Since 2005, Seattles True Independent Film Festival (aka STIFF) has been the boozy, cheerfully uncouth gate-crasher to SIFFs city-dominating festivities. If you dont have one of those expensive laminated SIFF passes, if you didnt get in the mile-long line soon enough outside the Egyptian, if youre still hung-over from last night, STIFF has got a place for you. As for the quality of the programming, well, its always erratic, but thats where the drinking comes in. This years lineup includes something called Porndogs: the Adventures of Sadie, in which Ron Jeremy, Paul Rodriguez, and others provide the voices for various humping puppies. (Its like an NC-17 March of the Penguins.) Tonight, however, our festival-opening pick would be the documentary The Lobster and the Liver, a profile of local artist Jim Woodring, whose often grotesque cartoons might actually be more decorous than some of the following features. Music and parties are also on the STIFF schedule, which continues at venues also including Northwest Film Forum and Rendezvous/Jewel Box. BRIAN MILLER
Fri., June 4, 7 p.m.; June 5-13, 2010
