Film featuring Cashmere, Leavenworth to screen at Seattle International Film Festival

SEATTLE – Washington-based feature-length film “Evergreens,” which filmed in parts of Cashmere, Leavenworth, and US-2, will be screening at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) on May 19 and 20, with an at-home streaming option to follow.

“Evergreens” is a coming-of-age love story that follows characters Eve, played by Darby Lee-Stack, and James, played by Edouard Philipponnat, on a road trip across Washington state. Inspired by his favorite places to go as a kid growing up in Washington, Spokane-based writer and director Jared Briley starts the pair’s story in Spokane, where they begin their trip through Coulee City, Cashmere, Leavenworth, Index, Seattle, Forks, and the Hoh Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park.

“We always joke that Washington State [is] sort of the third lead behind the two main actors,” Briley previously told Ward Media.

In July 2024, the cast and crew travelled to the upper valley to film scenes at the Outpost Saloon and an orchard in Cashmere. The next day, the production filmed a montage of the characters travelling through Leavenworth, such as walking along Front Street, Blackbird Island, and even visiting Das Thrift Shoppe and the Nutcracker Museum. Briley coordinated with the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce to scout locations prior to filming.

According to Briley, about 35 percent of the film’s budget was supported by Washington Filmworks, a private nonprofit organization whose mission “is to create economic development opportunities by building and enhancing the competitiveness, profile and sustainability of Washington State’s film industry.” 

Funding was provided through the organization’s Small Budget Production Initiative, which included an additional 10 percent back on in-state expenditures for filming at least 50 percent of its production in rural areas.

The film will be showing at the SIFF Cinema Uptown at 5:30 p.m. on May 19, and at 3:30 p.m. on May 20. For at-home viewing, there will also be a streaming option available from May 26 to June 1. All tickets are $20, and can be found at siff.net/festival/evergreens.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media