Seattle’s IndieFlix Offers Short Films in a Sweet Format

We love SIFF, but sometimes the hugeness of our local film fest can be a tad overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be cool to attend a film festival where you didn’t have to stand in line or scramble for good seats? Say, a film festival in your living room? Enter FILM FESTIVAL IN A BOX, an interactive movie game developed by the Seattle-based independent film distribution company IndieFlix. The Film Festival in a Box ($14.99) is exactly that—a small, delivery-pizza-style cardboard box containing a DVD with four themed award-winning independent short films. Launched last summer, the series now features 12 categories, from “Adrenaline” to “Fantastic Films.” The “Chillers” edition includes a spooky descent into a basement and a psychic hitchhiker, while the “Dark Comedies” box includes an undead ex-wife, a misplaced hypodermic needle and a very busy rooftop. The game asks you to watch all four films—running times range from 35 to 45 minutes—with friends or family, vote for Best Picture and submit the winner to Indieflix.com. At the website, you’ll also discover how other players voted. In a nice twist, the short-filmmakers (accustomed to little or no feedback on their work!) are notified of every Best Picture win. But, of course, it’s an honor just to be nominated.