SpIFF 20 opens Friday with ‘Benny & Joon’

In terms of mainstream theaters, the only new film is one I've already announced, the would-be, based-on-a-true-story work of horror "Winchester." Also, AMC River Park Square is bringing back "The Greatest Showman" in IMAX.

 Yet that's hardly all the coming week will feature for area film fans. Beginning Friday, one of Spokane's annual cinematic events will begin. The 20th Spokane International Film Festival will commence an eight-day run with two screenings at the Bing Crosby Theater.

A program of short films, "Best of the Northwest," will screen at 5:30 p.m. And a presentation of "Benny & Joon," a 1993 film that was shot in Spokane, will follow at 8.

The opening-night festivities will conclude with a post-screening party beginning at 9:30 at the Montvale Event Center (MEC), 1017 W. First Ave.

From Feb. 3 through 8, movies will be screened at the Magic Lantern. The closing-night program, which will feature a premiere 7:30 screening, again at The Bing, of the documentary "Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey" and a closing-night part at the MEC

A full festival schedule and ticket-ordering information can be found here.