WTO/99 - True/False Film Fest

WTO/99

A chronicle of the Seattle World Trade Organization protests in 1999, told entirely through firsthand archival video.
Director: Ian Bell
Runtime: 100
Fest Year: 2025
Producers Laura Tatham, Ian Bell, & Alex Megaro
In late 1999, members of the emerging World Trade Organization convened in Seattle, Washington, for what was supposed to be a series of routine negotiations. Instead, they were met with one of the largest U.S. protests of global powers in the 20th century. Protesters from across the aisle representing everything from labor rights to environmental protections filled the streets in droves, with signs and video cameras in tow. Crafted from a stunning array of newscaster broadcasts and outtakes, citizen journalist tapes, home videos, and press conferences, WTO/99 is an entirely archival film chronicling this consequential four-day event. In a galvanizing, layered, and occasionally cheeky manner, a direct line unfolds between the WTO protests and the issues of corporate control and environmental degradation we still reckon with 25 years later. (AL) This film contains images of police brutality.  World Premiere