If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact us at: info@TriFi.org
TRI-Cities International Film Festival (TRIFI) – You don’t have to go far to see something new
What is a film festival, and how does it work?
Unlike the typical movie experience, a film festival isn’t limited to just one movie in one theater. It’s more like a movie marathon or a convention featuring many different films playing back to back throughout the day, with each theater having its own schedule and showing its own films. The schedule includes short breaks for stretching and snacks. You can come and go from each movie and theater as you like. TRIFI’s website will have a schedule and a description for each movie showing throughout the festival, allowing you to plan your day around specific films you want to see or just pick a theater and sit back to watch the movies as they’re shown. Only a select few films will be played multiple times throughout the festival, though, so make sure not to miss out! Most of the films are one-time experiences. Every year is different from the last, bringing a whole slate of new movies to see.
How do the tickets work?
When you purchase a ticket to a film festival, you’re getting a pass to see all the movies the festival is playing that day, not just a single movie. TRIFI’s single-day pass lets you into all the movies that are playing that day AND each TRIFI theater. You can also come and go from the movies or the theater as you please. Just be sure to hold onto your ticket for re-entry.
TRIFI also has an All-Fest Pass, giving you access to three days of the festival and all the festival theaters at a discounted rate.
What kind of films does TRIFI show?
Films are submitted to our film festival from all over the world by their filmmakers, and include many genres – Comedy, Drama, Animation, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Documentaries, Thriller/Mystery, and even Fan/Homage movies if you’re looking for something that is both new and familiar.
Most are short films- 40 minutes or less- with a few feature-length films throughout the schedule.
Many of the movies are in English or dubbed into English, and most movies that aren’t in English will have subtitles or are silent.
Why go to a film festival?
Have you ever thought, “Why do all Hollywood movies seem so similar?”
Or “I’d like to watch something I haven’t seen”? Or just wanted your run of a movie theater to pick which movies you’d like to watch instead of being stuck to a single screen?
There’s no shortage of content out there, and let’s face it, scrolling through it all to find something unique is what you’ll spend most of your free time doing anyway.
Film festivals showcase movies and filmmakers independent from big-budget production companies and the golden handcuffs of doing the same old-same old. You can see a variety of stories from around the world with unique viewpoints and ideas often overlooked by big-budget movies. Movies from filmmakers who do it for the love of the craft and with stories they want to tell. Going to a film festival guarantees you’ll see a movie you haven’t seen before. Some Hollywood films even start out as independent films showing at film festivals before they hit the big time, so you may get to say, “I saw that before it was big.”
What makes TRIFI different?
TRIFI is currently the only international film festival in the Washington Tri-Cities area, but we also spotlight Pacific Northwest and Tri-Cities talent. The second evening of the festival is dedicated to premiering movies from the 72 Hour Film Challenge – a filmmaking competition where moviemakers of all ages race against the clock to make a movie from scratch in 72 hours for recognition and prizes. During the 72-Hour Film Challenge Premiere, audience members get to vote for their favorite movie to win the “People’s Choice” award. So come and support local filmmaking talent and help reward their efforts just by being in the audience.
What does my ticket money go to?
TRIFI is a non-profit organization, which means all the profits go back into the event and the community to continue supporting local arts and commerce. We also strive to educate about filmmaking and provide opportunities for youth and local filmmakers to be shown and receive awards and recognition. TRIFI also works to connect and educate youth with professional filmmaking talent.
Do you accept volunteers?
“Yes, 1000 times yes!” But seriously, we’d love to have you! You can sign up here – (https://www.trifi.org/wp19/#volunteer) to volunteer to be a screener or an usher during the festival. The TRIFI International Film Festival takes a lot of volunteers to make it run smoothly every year. Volunteers will receive 1-2 meals (depending on volunteer hours), a T-shirt that is unique to volunteer staff, freedom to watch films when not on duty, and the opportunity to mix and mingle with a wide variety of filmmakers and movie enthusiasts. No prior volunteer experience is required; students looking for volunteer hours are welcome!
