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 .