SIFF Celebrates “Arrested Development”

Fans of the Banana Shack, Franklin the puppet, Mrs. Featherbottom, Wee Britain, Motherboy and the Cornballer are already rejoicing that “Arrested Development”,  the cult sit com that ran from 2003-2006 on Fox and featuring the antics of the misanthropic Bluth family, is returning for 14 new episodes on Netflick in May of this year. For those of you anxious for an update on Michael, George-Michael, Maebe, GOB and Lucille, there’s a stop-gap event happening Saturday, March 30 at SIFF Film Center at Seattle Center at 8pm.

“Arrested Development: Celebrating TVs Funniest Comedy” will feature some of your favorite “AD” moments, trivia, a “Chicken Dance” contest and prizes as the Seattle International Film Festival honors a very special television show and raises money for SIFF’s Future Wave program:

FutureWave works with schools and community organizations to provide youth with digital cinematic skills that empower and foster the art of storytelling.

Believing digital literacy is a valuable tool for youth development, FutureWave offers opportunities for students and educators to connect with SIFF and the local filmmaking community. FutureWave places filmmaker artist residencies in classrooms ranging from kindergarten to college, sponsors school screenings, and holds professional development workshops for teachers on ways to use films as a learning device in the classroom.

FutureWave also supports films curated for youth viewing during the Seattle International Film Festival through programs like Films4Families and the FutureWave Youth Jury. Finally, FutureWave celebrates young artists through SuperFly and SIFF’s FutureWave Shorts programs, featuring films by youth under the age of 19.

The “Arrested Development” event has a suggested donation of $5 and the event is being held at SIFF’s Film Center at Seattle Center. It can be tricky to find this location; it’s in the Northwest rooms section next door to the Vera Project and and north of Key Arena.

Meanwhile, we’re just thrilled that the entire cast is returning to the 4th series including recurring actors like Liza Minelli (as Lucille Austero), Judy Greer’s Kitty, Henry Winkler’s Barry Zuckerkorn and Mae Whitman as George-Michael’s bland girlfriend, Ann “Egg” Veal.

No word if the ghost of White Power Bill will appear but we have heard that Erin “Joanie” Moran will appear nearly completing the list of “Happy Days” actors who have appeared on the show.