Get ready to laugh as Whidbey Island Center for the Arts prepares to host this year’s Whidbey Island Film Festival with the theme of screwball comedies.
Tickets are now on sale for the festival, which runs Jan. 17-21 at WICA in Langley.
Often in black and white and featuring a strong female protagonist, the screwball comedy genre originated in the 1930s and became popular during the Great Depression. During the upcoming film festival, moviegoers can expect to see seven classic films from five different decades.
“Life has become so serious and the new year seemed like a great time to kick off a journey through some of the best comedies of all time,” said Deana Duncan, WICA’s artistic executive director and co-curator of the film festival, in a press release.
Duncan and fellow curator James Hinkley chose the films, which include “Bringing Up Baby,” “His Girl Friday,” “Shall We Dance,” “Victor/Victoria,” “Adam’s Rib,” “The Hudsucker Proxy” and “What’s Up Doc?”
Attendees will recognize leading ladies of Hollywood such as Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn, to name a few.
“There is a whole history of cinematic brilliance and beauty that hasn’t had a real presence in the cultural consciousness of new generations,” Duncan said. “Exposure to art helps us engage in experiences and understand life’s stories.”
“Screwball Comedies” is the sixth annual event for the Whidbey Island Film Festival and is inspired by the Film Society of Screwball Comedy in Palm Springs, California. Managing Director Billy Tierney said that though the film festival is most popular with Whidbey Islanders, it also attracts visitors from the Seattle area and the Olympic Peninsula.
“We want to have more humor here in 2024,” Tierney said.
The main theater of WICA can hold just over 200 people. Passholders, who have access to all the films, get to choose their seats. Tickets to individual shows are general admission.
The Opening Night Red Carpet Experience offers champagne and bottomless popcorn. Specialty cocktails will be served during the festival.
Ending the festival is a unique music experience called Art of the Score, featuring Hinkley on cello, Sheila Weidendorf on piano and Gloria Ferry-Brennan on violin.
“In this year’s concert, we are focusing on the collaboration of filmmakers and composers that we’re calling A Game of Pairs,” Hinkley said in the press release. “We’ll be exploring partnerships like Hitchcock/Herrmann, Spielberg/Williams, Edwards/Mancini, and more.”
Individual tickets to each film cost $15 for standard or $25 for WICA Star, which differs from the standard ticket because it includes a complimentary beverage from the bar. Individual tickets to the concert cost $30 for standard or $45 for WICA Star. Festival passes cost $125 for standard and $150 for WICA Star. Additionally, in an effort to make the festival more accessible, there are some pay-what-you-will options.
Visit whidbeyislandfilmfestival.org or wicaonline.org to purchase tickets. Festival passes must be purchased through the WICA Box Office at 360-221-8268 or tickets@wicaonline.org.
