Seattle International Film Festival is back in 2022, this time featuring a hybrid model.

Great news for movie lovers who like the experience of discovering new gems on the big screen. After a two year hiatus of in-person screenings, the Seattle International Film Festival is throwing open its theater doors for its 48th annual fest.

That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to catch some of the films online during the 11-day fest.

Last year, still in the height of the pandemic, SIFF announced an all virtual line-up. But this year, SIFF will be rolling out a hybrid event that will include both in-person and virtual screenings.

What does remain the same as last year is the length of the festival. For years, SIFF blanketed the calendar for a dizzying 25-day run – making it one largest film festivals in North America.

But in 2021 SIFF pared back its offerings over a span of 11 days.

This year’s fest takes place April 14-24. The breadth of days may not rival the movie marathon fests of the past, but SIFF promises the depth and quality of films to be the best in international and independent films from around the globe.

“The Spring Festival is an 11-day celebration of film’s power to delight and transform – to inspire, provoke, and connect us to our community and the world,” said SIFF’s Artistic Director Beth Barrett in a recent press announcement.

SIFF will have screenings in venues throughout Seattle, including its own newly refurbed SIFF Cinema Uptown. Opened over the past holidays, the renovated digs of the Uptown include a host of upgrades and improvements.

We toured the theater at the official ribbon-cutting in December and noted several key changes that improve the cinema-going experience. In addition to new lighting, new carpet, and theater curtains, the adjustments made to the seats in theater 2 and 3 are definitely a plus.

SIFF Passes and Tickets

If you have missed that in-person SIFF festival experience, passes for the event go on sale March 3. Tickets for Individual screenings will be available March 31.

Visit siff.net/festival for tickets and additional fest info.