PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Film Festival has released the first clue in the annual “Guess the Guest” contest.
During the time leading up to the Port Townsend Film Festival — which will be Sept. 21-23 this year — the closely guarded identity of the special guest is turned into a guessing game in which the first person to supply the answer gets bragging rights and a picture taken with the star.
To mask the identity of the Port Townsend Film Festival’s special guest during the Guess the Guest contest, he or she is traditionally referred to as the “sardine.”
This year’s sardine is in the can, and the guessing game to determine the celebrity’s identity begins today with the first of three weekly clues.
During the past few years, the film festival has hosted such stars as Tony Curtis, Cloris Leachman, Malcolm McDowell, Dyan Cannon, Debra Winger, Peter Fonda and Buck Henry.
The clue — which Janette Force, executive director of the film festival, characterizes as “difficult” — is:
“The favorite movie of one of this Special Guest’s characters could have been “Rooster Cogburn.”
Additional clues will be released June 27 and July 4.
Guesses will be accepted at the film festival office beginning today.
The winner will be announced in July.
Force said this year’s festival will include movies from 20 countries.
The festival traditionally presents programs in local schools and this year is hoping to make presentations at the Chimacum and Port Townsend public schools along with the private Jefferson Community Schools.
“Students are enchanted with the idea of Hollywood but they need to know that film can be an avenue of communication,” Force said.
“This can be in a lot of different areas, such as adventure and sports.”
High points of the festival are the free outdoor screenings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.
Force said the names of the featured movies will be announced soon, and added that the experience will improve from years past since the overhead wires on Taylor Street will have been removed.
“We’ll have some great classic films and some activities that will relate to the content of those films,” Force said.
Guesses are accepted by email to info@ptfilmfest.com with “contest” in the subject line, by hand, or by regular mail to the Port Townsend Film Festival office, Mount Baker Block, 211 Taylor St., Suite 32-A, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Entries must include the guess along with the guesser’s name, mailing address, daytime phone and email address.
Passes to the festival are available online at www.ptfilmfest.com and range from $35 to $185.
There are also volunteer opportunities for people to help run the festival, transport filmmakers or assist with the parties.
For more information go to www.ptfilmfest.org or call 360-379-1333.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
