Boots Riley's I LOVE BOOSTERS to Open 2026 Seattle International Film Festival

The 52nd Seattle International Film Festival will open with Boots Riley’s new film, I Love Boosters. The Festival’s Opening Night Film will screen on Thursday, May 7 at The Paramount Theatre at 7:00 pm, followed by an afterparty at Cannonball Arts. Doors for the screening open at 6:00.

Tickets for the opening night film, as well as a package including both the film & after party access, are available now online here and in person at SIFF Cinema box offices. The after party at Cannonball Arts will include immersive gallery exhibits, a signature photo activation, food, drinks, and a live set from DJ Eliogold, the artist behind the festival's official trailer music.

I Love Boosters follows a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. Boots Riley’s sophomore film stars Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Lakeith Stanfield, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle and Demi Moore. Riley’s feature debut, Sorry to Bother You, was featured as the Centerpiece film at the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival. 

“SIFF was thrilled to share Boots Riley’s breakout film Sorry to Bother You with our audiences in 2018, and it’s especially exciting to welcome him back to open the Festival with I Love Boosters,” said SIFF Artistic Director Beth Barrett.

“Riley brings together an incredible cast for a film that’s bold, funny, and unmistakably his own, blending sharp social satire with a wildly entertaining ride. It’s the kind of audacious filmmaking that demands to be experienced with a full house at The Paramount, making it the perfect way to kick off the 52nd Seattle International Film Festival.”

The 52nd Seattle International Film Festival returns in person May 7-17, 2026 with films screening at SIFF Cinema Downtown, SIFF Cinema Uptown, SIFF Film Center, and PACCAR IMAX Theater in the Seattle Center throughout the festival, with Seattle Public Library on May 9 exclusively.

Passes and ticket packages are on sale now here. Individual tickets will go on sale to SIFF members on April 15, and to the general public on April 16, 2026. The full lineup of films for the festival will be announced on siff.net on April 16.

Photo courtesy of NEON