Join us April 24th at the Pickford Film Center
CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival is pleased to present Magic Hour as opening night feature of its 2025 festival. Directed by Jacqueline Christy, the film will screen on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 6:30 PM, at the Pickford Film Center in Bellingham.
Magic Hour tells the moving and heartfelt story of Harriet, a kind-hearted aspiring filmmaker navigating a world of challenges. After her dreams of film school become a reality, she’s faced with a professional film industry that values ruthlessness over compassion. Harriet’s journey to hold on to her creative ambition and personal values is a testament to resilience and the power of artistic integrity. The film stars Miriam Shor, Renée Taylor, and Josh Stamberg
Director Jacqueline Christy will join the festival for an engaging Q&A session following the screening. A multifaceted talent, Christy is not only a writer and filmmaker but also a founder of Access Theater. Her past credits include producing groundbreaking theatrical works such as The Killing Act, Sakina’s Restaurant, and Tape. She is also a 2017 recipient of the Sloan Foundation and Women Make Movies research grant. Christy has previously directed several acclaimed short films, including "Rehearsal" and "Other People."
Opening Night Film Program
Presented by Pacific Northwest Media Group
6:30 PM: Screening of Magic Hour, Pickford Film Center, 1318 Bay St., Bellingham
Welcome and Land Acknowledgement: Cheryl Crooks, CASCADIA Executive Director
Bellingham's Mayor Kim Lund in attendance to open the festival
Post-Screening Q&A: With director Jacqueline Christy
Sponsored by Megan Taylor and Kent Stoddard
The festivities continue with a ticketed after-party at 9:00 PM at Penny Farthing Restaurant and Bar, located in the Chuckanut Bay Distillery, 1309 Cornwall St., Bellingham. The opening night party is sponsored by IMCO Construction.
Celebrate the start of the festival with CASCADIA’s directors, panelists, board members, and film enthusiasts!
Tickets and Information
Tickets for the opening night screening and after-party are available on the festival website [link].
Jacqueline Christy is a writer, director, and founder of Access Theater. She received her MFA from the NYU Graduate Film Program at Tisch and has received grants from the NYC Women's Fund, the NY State Council on the Arts, the Hollywood Foreign Press, and the Sloan Foundation. During Access Theater’s 33-year history, she has produced hundreds of plays, including “The Killing Act” starring Peter Dinklage, written and directed by Tom McCarthy; Aasif Mandvi’s “Sakina’s Restaurant,” Stephen Belber’s “Tape,” and Bedlam’s acclaimed production of “Saint Joan.” She was assistant director of the feature films “Radium Girls” and “Equity” and the short films “Jungle,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and “Fry Day,” which premiered at SXSW.
Her directorial film work includes short films “Rehearsal” (Austin Film Festival), “Other People” (St Louis International Film Festival), and “The Dependents” (LA Shorts International Film Festival). Christy was recently selected by SHOOT magazine for their New Directors Showcase. “Magic Hour” is her feature debut.
New Guest Announcement!
CASCADIA is happy to share that director Karen Chapman will now attend the screening of VILLAGE KEEPER. The film is the 3rd most nominated film at the Canadian Academy Awards (held this coming May), with 7 nominations including Best Motion Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best First Feature Film. Karen Chapman is available for interviews.
CASCADIA is a multi-day annual film festival celebrating exceptional films directed by women from around the world. Ours is one of only a handful of festivals in the U.S. dedicated to this purpose. Currently, it is the only festival of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Since its first festival in 2017, CASCADIA has presented the films of 250 women. The 2025 festival, to be April 24-27 in person and May 1-11 online, will be our eighth. The organization also works year-round to provide film production, exhibition, and distribution education.
Its program spans all film genres: narrative, live action, animation, documentary, and experimental films of all lengths.
CASCADIA is based in Bellingham, WA., a city of approximately 100,000 people on the shores of Puget Sound. It lies about halfway between the film meccas of Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC. The city enjoys strong local and regional support for the arts. It is also a destination for hikers, kayakers, climbers, sailors and other outdoor enthusiasts. Increasingly, filmmakers, too, are finding Bellingham, attracted to its proximity to urban and rural environments, as well as the ocean, lakes, rivers and mountains. It is also home to Western Washington University, with 15,000 undergraduates and graduate enrollment, including the well regarded College of Fine and Performing Arts.
CASCADIA is an IRS-registered non profit 501(c)(3) organization.
