Meet Beth Barrett

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Beth Barrett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Beth below.

Beth, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome… that is a hard one, since I think that many people feel like they shouldn’t be where they are, or why should anyone listen to all the things that come out of our heads. Living with that constant dichotomy of “knowing” that the work you are doing is important, and that you are objectively good at it, but “feeling” like someone could do it better actually drives me toward being constantly open to new ideas, and willing to listen to other options.

Overcoming imposter syndrome is very hard, and requires stepping outside yourself to see what other people TRULY see, not what you ASSUME they see, and taking personal risks to keep pushing yourself to try new things, put yourself out there, and find joy in what you are doing.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am the Artistic Director at SIFF, which is the umbrella organization for the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema (including the Uptown, Egyptian, Film Center, and Downtown), SIFF Education, and SIFFsupports. I joined the organization as a seasonal festival staff member in 2003, and as the organization grew, I just grew with it. I became the Artistic Director in 2016, and since then, we have grown attendance by 10%, weathered the COVID pandemic closure and reopening, and the purchase and reopening of the former Seattle Cinerama in December 2023.

What I love about my job is connecting people to films, to stories from around the world that may entertain them, change them, or introduce them to something or someone new. As humans, the way we learn about the world around us is through our stories, and film is an incredible way to connect.

SIFF runs films in all of our 4 cinemas 365 days a year, ranging from big blockbuster films to classic film restorations, arthouse cinema to local film festivals. Visit us at SIFF.net

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three skills that I think are crucial in our journey through life are patience, cooperation, and not being afraid to laugh at yourself. The last one might actually be the most important one, since the ability to look outside of yourself and see the sometimes ridiculous things we all do really keeps you grounded and honest!

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

One of the most impactful things my parents ever did was to provide a set amount of funding which, upon college graduation, my brothers and I were required to use to plan a trip for the three of us. The graduate was in charge of the planning, budget, tours – everything. We are all a couple of years apart, so we were able to take three really life changing trips together while we were young adults, and get to know each other *as* adults.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

all images courtesy of SIFF

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