From the Central District to Seattle Center, Scope Screenings is cultivating city’s next generation of filmmakers

(Image: @lexscope)

What are you doing Tuesday, June 30th?

If LexScope has his way, you’re building community at Scope Screenings’ first Seattle Center event — a summer outdoor film festival version of the event.

Scope Screenings is an independent Seattle film festival building off its growth in the Central District and devoted to short form media, showcasing everything from skits to short documentaries to music videos.

Monthly screenings place an emphasis on creative projects by underrepresented communities and include meticulous programming, talks with filmmakers, and of course, popcorn. Each program runs roughly one hour, broken up by these talks and an intermission, and is designed to give people the opportunity to mingle and connect with their neighbors.

“I treat it like church in North Carolina – ‘hey, how’s everybody doing, hey,’ look at your neighbor and say hello,” said LexScope. “As soon as you shake hands with both of your neighbors, that whole show is ten times more comfortable just because you already have some kind of rapport.”

Videographer, director, producer, actor, commissioner for the Seattle Film Commission and board member at the Northwest Film Forum, LexScope co-founded Scope Screenings with Shailee Stevens back in 2022.

A “for us and by us” mentality has allowed the festival to grow and operate organically. Bouncing around to different theaters around Seattle proper, the show has settled into the Langston Hughes Center on 17th Ave S where it currently enjoys a residency.

(Image: @lexscope)

Scope submissions are open now on a mostly rolling basis.

This year, Scope’s fifth season will screen from July to January. The bonus June screening is part of Artists at the Center, offering the festival a chance to operate in a different part of the city and introduce itself to a new audience, especially in the midst of the FIFA World Cup matches.

Originally from North Carolina, LexScope has called the Pacific Northwest home for years, and founded Scope Screenings in order to create a space for his creative community to celebrate together. After meeting Stevens at a shoot, he realized there was an opportunity to showcase some of the short films he himself had been a part of, and when the venue asked them to do it again the following month after its successful first screening, LexScope said yes and started reaching out to his community for submissions.

“Sometimes the short films are treated like openers,” said Lex. “Scope Screenings is one of things where I wanted to be intentionally different and make it all about the shorts.”

Most film festivals focus on longer features, treating short packages as secondary offerings. With higher barriers to entry and fewer opportunities, the frequency and length of Scope Screenings presents  filmmakers focused on shorter form work with more opportunity to present their creations, something LexScope is passionate about.

“We’re gonna get everyone more comfortable public speaking as well. A lot of these folks, I do truly believe they’re going to go on to win Oscars, Tellys, Emmys, Webbys – that shouldn’t be the first time they’re speaking in front of their peers and to a crowd.”

While audiences seems to love the community aspect of the festival, LexScope admits that these talks are not something all filmmakers look forward to giving.

An award winning director, photographer, and creative director, Ezra Bantum admits he’s in that camp. “Going up and talking about it is my least favorite part,” he laughed.

Bantum had his first screening with Scope back in 2024 at the Egyptian Theater, and has been a regular participant since.

“I just remember being in awe that something like that was going to be played there,” said Bantum. “Experiencing the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ in person – I feel like videos in some ways, or at least films, are meant to be experienced in a theater.”

A Langston audience (Image: @lexscope)

A UW Bothell alumni, Bantum didn’t anticipate being able to work as a full-time creative, and certainly not here in Seattle. With support from a professor’s mentorship he continued creating, eventually connecting with Seattle filmmakers, learning and growing while on set.

“Once you do one project, it kind of snowballs into another,” said Bantum. ​​“It’s at the point now where if I have an idea, I know exactly who I can call here to make it come to life.”

2024 was also the year Bantum and team won both best local film and best music video at Seattle Black Film Festival 2024 for his video for Josiah Mekhi’s song “Implode.”

The creative community that Bantum connected with is what eventually brought him to Scope Screenings, and why he keeps coming back.

“It’s a really good low pressure opportunity to be able to get your work in front of the community,” said Bantum. “I feel like they do a good job of keeping it light, keeping it fun and supportive.”

Make no mistake, the light approach of the festival does not make it any less technical. This year, Scope Screenings is taking the necessary steps to become an Oscar nominated film festival, a multi-year process that has added awards to Scope Screenings’ process. LexScope’s enthusiasm behind the endeavor is rooted in the belief and appreciation of this film community.

“300 people clapping for you in real time, or 300 people gasping on a particular mark that you made, or 300 people laughing at a time where you made the laugh is a lot different than likes or re-shares on the internet. They both serve their purpose, but one is a completely unmatched feeling — you can’t recreate that,” said LexScope.

Visit lexscopefilms.com/scopescreenings to learn more.

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