Seattle is an urban oasis, host to a thriving tech hub, vibrant and diverse music scene and a myriad of iconic coffee houses. What better way to bring the spirit of this Pacific Northwest mecca to life than through the lens of filmmakers? Visit Seattle and SundanceTV commissioned New York-based branded content studio Process Media to leverage their feature film expertise to curate a series of short films that tap into the five senses to capture the ambiance and natural elegance of Seattle. Indie filmmakers and previous Sundance Film Festival directors were brought on to bring their own unique creative aesthetic to the campaign, resulting in five distinctive short films that together weave a complex snapshot of the Seattle lifestyle.
Having previously matched feature filmmakers for long form content for such top brands as Audi and Adidas, Process Media President Tim Perell worked closely with Visit Seattle and SundanceTV to refine a cinematic approach to the campaign. They collaborated to curate a lineup of five diverse filmmakers and Sundance Film Festival alums that would bring what indie film is known for and organically weave it into the cultural brand of Seattle.
More about the short film series and filmmakers:
Distinctive filmmaker Terence Nance brings his eccentric storytelling approach to capture the sound of Seattle in a retrospective narrative of Seattle-native Jimi Hendrix in the short “JimiH.” The dystopian piece peers into Hendrix’s youth in the Emerald City, with the tales of a booming narrator being brought to life in a series of vignettes that fuse authentic performances with music-driven interpretive movements. Nance, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, made his Sundance Film Festival debut in 2012 with his feature narrative “An Oversimplification of Her Beauty."
Drew Christie’s hand-crafted award-winning animations deliver an aromatic escape to the forests of Seattle to delve into the local American folklore of the Sasquatch. The lively short embraces the wide breadth of green hues of the local wildlife, following Bigfoot on an absurd yet delightful journey out of the woods and into the city, taking in the diverse scents of the vibrant local culture. Christie has had numerous pieces at the Sundance Film Festival over the years, with his short “Drawn & Recorded: Teen Spirit” screening as a part of the Animated Short Films selections.
Filmmaker Clea Helen D’etienne made her feature film debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016 with “The Intervention” and this year she is capturing the “Taste” of Seattle. The tranquil short peers in on the delicate and precise process at the heart of the Washington farm-to-table community. Serene scenes of a dairy farm transition to the steady buzz of the ferry, to the steady churning of an ice cream machine, culminating in the careful flavor decision of a child, who savors their treat.
A man finds zen by way of the sea in Martha Stevens’ take on the “Sight” of Seattle. The short film shows a ‘70s trimmed man meditating, practicing Tai Chi, reading, napping and remaining entirely present in the serenity of the ocean’s movements. Her recent feature film “Land Ho!” made its debut at Sundance in 2014 to high critical praise and went on to win the coveted John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2015.
Emmy® and Peabody-winning documentary filmmaker Ian Cheney brings to life the “Touch of Seattle” through a snapshot into the natural artisan culture that is deeply embedded in the Seattle community. From chipping away on a wood block to create wood sculptures to carefully cleaving a massive tree until it’s perfectly chiseled to mold a beautiful collection of ceiling lamp shades.
