Ellensburg Film Festival -- It's a big weekend for film lovers

The old problem for the Ellensburg Film Festival was finding enough worthy films to make up a three-day program.

The new problem, now that the festival is five years old and has gained momentum, is choosing from all the worthy films that get submitted, said Sarah Haven, the festival's vice president.

"This year it has just really exploded," she said.

Among the most-anticipated films in this year's lineup are "Pirate For the Sea," a documentary on controversial environmental activist Paul Watson; "World's Greatest Dad," a black comedy starring Robin Williams; and "Sweet Crude," a documentary that takes energy discussions out of the academic realm and shows the impact of oil production on people in the Niger Delta.

"There's an urgent reason to act on behalf of people who live in places like the Niger Delta," filmmaker Sandi Cioffi of Seattle said of her documentary. "It's these people in Africa today, but it could well be us tomorrow."

Knowing that a documentary on such a topic doesn't always draw a crowd, Cioffi emphasized that people actually do enjoy her film. And she praised Ellensburg Film Festival organizers for giving it a prominent spot as the festival closer Sunday night.

"Most of the time, documentaries get buried in the political ghetto (of film festivals)," Cioffi said.

Though she won't be there herself because of a prior engagement, at least one of the film's other producers will be on hand for a question-and-answer session after the screening.

Such sessions will follow several of the other films as well, including "Back to the Garden," a documentary by Seattle filmmaker Kevin Tomlinson that depicts 20 years in the lives of latter-day hippies he first met in Tonasket in 1988.

Their "back to the earth" mindset of organic sustainability struck him as interesting during the Reagan administration, before such concepts had crossed over into the mainstream. Back then, his subjects were a subculture far removed from prevailing trends. Now they seem prescient.

"The whole thing has just turned around," he said. "Now everyone wants to be green. We couldn't have been farther away from that in 1988."

Those are the types of films that are perfect for the Ellensburg Film Festival, which has annually had a lineup that celebrates critical thinking as well as creativity. And this year looks to be the biggest and best yet, Haven said. There will be thousands of people attending, but just how many is anybody's guess, she said.

"It's going to be so much bigger than we've ever had it," Haven said. "We can tell by the response we're getting in the community and online."

* Pat Muir can be reached at 509-577-7693 or pmuir@yakimaherald.com.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Ellensburg Film Festival.

WHEN: Today through Sunday.

WHERE: Venues throughout Ellensburg.

HOW MUCH: Tickets cost $6 per film or $3 per film for students, $30 for a six-ticket package, $50 for a festival pass.

MORE INFO AND FULL SCHEDULE: www.ellensburgfilmfestival.com.