscar qualifying, "Above the Dessert with No Name” which screened at PAFF2025. 

Things I’ve Made My Roommate Do Part 2 Rom Com, US 2025 | 10:11. Director/Writer Mylissa Fitsimmons. Language: English. Olivia makes it her mission to get Max back out into the dating world after he gets his heart broken. Olivia only has herself to blame when Max learns of her true feelings about him. Screenings: PAFF World Premiere. ABOUT: Mylissa Fitzsimmons is an award-winning writer/director known for intimate, character-driven micro-budget films. She won a PAFF Best Short award. Raised in Utah and Oregon, she began her creative path photographing bands and making skate videos before starting her filmmaking career in Seattle’s music scene. She is a Sun Valley Film Festival Short Film Lab winner, a Reykjavík Talent Lab alum, a Lynn Shelton Of a Certain Age Grant finalist, a Ryan Murphy Half Initiative mentee, a Bend Film Basecamp Fellow, and her feature Mackenzie is a U.S. in Progress winning film at the American Film Festival in Poland. Mylissa’s debut feature, Everything in the End (2021), shot in Iceland, screened at over 40 festivals and won multiple awards including Best Narrative Feature, Best Directing, and Best Cinematography. Her second feature, The Long Run, (2025) won numerous awards. Her third feature, Mackenzie, based on a true story from her childhood is slated to be released in 2026. Things I’ve Made My Roommate Do Part 3 Rom Com, US 2025 | 10:11 Director/Writer Mylissa Fitsimmons, Language: English. The Aftermath! Screenings: PAFF World Premiere

Jane Austen’s Period Drama, Rom Com, US 2025 | 12:41 Director/Writers Julia Aks, Steve Pinder; Producer Elli Legerski. Language: English. England,1813. In the middle of a long-awaited marriage proposal, Miss Estrogenia Talbot gets her “friend.” Her suitor, the dashing Mr. Dickley, mistakes her condition for an injury, and it soon becomes clear that his very expensive education has most certainly missed a spot. Academy Award Nominee 2026 Screenings: Tribeca Film Festival; Indy Shorts Film Festival Indianapolis (Overall Audience Choice Award & Comedy Award); Palm Springs ShortFest; Cleveland International Film Festival (Audience Choice Award Best Short Film); Mendocino Film Festival (Best Short Film); Santa Barbara International Film Festival; Walla Walla Crush. ABOUT: Julia Aks & Steve Pinder’s humor has often been described as “easy” and “I don’t get it, it’s just Casablanca with fart noises.” A writer/director duo, Steve and Julia have collaborated on numerous musical and comedy sketches and have most recently directed the short film, JANE AUSTEN'S PERIOD DRAMA, a satire about menstruation. Julia rose to internet fame when her parody of Ariana Grande’s 7 RINGS went viral, even being re-posted by Ariana herself. Julia also boasts a lush performing career with LA Opera, La Mirada Theatre, Boston Court Theatre, 3D Theatricals, and the Independent Shakespeare Co. She has sung on soundtracks, including JOHN WICK III, where she is the featured vocalist. Steve has a background in acting, a Masters in Film and Television Production from USC, and most recently starred in the feature film, THE EXORCISM OF ST. PATRICK, directed by Quinn Armstrong. Julia and Steve live in LA where they write irreverent comedies with heart.

Fin de la fête!

Post Alley Film Festival 2024, a review by Elizabeth Mulloy

In the heart of the cinematic world, a beacon of empowerment illuminated the screen as the 12th Edition of the Post Alley Film Festival took center stage at the SIFF Film Center on the 30th of March. Hosted by Virginia Bogert, Post Alley Film Festival Founder and Director, and President of Women in Film (WIF) Seattle; PAFF showcased over thirty short films from ten countries highlighting the talent, creativity, and resilience of female filmmakers. From the moment the lights dimmed and the first film flickered on the silver screen, it was evident that this festival was not just about showcasing films; but about amplifying voices, challenging norms, and rewriting the narrative of women in film. The lineup was an intricate tapestry of emotions, weaving together stories of strength, vulnerability, triumph, and orange cat behavior. The films covered a wide range of topics, divided into seven distinct segments.

