SIFF film series tries to make (non)sense of politics

SIFF Cinema this week presents a timely film series titled "Political (Non)Sense," which includes "The Parallax View" tonight (watch for the Space Needle); the 1933 drama "Gabriel Over the White House" and Elia Kazan's "A Face in the Crowd" Saturday; Tim Robbins' very funny "Bob Roberts" and Warren Beatty's not-so-funny "Bulworth" on Sunday; "All the King's Men" (not the disappointing recent version, but the 1949 one with Broderick Crawford) on Monday; and a Robert Redford double feature, "The Candidate" and "All the President's Men," on Tuesday. Series tickets are $38 ($28 for SIFF members); individual tickets are available.

Also at SIFF Cinema this weekend is the Northwest Tea Festival, with screenings of the documentaries "The Meaning of Tea" on Saturday and "All in This Tea" on Sunday, both at 1 p.m. For showtimes and more information on either series, see www.siff.net or call 206-633-7151. SIFF Cinema, 321 Mercer St., Seattle.

Northwest Film Forum this week presents "Local Sightings," a celebration of Northwest filmmaking that continues through Wednesday with a full schedule of feature films, documentaries and shorts, beginning tonight with the shorts package "Stories of Reach." For more information, see Tom Keogh's preview of the festival at www.seattletimes.com/movies, or contact NWFF at 206-267-5380 or www.nwfilmforum.org.

Acclaimed animator Don Hertzfeldt (an Oscar nominee for "Rejected" and a producer of "The Animation Show") will appear at the Grand Illusion Monday night with a selection of his short films, including his newest, "I Am So Proud of You." He will be interviewed for a Q&A following each screening. 7 and 9:15 p.m. at the Grand Illusion, 1403 N.E. 50th St., Seattle; tickets are $8 and can be reserved in advance by calling 206-523-3935 or e-mailing info@grandillusioncinema.org.

The Seattle Film Institute will hold an open house Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., offering an overview for its fall classes in filmmaking, screenwriting, film history, documentary filmmaking and digital video. 1709 23rd Ave., Seattle; for more information, see www.seattlefilminstitute.com or call 206-568-4387.

ITVS Community Cinema begins its free fall series Saturday with Brett Morgen's documentary "Chicago 10," a look behind the famous protests that disrupted the 1968 Democratic convention. A group of Seattle-based activists and politicians will lead a discussion following the film. It screens at 4 p.m. at SIFF Cinema, 321 Mercer St., Seattle; seats can be reserved by e-mailing chicago10@communitycinema.org or calling 800-930-6060 (press 1). For more information, see www.communitycinemaseattle.org.

Finally, this week's midnight movie at the Egyptian is "Princess Mononoke," the 1997 Japanese animated film from Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away"). Tonight and Saturday at 805 E. Pine St., Seattle; 206-781-5755 or www.landmarktheatres.com.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725

or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com