SpIFF 24 begins 3-day run Friday at The Bing

Above: Star of the 2020 documentary "Super Frenchie," extreme skier Matthias Giraud is featured in Chase Ogden's short film "Adrenaline Sucks." (Photo/SpIFF)

It’s been two and a half decades since Bob Glatzer teamed up with the Contemporary Arts Alliance to found what was then called the Spokane Northwest International Film Festival.

That international part was a bit of an overstatement since the only non-U.S. films screened were from Canada.

But it was a start. From that humble beginning, the festival gradually morphed into a much more ambitious event called simply the Spokane International Film Festival – or SpIFF, as its member refer to it.

Now in its 24th year, SpIFF 2023 will feature an abbreviated schedule far closer to its origins. Beginning with back-to-back in-person screenings on Friday at The Bing Crosby Theater, this year’s festival will run through Sunday, with successive screenings to be held at the Magic Lantern Theatre.

Festgoers will also have access to online screenings as well.

Friday’s program will begin at 6 p.m. with a Best of the NW collection of nine short films, followed by the documentary feature “Sam Now.”

One of the noted shorts is “Adrenaline Sucks,” a short film directed by Chase Ogden. Featuring extreme skier and base-jumper Matthias Giraud, the film is a follow-up to Ogden’s 2020 documentary “Super Frenchie.”

Written, produced and directed by Reed Harkness, “Sam Now” tells the story of two film-obsessed brothers trying to solve a family mystery that involves trying to find their missing mother.

Altogether, SpIFF 2023 will feature some 48 films, features, documentaries and shorts, covering a range of topics and styles. Information about online screenings, the festival lineup and ticket pricing, can be found on the SpIFF website.