Beginnings/Endings focused on the circle of life and the inevitability of death. Films included Cuando te Vas, directed by Isabel Montes, an older film Bogert felt deserved to be seen again, and perfect for the opening offering. Next up from Iran, Witness, directed by Aida Tebianian, followed by Hangman, directed by local filmmaker Megan Brotherton, a PAFF alumna and award winner; then Scam, directed by Julie Sharbutt, a dark comedy about a telephoner who takes advantage of elders. Coincidentally, Seattle International Film Festival’s Opening Night Film, Thelma, revolves around this same theme. Moving on to the second block, Woman’s World sheds light on the daily struggles faced by women. Films featured were: Made of Flesh from France, directed by Florence Rochat and Serena Robin; and from the UK, Roses, directed by Coral Knights; Jackie and Marilyn, by Hollin Haley, an imagined conversation; Under, directed by Aloura Charles, and Above the Desert with No Name, directed by Sonia Sebastian and written by Heather Older. At the Q&A, Older spoke about her use of fantastical realism to tell a story of immigration and domestic violence. During intermission, if you returned early, filmgoers were treated to a charming animated one-minute student film by Olive Juge from the New Orleans Center of Creative Arts . Another surprise screening was Bottlecap by Seattle filmmaker Barbara Brown. Bottlecap is the first film produced with the new Washington State Film Incentive and filmed on location in Gold Bar, WA.

The after-lunch block, Family Ties, explored generational trauma and the familiar challenges within families and included Blood Ties by first-time Canadian director Emma Campbell, and Seward by local actor/director Debra Pralle. Filmmakers from both films were in attendance for Q&As. To round out the segment was Mangata from Germany, directed by Maja Costa, about an astronaut’s life’s journey. It will screen again at the Seattle Black Film Festival, April 25-28th and Cascadia International Women’s Festival April 25-28th.  Mothers & Daughters focused on those loving but complex relationships. Films included in this category were The Two Lives of Sepideh, directed by Iranian filmmaker Soha Niasti; Smother, by Lea Jeanne Boehringer, and Call Me Mommy, directed by Alea Erickson.

The fifth block, Coming of Age, highlighted the struggles of adolescence in a complicated world. Films featured were Lava, from Spain, directed by Carmen Jimenez; Julie Baby, directed by Emily Groom; Scotty’s Vag, directed by Charconne Martin-Berkowicz; Gaps, by Jenn Shaw, Producer Queen Latifah, and a sweet best friends moment called, Hold My Hair, directed by local filmmaker Rachel Taggart.

Docs Rock showcased the versatility of documentary filmmaking. Included were the experimental film The Golden Age, by Hannah Hamalian; Mudlark, directed by Chezik, spotlighting a Seattle purveyor of oddities and curiosities; Vanishing Seattle: Queer the Land, directed by local filmmaker Netsanet Tjirongo, and Ape, directed by Canadian filmmaker, artist and choreographer Allison Beda.

 Curator Bogert always chooses to close the festival on an upbeat note and the final segment The Lighter Side, highlighted feel-good films. Things I’ve Made My Roommate Do. Episode 1: I’ve Parked My Car in the Friend Zone, by writer/director Mylissa Fitzsimmons is the first installment of her TV comedy series. A PAFF alumna and award winner, Fitzsimmons, was also one of 3 finalists for the first Lynn Shelton, Of a Certain Age Grant. The crowd pleaser, Savi the Cat, directed by Netsanet (Netsie) Tjirongo, which screened at SIFF 2023 and Tribeca Film Festival, followed by and the tender sweet animated film, Musica Quarantena, directed by Lilian T. Mehrel, ended the festival. At the Q&A, director Netsie Tjirongo charmingly tells a story of a couple whose lives are upended by a furry feline. Kaila and Ken Nsmibi, the charismatic stars of the film, were also in attendance, not to be outshone by their tempestuous cat.

Besides this wonderful ensemble of films, there was a profound sense of community that this film festival fosters. Each Q&A with each filmmaker provided a meaningful space for conversations and connections to thrive within the female filmmaking community. As the final credits rolled and the lights came up, it was clear that the Post Alley Film Festival had achieved its mission of celebrating the incredible contributions of women in film. But more than that, it had ignited a spark, a spark of hope and possibility for a future where women’s voices are not just heard but celebrated and embraced. As we reflect on the moments shared and the stories told, let us carry forward the spirit of this festival and continue to champion diversity, equality, and inclusion in the world of cinema. In doing so, we not only honor the past but also pave the way for a brighter and more inclusive future for generations of female filmmakers to come. - Elizabeth Mulloy, Edited Virginia Bogert