Each year we Seattleites count our lucky stars that our city is home to the country’s largest film festival. And each year we admire Seattle International Film Festival’s impressive lineup, which always includes a few local standouts. With 400-plus films showing at various Seattle theaters, navigating the sprawling 25-day fest (May 18 through June 11) can be tricky. To aid your silver-screen quest, we rounded up 10 intriguing flicks that should be on your radar.

Chavela

Directed by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi

Singer Chavela Vargas, a Mexican lesbian with a passion for music and a weak spot for alcohol, was a deeply talented powerhouse who influenced her industry and her culture. But somewhere along the way, she was forgotten. This film explores the magnitude of her contributions to the communities she inhabited. SIFF describes Chavela as “an extraordinary portrait of an unforgettable woman.” Showing May 19-20.

Manifesto

Directed by Julian Rosefeldt

Cate Blanchett expertly portrays 13 different characters in this exploration of art, the concept of originality and humanity. What’s the difference between sincerity and the truth? Showing May 22, 26.

The Last Animals

Directed by Kate Brooks

Kate Brooks, a conflict photographer, shifts her gaze to the war on the natural world—specifically, the one targeting African elephants and rhinoceroses. A documentary that has been compared to Blackfish in its haunting depiction of the crisis our animal kingdom is facing, The Last Animals focuses on the people going to unbelievable lengths to preserve the last of these endangered creatures. Showing May 27-28.

The Little Hours

Directed by Jeff Baena

Some of today’s most celebrated comedic actors (Kate Micucci, Alison Brie, John C. Reilly, Aubrey Plaza, Dave Franco, Nick Offerman and Fred Armisen among others) unite to bring a tale of several seriously questionable nuns to life in a style similar to Drunk History, without the history. Based on The Decameron by Bocaccio. Showing May 27-28.