“Finding Playland” is a nostalgic trip through Seattle’s carnival past. It has connected audiences with a part of history tucked away and is now the biggest sleeper hit in the IndieFlix library.
The Playland Amusement Park was a 65 acre amusement park built on Bitter Lake in 1930, just seven miles north from the epicenter of downtown Seattle. The million dollar amusement park was built in the eve of the Great Depression. The biggest attraction was The Dipper, a 85 foot high roller coaster. The park was considered one of the biggest attractions in the Pacific Northwest until it’s demise during the decade-long economic depression. The under-capitalized company that owned the land failed after only a year of operation. Playland, itself, survived, thanks to the Dipper designer, a man who lived in the Pacific Northwest. He took over the lease of the park and operated Playland with a succession of partners for the next 30 years.
Eventually, the owner grew older and the needs of the community changed – they needed more space for schools and conventional parks and the local school board bought the land and Playland officially shut down at the end of the season in 1961.
Many fans of the film have contacted IndieFlix, revisiting their memories of the park in emails, thanking filmmaker Greg Brotherton for his work. Greg joined us for an IndieFlix Filmmaker conversation last winter, where we discussed new media tactics in film marketing, so it’s exciting that he has taken the initiative and created a successful marketing launch for his film. Kudos, friend!
Tags: finding playland, greg brotherton, playland amusement theme park
