PORT TOWNSEND — The poster that will promote the 12th Port Townsend Film Festival contains a vintage movie image intended to get people to make up their own story about the situation it portrays.
“Anyone seeing this poster from across a crowded room will walk over to see what it is all about,” said Janette Force, film festival executive director, as the image for this year’s festival, set for Sept. 23-25, was unveiled Thursday evening.
The image, painted by Port Townsend artist Martha Worthley, features a square-jawed matinee idol sending his X-ray vision toward a provocative female figure who represents the festival’s symbol, Galatea.
Force said she hoped people would use their imaginations in order to create the backstory of what the poster was depicting.
“It suggests a mysterious story,” she said.
Worthley said she studied several old movie posters in developing the image and went back and forth with Force several times before coming up with the final design.
“We went through several iterations before it came to life,” Force said.
The image will be incorporated into the film’s poster, which will include mentions of sponsors and ticket information.
Force said 200 copies of last year’s poster were printed, “and it wasn’t enough.”
She expected to run off about 300 copies this year.
A special “art print” edition could be printed and sold to raise funds for the festival, she said.
Worthley said she sought to produce an image that would translate well on posters and T-shirts using bright colors.
The original watercolor medium wasn’t dramatic enough, so she switched to the more vivid gouache paint.
For more information about the film festival, which will take place at several venues in Port Townsend, visit www.ptfilmfest.com, phone 360-379-1333 or e-mail info@ptfilmfest.com.
________
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie. bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.