YOUR DAILY GUIDE TO THE 2011 TACOMA FILM FESTIVAL >>>

The Tacoma Film Festival is shaping up to be everything a good film fest should be. There are movies from around the world, flicks in a variety of languages, screenings exploring the margins of different societies, and films from the comedy, drama, and short film categories and local ditties. Yes, this festival hosted by The Grand Cinema packs quite the cinematic wallop.

An opening night party with a screening of Natural Selection kicks off the festival tonight. Film enthusiasts will first gather in Annie Wright's Great Hall to scarf down Jonz Catering's finger foods and tip a Stella or two. Then TFF Executive Director Philip Cowan will hold our hands down to Kemper Theater for the screening of said film that tells the story of a dutiful, albeit barren Christian housewife (SNL’s Rachael Harris) who discovers her devout husband has suffered a stroke at a sperm bank where he’s been secretly donating his seed for the past 25 years. She decides to leave her sheltered world and start off on a journey to find his eldest biological son. The film won SEVEN awards at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival including: Audience and Grand Jury Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Score/Music, Best Editing and Breakthrough Performance (Rachael Harris & Matt O’Leary).

Bonus: Natural Selection star Matt O'Leary will attend the screening.

Stuff to know about tonight: 6:30 p.m., film at 7:30 p.m., Annie Wright Kemper Theater, 827 N. Tacoma Ave., $15 Grand Cinema members, $20 non-members, $11 movie only, buy tickets here.

LINK: Three stories behind the stories

LINK: Big stars at the Tacoma Film Festival 2011

LINK: Our Tacoma Film Festival preview

LINK: TFF Director Emily Alm's picks

LINK: TFF on twitter 

LINK: TFF website