For movie buffs in Bellingham, fall’s arrival is synonymous with one thing: the return of Doctober at the Pickford Film Center. The Pacific Northwest’s largest documentary festival is now in its 17th year, running from Thursday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 27.
This year’s event includes 38 films from the best and brightest voices in nonfiction filmmaking. A full schedule was released Friday, Sept. 6 on the Pickford’s website.
What started as a West Coast extension of True/False, an annual documentary festival in Missouri, has now evolved into one of the Pickford’s most anticipated annual events. Rather than relying on submissions, films are specifically curated by Melissa Tamminga, Pickford’s program director, with co-curator Jane Julian and program assistant Lesley Schroeder. This team pares down a long list of eligible films to a number that suits the Pickford’s current capacity — which, in this year’s case, is 38.
Each film has limited screenings, and many also have associated events, including parties, director Q&As, panels and other programming. And the films themselves are just part of Doctober’s appeal: Marketing Manager Gray Gordon said Doctober is a great way to get to know Bellingham’s community, as numerous films are co-presented with local, mission-aligned organizations.
Included films cover topics ranging from social justice causes to lesser-known issues and even humorous deep-dives. But Gordon said the films that tend to be most successful are “almost like ethnographies,” approaching complex, societal themes through person-centric storytelling.
This year’s opening screening, “Red Fever,” exemplifies this description: It follows Cree co-director Neil Diamond in his journey to learn why Indigenous peoples have been “revered, romanticized and appropriated for so long, and to this day.” The Oct. 3 screening will be the film’s West Coast premiere and is followed by an afterparty at the neighboring Spark Museum.
“Fish War” (Oct. 19, 5:35 p.m. and Oct. 21, 7:45 p.m.) traces the violation of the 1855 treaty between Washington’s government and Indigenous tribes from the ‘60s through today. It will be accompanied by “West Shore,” a short by Children of the Setting Sun following the 2023 Tribal Journeys.
Gordon also cited “American Delivery” (Oct. 6 and 9, 3:30 p.m.) as another film that untangles large, nuanced issues in the United States. The documentary unpacks why more American women — particularly Black women — die in childbirth compared to any other wealthy nation.
Environmental films are another common thread in Doctober’s lineup. This year’s selection includes “The Here Now Project” (Oct. 8, 7:45 p.m. and Oct. 19, 8:15 p.m.), which compiles footage of climate disasters across the world. “Climate Restorers” (Oct. 6, 3:50 p.m. and Oct. 14, 2:55 p.m.) takes a refreshingly hopeful approach, examining new technologies and approaches that could potentially restore the planet.
Other documentaries tackle more niche subjects: “American Cats: The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly,” (Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m. and Oct. 21, 3:20 p.m.) for example, reveals the “nationwide catspiracy” behind the controversial practice of cat declawing. “Rainier: A Beer Odyssey” (Oct. 14 and 18, 7:45 p.m.) profiles the folks behind the zany ad campaign that helped cement Rainier as Washington’s favorite brew. It also features a live filmmaker Q&A following the screening.
Gordon is particularly excited about “Eno” (Oct. 10, 7:45 p.m.), which is screened using an algorithm that reorganizes footage. The resulting documentary is different every time it screens, meaning the Pickford’s showing will be truly one-of-a-kind.
Other pop culture-adjacent films include “Linda Perry: Let It Die Here” (Oct. 4, 7:45 p.m. and Oct. 16, 5:30 p.m.), about the trailblazing 4 Non Blondes lead singer, and “One Hand Clapping” (Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m.). a “rockumentary” made by none other than Paul McCartney and his former band, Wings.
Moviegoers who attend eight separate screenings will complete the “Doctober Challenge,” thus earning a free movie pass. Gordon said Doctober works best the more you see, and advises audiences to treat it like a “tried and true film festival”: go in with an open mind, and be prepared to leave having learned something new.
“It’s cool to get a finger on the pulse of what is on the minds of documentary filmmakers,” Gordon said. “A lot of the time that’s social justice, it’s environmental justice — but other times, it’s stuff that I would have never considered.”
Tickets for Doctober go on sale Sept. 13 for Pickford members and open to the general public on Sept. 20. For full lineup details, showtimes and tickets, visit pickfordfilmcenter.org/doctober.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
