Tacoma's Sister Cities International Film Festival

About Sister Cities

Established by the City of Tacoma in 1956, the Sister City program has built positive international relationships with fourteen cities around the world. Tacoma’s Sister Cities all have aspects similar or complementary to Tacoma’s economic and civic character. Sister City program activities include Student Exchanges, Sports Exchanges, Performing Arts Festivals, Arts Exchanges and the Sister Cities International Film Festival, hosted this year at The Grand Cinema.

The Grand Cinema is proud to partner with the Sister Cities program to showcase films from Tacoma’s fourteen Sister Cities. Experience fourteen international films every Thursday, February 1 – May 3, 2018.

– City of Tacoma

Doors open 6:15, cultural presentation 6:30, films begin 6:45

February 1 Kitakyushu, Japan Our Little Sister
February 8 Cienfuegos, Cuba Santa & Andres
February 15 Aalesund, Norway Siblings are Forever
February 15 Biot, France Mon Uncle
March 1 Gunsan, South Korea The Wedding Day
March 8 Brovary, Ukraine The Living Fire
March 15 Kirat-Motzkin, Israel The Women’s Balcony
March 22 El Jadida, Morocco Atlantic
April 5 Taichung, Taiwan Love
April 12 Fuzhou, China Wolf Warrior II
April 19 Davao City, Philippines Ma’ Rosa
April 26 Vladivostok, Russia Ivan
May 3 George, South Africa Felix

Details and trailers of featured films can be found here:

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Sister Cities Film Festival

By Morf Morford
Tacoma Daily Index

One of my favorite Tacoma events is here. Yes, it is the time for Tacoma’s Sister Cities International Film Festival.

Besides having a Sister Cities program, Tacoma has a film festival featuring films from each of its Sister Cities. Films from this festival have been shown at The Blue Mouse, University of Puget Sound and now, The Grand Cinema.

Some are old, some are new, but all of them portray – and share – a voice, a scene and a character study of each of the cities.

Tacoma has more than its share of interesting and unique events and experiences – and this is one of the best. Tacoma is at its best when it recognizes its reach around the world and across the decades.

And these films are good! I’ve attended this film festival (and many other film festivsls) for years and the movies I’ve seen here are certainly among the best I have ever seen.

For a variety of reasons, JBLM and the Port of Tacoma among others, Tacoma has many residents and visible (and not-so-visible) influences from cultures around the world. Many of us trade, come from, have been deployed in or visit cultures that most cities have little contact with.

This film festival is your opportunity to see these countries and cultures up close. I encourage you to check it out.

There is only one showing of each film, so don’t miss them.

And don’t miss the cultural presentations – which usually include appropriate ethnic foods.