From Buenos Aires to Spokane

One bit of synchronicity involving the screening of “Captive” at this year’s Spokane International Film Festival involves a local tie. Seems when SpIFF director Bob Glatzer first saw Cautiva,” at the 2004 Seattle International Film Festival , he introduced himself to director Gaston Biraben. And Biraben, during the course of the conversation, told him that someone from Spokane had worked on the film.

That person was Chris Welch (pictured, right), son of Joan and Bob Welch, founders and longtime directors of Spokane’s Interplayers Ensemble . Welch, who has a long Hollywood resume in film and television, was the sound supervisor on “Captive.” Welch was at Saturday’s screening, and he talked about how he and other sound professionals worked for free on “Captive” not only because they liked Biraben but because they believed in the project. Which, of course, shows not only their loyalty but their ability to recognize a good film when they see it.