OK, this one is both obvious and not. SIFF, aka the Seattle International Film Festival is both the largest such animal in the U.S. and one of the most overlooked. Judged by audience size (more than TK attendees this year) and number of titles (more than 250 features and docs), SIFF leads the nation. But smaller shindigs like Sundance, New York, and even Telluride nab more premieres and A-list guests. It’s a paradox we’ll have to live with, a regional secret that, since 1976, has grown into a Northwest institution. Now under the wise stewardship of Carl Spence and Deborah Person, SIFF may never get The New York Times feature it deserves, but serious local filmgoers don’t need such an endorsement. They’re already buying their passes for next year. BRIAN MILLER siff.net