Seattle Women in Film

In terms of both style and content, this collection of 21 shorts by Seattle women filmmakers (ranging from 1-14 minutes in length) offer a refreshing variety. Some are concise narratives (Virginia Bogert's Tootie Pie, about a young girl and her troubled mother in 1963 Louisiana), others are virtual standup riffs (Cheryl Slean's Diggers, about loquacious gravediggers), and some are straightforward documentary portraits (Heather Ayres' Lipstick Men, on drag queens). Wilson Diehl's How to Go on a Man Date and Dayna Hanson's Diesel Engine both take comic aim at informational shorts, while Ann Coppel's I Am Ann is a mockumentary. Also included are animated efforts (Sarah Jane Lapp's Chronicles of an Asthmatic Stripper), stop-motion exercises (Britta Johnson's But Soft), and works that combine animation with live action (Jennifer Maas' Laptop Story). One offering even presents an inventive takeoff on silent-movie tropes (Meredith Binder's Rent's Due), while another is a modernized fairy tale (SJ Chiro's Little Red Riding Hood). And of course there are those (such as Maureen Whiting's Bear Go Home and Steph Kese's The Pact) that fall into the experimental category. As in any collection, the quality varies, but overall this compilation is fairly impressive. Sure to interest those drawn to short films, this anthology is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)