Looking through the lineup for the Pickford Film Center’s “Doctober” celebration can scramble a person’s brain. That’s largely because the topics of the 50-plus chosen documentaries showing from Sept. 30 to Nov. 3 at the independent movie theater in downtown Bellingham are all over the place — in a good way.
From exploring modern masculinity via fellas and their felines (“Cat Daddies”) to abortion access (“Personhood: Policing Pregnant Women in America,” “Battleground”); the jaguar trade sweeping South America (“Tigre Gente”); LGBTQ+ topics (“Mama Bears”); a look at heavy metal legends (“Anvil: The Story of Anvil”); the inequity of women’s pay (“Still Working 9 to 5”); and a father-and-son team hoping to restore the Ice Age “mammoth steppe” ecosystem (“Pleistocene Park”), the movies up for consideration reveal a cross-section of humanity that is difficult to ignore.
But with these and dozens of other documentaries to choose from, how does one go about deciding what to see on the big screen?
Pickford Film Center (PFC) Program Director Melissa Tamminga has a few suggestions. In addition to perusing the Doctober calendar — which is available at the theater and online — she suggests spending time in the lobby chatting with PFC projectionists, volunteers and other patrons.
“Projectionists will be able to describe which films patrons are responding to the most, and other patrons will be able to tell you what they loved, or what they’re looking forward to and why,”
Tamminga said. “One of the things I love about the Pickford is the communal spirit it fosters, particularly during Doctober. It’s a wonderful month to connect with other folks who love film and to engage in the kinds of conversations the films engender.”
Tamminga was hired for her position at the PFC last October, but even before then, the film teacher and movie critic was a dedicated Doctober patron. She attended the first festival 15 years ago and continued to rack up visits and viewings over the years. This year — along with co-programmer Jane Julian and Doctober founder Michael Falter — she was overjoyed to be part of the crew picking the documentaries to be screened throughout the month of October (and the first few days of November).
The process, Tamminga said, is a long one. The festival season kicks off with the Sundance Film Festival in January, so as early as possible in the year, the trio began viewing documentaries and earmarking their favorites. South by Southwest, Tribeca, and Hot Docs festivals followed, as did cueing up more movies and narrowing the selections. By the beginning of August, the film list was complete and invites had been sent to filmmakers for Q&As and receptions. August and September, Tamminga said, have been a “concentrated whirlwind of activity for the whole PFC staff, everyone putting in an immense amount of time, energy and love into the fest preparations.”
With their hard work on the cusp of coming to fruition, Tamminga is as excited to be presenting the films as she has been to discover varied documentaries in the past. She said she’s well aware these are movies that may not have the distribution and platform to be seen in any public space other than an event of this sort.
Projectionist Skyler Hunt welcomes people to a movie at the Pickford Film Center on Sept. 25. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
“The freshness of the films, the eager festival audience of fellow film lovers, the sense that a festival offers a moment that might not be replicated elsewhere,”
Tamminga said, “means there’s an energy at a film festival, particularly an in-person festival, that isn’t like anything else in the world. It’s electrifying.”
Tamminga was hesitant to pick favorites among the selections for Doctober 2022, but she did point out opening weekend has a couple of options documentary film lovers will appreciate.
The opening-night film “Still Working 9 to 5,” Tamminga said, focuses on the making of the 1980 film “9 to 5,” which starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton as coworkers tired of the status quo who choose to do something about it (namely, kidnapping their boss and taking over the office). Co-director Camille Hardman will be on hand for a Q&A.
Another film Tamminga suggests keeping an eye out for is “Subject,” a documentary about documentary films following the subjects of five famous docs. Margaret Ratliff, a woman whose life was in many ways overturned by the 2004 true crime documentary “The Staircase,” will be the guest for a post-show palaver.
These suggestions aside, Tamminga urges patrons to take a chance on seeing Doctober movies that may be outside of their comfort zone.
“I’d encourage Doctober-goers to take a chance or two on films they wouldn’t necessarily gravitate to immediately,” she said. “When I was programming the festival, it wasn’t always the film I thought I’d love that I ended up loving. Sometimes, it was the film that I had only a slight initial interest in that I ended up falling in love with or leaving me the most thoughtful and enriched. The surprises at a festival, the hidden treasures, can be among the most gratifying.”
Anna Rankin, race director at Whatcom Events and a stalwart Doctober supporter, agrees that it pays to explore. She’s filled up numerous punchcards as part of the Doctober Challenge — which rewards frequent viewers with free screenings and a chance at a big prize — and is planning to see 32 films this year (her record is 53).
“Docs that interest me the most are ones that feature a subject I know nothing about,” Rankin said. “Every year there are 10 to 15 I don’t plan on seeing until I see the preview and then I think, ‘Wait, I’ve got to see that one.’”
She said people should attend Doctober not only to support their local theater and indie filmmakers, but also to experience the world through somebody else’s eyes.
“Whether it is a social justice issue or pure entertainment,” Rankin said, “you will leave with a different outlook of this world we live in.”
The 15th annual Doctober Film Festival takes place from Sept. 30–Nov. 3 at the Pickford Film Center, 1318 Bay St. Tickets are $8.50 for members, $12 general. Advance ticket purchase is recommended, as shows often sell out in advance. Info: pickfordfilmcenter.org.
