On Thursday, Subterfuge Set's Michelle Quisenberry, of the world reknowned Volterra Restaurant & filmmaker/actor Aron Michael Thompson wined and dined Edward Norton and his entourage at The Sorrento Hotel's penthouse. Often referred to as the dynamic duo of the SIFF Board,  the two kept Norton entertained throughout the multi-course dinner which was generously provided by Michael & Barbara Malone of the Sorrento.  The exclusive guest list included Tom Skerrit, Chris and Diana Ackerley, along with a few very generous “Friends of SIFF” and of course, SIFF Managing Director Deborah Person and Artistic Director Carl Spence.

Along with discussions about film, style, wine, and international travel, there was lively conversation about the new SIFF Film Center which is slated to break ground at The Seattle Center in the Fall. Seattle has become an epicenter for the independant film community and has, in the best sense, outgrown itself. The Capital Campaign has been launched to generate funding for the new project which involves building a center so that the film community can have a stable place from which to operate. As you may know, SIFF has functioned without a base of operations, and with so much success, the time has come to create such a center. What started as a largely grassroots movement has been cultivated into part of the larger Seattle Arts community where we now see a demand for education, programming, and exhibits. The overall culture of filmmaking has grown and prevailed to the extent that we have a legitimate society of filmakers- from writers, actors, and poducers to film afficionados. Not only will a center allow the local community to enjoy what has now become a facet of Seattle culture, but visitors to our city will be able to see for themselves what we have to offer the larger international film community. Contributions to The Capital Campaign  are still needed. Our guess is Aron and Michelle will be happy share more details about the project over coffee or cocktails to anyone interested in participating. Who knows what swanky party you’ll snag an invite to, or which celeb you’ll brush elbows with if you are lucky enough to hang out with these two... 

Norton was honored at SIFF Friday night with “A Tribute to Edward Norton”. The 150 people lucky enough to buy tickets before they ran out, attended a private cocktail party with Norton at The Century Ballroom followed by tribute ceremony and screening of new film “Leaves of Grass” at the Egyptian.  For $125 per person this was the best deal in town. If you missed the event, you can still catch Norton in person at the screening of “25^th Hour” on Saturday at 10pm at the Neptune.

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