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my new favorite film festival is in seattle
a weekend in seattle and a mini-review of the national film festival for talented youth
PRELUDE
Hi everybody! 🌷
Today, I’m really excited to share some general insights I had on art, artistry, and meeting artists (art, art, art!) while I was at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth 2025 in Seattle, Washington and whether or not I felt like it was really worth it. And some general thoughts as my first major in-person, traveled-to film festival since the pandemic. (I might do a separate post next week on more sightseeing, restaurants, museums, and places we visited like Bainbridge Island!)
If you haven’t heard already… I was just in Seattle for a pilot I directed called Dearborn, which I’m excited to share took home an Audience Award alongside a Jury Nomination! 🏆⭐️
Up next we’ll be at SeriesFest in Denver, Colorado! You can also follow our Instagram here! Stay tuned for more 😊⛰️
TABLE CHAT
The contents of today’s post:
What is NFFTY?
Lineup & Events
Lessons Learned
Is NFFTY Worth It?
WHAT IS NFFTY?
The National Film Festival for Talented Youth (aka NFFTY) is one of those festivals that really stays with you long after it’s ended. It’s all about emerging filmmakers under 25, but honestly? It’s so worth it going at any age. Even if you’re on the older side of that bracket (hi), it still feels like the right place to be. Whether you're just starting out or already deep in the work, the energy is really contagious. It’s rare to be in a space where everyone is either just as wide-eyed or just as deeply in it as you are.
The whole festival is centralized in one area, which makes things super walkable and easy to navigate. Most of it takes place at the SIFF Cinema Uptown and a few surrounding venues. That kind of localization makes it feel more like a little artist campus than a sprawling, stressful event. You could literally hop from a screening to a panel to a coffee chat to lunch without losing momentum.
LINEUP & EVENTS
The lineup was stacked. But overall, I met so many talented, creative people who were not just directors, but editors, actors, composers, etc. Between panels and mixers, I ended up talking to reps and sitting in on talks and hosted by Seed&Spark, even the programmer of PROOF Film Festival out in LA, ShotDeck, MUBI, and Adobe Premiere Pro.
One highlight was a panel called “Rewriting in the Edit: Celia Beasley.” Celia is a professional editor living in Seattle recently worked on a Netflix TV show called Penelope directed by Mark Duplass and also other local independent feature films. She showed us how she broke down scripts, and showed us her actual Premiere timeline and project files on the screen. Celia shared so much practical wisdom about directing kids, shooting coverage smartly, and finding rhythm in the edit. It’s the kind of stuff that usually gets glossed over all the time, but she broke it down with so much care.
What stuck with me most, though, were the Opening Night speeches given by the festival team. They weren’t just introducing films or doing the usual “going through the motions” they were sharing why they love them. What started out as 3 friends hanging out a local Seattle diner… it was so clear how much time, intention, and heart went into this festival through its 18 years of existence. You don’t get that everywhere.
Artists need artists. That really landed.
The only problem with NFFTY is that there’s too much good stuff. With so many screening blocks scheduled back-to-back, it’s hard to see everything, and the FOMO is so real. My advice? Be intentional. Choose a few you really want to make time for, and then let the rest flow.
LESSONS LEARNED
People are generous and kind. If you say hi, they’ll say hi back. Everyone has a project they want to share and they want to hear about yours (especially in this context). I wish I’d known that when I was 18.
Community matters. Your environment matters. Find the people who are doing this out of love.
Bring a business card (or a brochure!). It helps. Honestly, it sounds tacky and dorky but I LOVED getting a business card. And it really reminded me to follow-up…
You won’t see everything. Prioritize what matters to you (including sleep).
Bring a water bottle.
Follow up. Even if it’s awkward. It’s almost always worth it. And it’s never too late.
Rest. You’re still an artist when you’re not “on.”
IS NFFTY WORTH IT?
Absolutely.
It’s easy to forget (especially in school, or in the trenches of a post-production hell) what all of this is for. NFFTY reminded me that people really care. About stories. About each other. About making things that mean something.
And being in a room full of that? That’s the stuff I’m after.
That’s all for today! I’ve got some new things coming soon (more on that later). For now, just feeling really grateful.
Skylar xx
Check out my portfolio & website here.