The 33rd Annual Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) closed at the weekend [June 17] with the presentation of the Golden Space Needle Awards and the North American premiere of Laurent Tirard's Moliere.
All in all 405 films screened during the 25-day event, which festival organisers hailed as a record-breaker as they projected a 6% year-on-year rise in overall box office sales.
The New American Cinema Award Grand Jury Prize went to Jeff Nichols' Shotgun Stories, while the Special Jury Prize was awarded to Kirt Gunn's Lovely By Surprise, with special mention going to Reg Roger's performance.
The jury for the New American Cinema competition comprised Killer Films' head of development Charles Pugliese, Warner Independent Pictures' director of acquisition Carl Hampe, and Venice Magazine editor Nancy Bishop.
The Best Documentary Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Harald Friedl's Austrian film Out Of Time. The Special Jury Prize went to Louise Hogarth's US film Angels In The Dust.
Documentary jurors were IFC First Take director of theatrical sales Emily Woodburne, Janus Films' theatrical booker Sarah Finklea, and LA Weekly film critic Ella Taylor.
Eric Richter Strand's Norwegian drama Sons won the New Directors Showcase Award, while Valerie Donzelli earned a special citation for her performance as the conflicted wife of a prisoner in Jean-Pascal Hattu's French film 7 Years.
New Directors Showcase Competition jurors were writer, broadcaster and Toronto International Film Festival programmer Cameron Bailey, Alba International Film festival chief executive officer Angelo Acerbi, and Screen International's chief US reporter Jeremy Kay.
In the short film narrative programme, the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Short went to Timon Modersohn's German entry Wigald, while the Special Jury Award was tied by Amy Gebhardt's Australian film Look Sharp and Manuel Schapira's French entry Pick Up.
The Animated Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Don Hertzfeldt's US film Everything Will Be OK, and there was an honourable mention for Paul McDermott's Australia's entry The Girl Who Swallowed Bees.
The Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Robin Blotnick's Dominican Republic-US film Chocolate Country. An honourable mention went to Cynthia Wade's US film Freehold.
Short film jurors were Seattle film-maker Virginia Bogert, SXSW programmer Lya Guerra, and executive director of 911 Media Arts Center Misha Neininger.
The winner of each feature competition receives $5,000 and the winner of each of the short categories receives $2,500.
The Golden Space Needle Audience Awards went to John Jeffcoat's US entry Outsourced for best film, Daniel Karslake's US title For The Bible Tells Me So for best documentary, and Daniel Waters for best director for the US film Sex And Death 101.
Marion Cotillard was named best actress for Edith Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose, while Daniel Bruhl took best actor honours for the Spanish entry Salvador. Best Short went to the US film Pierre by Dan Brown.
In the Special Awards, the New Directors Showcase Jury awarded the inaugural Heineken Red Star Award for creativity and originality of vision to Kyrill Mikhanovsky's Brazilian drama Fish Dreams.
The Women in Cinema Lena Sharpe Award went to Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's US film The Devil Came on Horseback, while the WaveMaker Award For Excellence in Youth Filmmaking was awarded to Melinda Tenenzapf's Jewmaican.
The FutureWave Audience Award and $500 went to Darrow Stettes, Allex Bullard and Hanna Overman's Laundry. The award was chosen by a jury that included the directors of this year's Fly Filmmaking Challenge, Matt Daniels, Dayna Hanson and Lisa Hardmeyer.
All in all 405 films screened during the 25-day event, which festival organisers hailed as a record-breaker as they projected a 6% year-on-year rise in overall box office sales.
The New American Cinema Award Grand Jury Prize went to Jeff Nichols' Shotgun Stories, while the Special Jury Prize was awarded to Kirt Gunn's Lovely By Surprise, with special mention going to Reg Roger's performance.
The jury for the New American Cinema competition comprised Killer Films' head of development Charles Pugliese, Warner Independent Pictures' director of acquisition Carl Hampe, and Venice Magazine editor Nancy Bishop.
The Best Documentary Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Harald Friedl's Austrian film Out Of Time. The Special Jury Prize went to Louise Hogarth's US film Angels In The Dust.
Documentary jurors were IFC First Take director of theatrical sales Emily Woodburne, Janus Films' theatrical booker Sarah Finklea, and LA Weekly film critic Ella Taylor.
Eric Richter Strand's Norwegian drama Sons won the New Directors Showcase Award, while Valerie Donzelli earned a special citation for her performance as the conflicted wife of a prisoner in Jean-Pascal Hattu's French film 7 Years.
New Directors Showcase Competition jurors were writer, broadcaster and Toronto International Film Festival programmer Cameron Bailey, Alba International Film festival chief executive officer Angelo Acerbi, and Screen International's chief US reporter Jeremy Kay.
In the short film narrative programme, the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Short went to Timon Modersohn's German entry Wigald, while the Special Jury Award was tied by Amy Gebhardt's Australian film Look Sharp and Manuel Schapira's French entry Pick Up.
The Animated Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Don Hertzfeldt's US film Everything Will Be OK, and there was an honourable mention for Paul McDermott's Australia's entry The Girl Who Swallowed Bees.
The Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Robin Blotnick's Dominican Republic-US film Chocolate Country. An honourable mention went to Cynthia Wade's US film Freehold.
Short film jurors were Seattle film-maker Virginia Bogert, SXSW programmer Lya Guerra, and executive director of 911 Media Arts Center Misha Neininger.
The winner of each feature competition receives $5,000 and the winner of each of the short categories receives $2,500.
The Golden Space Needle Audience Awards went to John Jeffcoat's US entry Outsourced for best film, Daniel Karslake's US title For The Bible Tells Me So for best documentary, and Daniel Waters for best director for the US film Sex And Death 101.
Marion Cotillard was named best actress for Edith Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose, while Daniel Bruhl took best actor honours for the Spanish entry Salvador. Best Short went to the US film Pierre by Dan Brown.
In the Special Awards, the New Directors Showcase Jury awarded the inaugural Heineken Red Star Award for creativity and originality of vision to Kyrill Mikhanovsky's Brazilian drama Fish Dreams.
The Women in Cinema Lena Sharpe Award went to Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's US film The Devil Came on Horseback, while the WaveMaker Award For Excellence in Youth Filmmaking was awarded to Melinda Tenenzapf's Jewmaican.
The FutureWave Audience Award and $500 went to Darrow Stettes, Allex Bullard and Hanna Overman's Laundry. The award was chosen by a jury that included the directors of this year's Fly Filmmaking Challenge, Matt Daniels, Dayna Hanson and Lisa Hardmeyer.
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