Seattle’s tech scene, featuring household names like Microsoft and Amazon, is one of the most well-recognized characteristics of the city today. But did you know Seattle is also a hub for independent film? Next weekend, those two worlds are colliding at TechDocFest 2017, the world’s only film festival devoted to documentaries made about — and with — world-changing technology.

The festival says it wants to explore the culture and history of tech, as well as how it has shaped society and individuals over the past decades. It also hopes to spark conversation about both the positive and negative effects of technology.

Things kicks off on the evening Friday, Jan 27, and the festival through Sunday, Jan 29 with short and feature-length documentaries showing throughout. There’s also a VR lounge where festival goers can watch three short documentaries in virtual reality.

TechDocFest will take place at the Factory Lux, also known as the Old Rainier Brewery, in South Seattle. For more information — including the full lineup of documentaries — and to purchase tickets, check out the festival website.

Startup Stories with the Seattle 10

Seattle 10 napkins

What: Join GeekWire editor and co-founder John Cook for a panel discussion with representatives from Seattle 10 companies to discuss their startup stories. The panel will explore the cutting edge work happening in Seattle’s startup community, and how the city’s history and enduring spirit of entrepreneurialism are creating world-leading innovations. Panelists include Leen Kawas of M3 Biotechnology, Matt Oppenheimer of Remitly, and Kieran Snyder of Textio.

When: Jan 24, 7 p.m.8:30 p.m.

Where: MOHAI

Register: Tickets and more information available here.

CloudTalk – Building Data Driven Collaboration between IT and the Business

What: This month’s Cloud Talk meetup focuses on improving the collaboration between IT and business, including addressing the challenges that both analysts and sales and marketing teams can encounter in communication. The event features a presentation from David Kridler, marketing, reporting and analytics manager at Concur.

When: Jan 26, 6:30 p.m.9 p.m.

Where: Bellevue Chamber of Commerce

Register: Registration and more information available here.

Hey! Over Here! Using Analytics to Stay in the Customer Purchase Journey

What: The Seattle Search Network is hosting this meetup to take a long look at analytics in internet searches, complete with special guests  Lin Huang, a Microsoft data scientist with Bing, and Charles Farina, a digital analytics manager at Analytics Pros.

When: Feb 8, 6 p.m.8:30 p.m.

Where: CDK

Register: Registration and more information available here.

Startup Weekend EuroSeattle 4

What: This Startup Weekend is similar to many others… but with European food! Join a gang of talented entrepreneurs and thinkers for 54 hours of intensive business planning, and maybe find a new co-founder or develop a solid business plan by the end of the weekend. Plus, get a peek inside Amazon’s Arizona building in South Lake Union.

When: Feb 10, 6:30 p.m.Feb 12, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Amazon-Arizona building

Register: Tickets and more information available here.

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