The 43rd annual Seattle International Film Festival will open with The Big Sick, produced by Judd Apatow, directed by Michael Showalter, and starring Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley), who also co-wrote the film with Emily V. Gordon.
The Big Sick tells the story of an unusual courtship between a Pakistani comic and his American girlfriend; it co-stars Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Aidy Bryant, Bo Burnham, and Kurt Braunohler.
The opening night gala takes place on Thursday, May 18 at McCaw Hall, with a party after at Fisher Pavilion. The full festival lineup will be announced here on Slog on Wednesday, May 3 (mark your calendars!), and The Stranger's annual SIFF Notes guide will go live that same day. SIFF tickets go on sale the next day. The festival runs May 18-June 11.