Our Mission
Georgetown Super 8 is dedicated to the creation and sharing of amateur Super 8 films to foster inclusive dialogue, ensuring a diversity of community voices can define, document, and tell the story of the neighborhood.
Program Description
The GS8 cycle begins in Spring when filmmaker registration opens, and posters are distributed throughout the Duwamish Valley, calling for people interested in learning how to make and share Super 8 films.
Anyone can apply, regardless of filmmaking knowledge. All completed films with appropriate content are included. The registrants pay a fee that covers the cost of their film, processing, and a modest amount towards program costs, however they may opt for subsidized or scholarship rolls on the basis of need.
Registered filmmakers attend a crash course in Super 8 filmmaking, sign up to check out a GS8 camera, and are provided assistance throughout the filmmaking process. As part of the mission of GS8, at least a portion of each submission should be filmed in the Duwamish River Valley.
Completed films are screened at the film festival in September. At the big film-screening event, attendees are asked for a suggested donation, however no one is turned away for a lack of funds.
The intention of GS8 is to create a shared experience, inclusive of all community members, in an effort to build a vibrant, tolerant, and compassionate Duwamish Valley community.
The Archive
Previous GS8 films are now archival footage of landmarks and people that no longer exist in a rapidly changing Duwamish Valley. A goal of this project is to create an archive of past and future films in an accessible website.
History
The Georgetown Super 8 Film Festival began in 2006, when a local artist asked their neighbors if they would be interested in learning to make Super 8 films with the intention of sharing their results with the community. The enthusiasm was overwhelming and, in the first year, 33 films were made and screened at the Georgetown Ballroom to an audience of 200. Each year, the number of completed films and festival attendees increases, along with the generous support of the community at large. From 2006 to 2019, GS8 assisted in the completion of 298 films with over 900 people participating. We celebrated our 10th year in 2024!