‘Scopesgiving’ At LANGSTON: Celebrating the Ethos of Independent Film

November’s “Scopesgiving” edition of the underground film festival Scope Screenings at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center shone a spotlight on the Pacific Northwest’s creative minds in film. The evening celebrated short-form content, from fashion-forward spec ads to documentary-style commercials and metaphysical comedies, including the trailer for Converge Media’s upcoming documentary “Diamond of Opportunity.”

Director Kai Watson explained his key message for viewers of his featured art. "Maximize your intensity. Make sure you're a champion. We're all champions on the inside. Figure out a way to be yourself, how to be you,” he said.  

Producer Mathew Bermudez, who showcased the “Diamond of Opportunity” trailer, focused on creating connection. "I believe the core message for this video is community,” he said about the trailer, sharing that he flew to Anchorage, Alaska as part of the documentary to best tell the story at hand.

The night also featured musician and producer Aryana León’s music video “The Pleasure Project.” León spoke about using film to showcase the love and pleasure between her and her partner through troubling times. “Pleasure is above all else. And when you kind of focus in on pleasure, you can turn out the outside noise,” she said. 

Similarly, writer, director, and producer Vee Hua emphasized the need for representation with her multilingual metaphysical body comedy, “Reckless Spirits.” She hoped the film would make people laugh during a “bleak time” for queer people and other marginalized communities.

The filmmakers were candid about the reality of independent production. When discussing a key challenge, Kai Watson offered a pragmatic truth for aspiring artists. 

"If you're a filmmaker... there will always be something going wrong. There will always be something to overcome. That's kind of part of what we do,” he said. 

The consensus, however, was that the obstacles are worth it, viewing platforms like Scope Screenings is essential for the future health of the industry for the natural and unabashedly human connections they form. 

"What you need is just to be yourself, be authentically you, and just create what you feel like,” Watson said. "When you are yourself, when you're a human, when you are genuine, that's something that cannot be replicated by numbers or a machine. So just be you.”

The final Scope Screenings of 2025 is happening TOMORROW, Tuesday, Dec. 30 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at LANGSTON, 104 17th Ave S, Seattle. Get your tickets at lexscopefilms.com/scopescreenings.