At the End of the Tunnel wins Golden Space Needle Audience Awards in Seattle Fest for Best Film and Best Director

SIFF 2017 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AUDIENCE AWARDS

SIFF celebrates its films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Audience Awards. Selected by Festival audiences, awards are given in six categories: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Short Film. This year, over 82,000 ballots were submitted.

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST FILM
AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, directed by Rodrigo Grande (Spain/Argentina 2016)

First runner-up: KING’S CHOICE, directed by Erik Poppe (Norway 2016)
Second runner-up: I, DANIEL BLAKE, directed by Ken Loach (United Kingdom/France/Belgium 2016)
Third runner-up: PATTI CAKE$, directed by Geremy Jasper (USA 2017)
Fourth runner-up: LANE 1974, directed by SJ Chiro (USA 2017)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY
DOLORES, directed by Peter Bratt (USA 2017)

First runner-up: CHASING CORAL, directed by Jeff Orlowski (USA 2017)
Second runner-up: STEP, directed by Amanda Lipitz (USA 2017)
Third runner-up: CITY OF GHOSTS, directed by Matthew Heineman (USA 2017)
Fourth runner-up: DIRTBAG: THE LEGEND OF FRED BECKEY, directed by Dave O’Leske (USA 2017)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST DIRECTOR
Rodrigo Grande, AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL (Spain/Argentina 2016)

First runner-up: Justin Chon, GOOK (USA 2017)
Second runner-up: Philippe van Leeuw, IN SYRIA (Lebanon/France/Belgium 2017)
Third runner-up: Mani Haghighi, A DRAGON ARRIVES! (Iran 2016)
Fourth runner-up: Hirokazu Kore-eda, AFTER THE STORM (Japan 2016)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST ACTOR
David Johns, I, DANIEL BLAKE (United Kingdom/France/Belgium 2016)

First runner-up: Leonardo Sbaraglia, AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL (Spain/Argentina 2016)
Second runner-up: Timothy Spall, THE JOURNEY (United Kingdom 2016)
Third runner-up: Fares Fares, THE NILE HILTON INCIDENT (Sweden/Denmark/Germany 2017)
Fourth runner-up: Bogusław Linda, AFTERIMAGE (Poland 2016)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST ACTRESS
Lene Cecilia Sparrok, SAMI BLOOD (SAMEBLOD) (Sweden/Norway/Denmark 2016)

First runner-up: Elina Vaska, MELLOW MUD (Latvia 2016)
Second runner-up: Danielle MacDonald, PATTI CAKE$ (USA 2017)
Third runner-up: Sophia Mitri-Schloss, LANE 1974 (USA 2017)
Fourth runner-up: Simone Baker, GOOK (USA 2017)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST SHORT FILM
DEFEND THE SACRED, directed by Kyle Bell (USA 2016)

First runner-up: LITTLE POTATO, directed by Wes Hurley, Nathan M. Miller (USA 2017)
Second runner-up: THE GENEVA CONVENTION, directed by Benoit Martin (France 2016)
Third runner-up: FLUFFY, directed by Lee Filipovski (Serbia/Montenegro/Canada 2016)
Fourth runner-up: THE CLEANSING HOUR, directed by Damien LeVeck (USA 2016)

LENA SHARPE AWARD FOR PERSISTENCE OF VISION
Presented by Women in Film Seattle
Amanda Lipitz, STEP (USA 2017)

This award is given to the female director's film that receives the most votes in public balloting at the Festival. Lena Sharpe was co-founder and managing director of Seattle's Festival of Films by Women Directors and a KCTS-TV associate who died in a plane crash while on assignment. As a tribute to her efforts in bringing the work of women filmmakers to prominence, SIFF created this special award and asked Women in Film Seattle to bestow it.
 

SIFF 2017 COMPETITION AWARDS

SIFF confers five juried competition awards: SIFF Official Competition, Ibero-American Competition, New Directors Competition, New American Cinema Competition (FIPRESCI Prize), and Documentary Competition. The winners in each juried competition receives $5,000 in cash.

SIFF 2017 OFFICIAL COMPETITION WINNER
GRAND JURY PRIZE
SAMI BLOOD (SAMEBLOD) (d: Amanda Kernell, Sweden/Norway/Denmark  2016)
JURY STATEMENT: After viewing this excellent selection of eight outstanding, diverse films from eight different countries, we faced the challenging task of choosing a winner. For its beautifully nuanced and spare portrayal of the struggle to discover who you are, both because of and in spite of where you are from, featuring a stunning and expressive central performance and lush cinematography of a rarely seen culture, we present the Grand Jury Prize to Sami Blood.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
MY HAPPY FAMILY (d: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Gross, Georgia/Germany/France 2017)
JURY STATEMENT: For their deft handling of a large ensemble cast, for their approach to a subversively feminist story within a patriarchal culture, and for their ability to capture emotional chaos with depth, grace, and resonance, we present a Special Jury Mention for Excellence in Direction to Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross for My Happy Family.

The SIFF Official Competition is juried by a team of international industry members, and are selected by SIFF programmers for their cinematic excellence. The SIFF Official Competition Jury members were Leslie Vuchot (The Festival Agency), Susan Wloszczyna (RogerEbert.com) and Megan Griffiths (director, Lucky Them, Nightstalker).

2017 Entries:
7 Minutes (d. Michele Placido, Italy/France/Switzerland 2016, North American Premiere)  
Bad Influence (d: Claudia Huaiquimilla, Chile 2016)
Beach Rats (d: Eliza Hittman, USA 2017)
Have A Nice Day (d: LIU Jian, China/Hong Kong 2017, North American Premiere)
Hedi (d: Mohamed Ben Attia, Tunisia/Belgium/France/Qatar/UAE 2016)
My Happy Family (d: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Gross, Georgia/Germany/France 2017)
Sami Blood (Sameblod) (d: Amanda Kernell, Sweden/Norway/Denmark 2016)
Zoology (d: Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia/France/Germany 2016)

SIFF 2017 IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION WINNER
GRAND JURY PRIZE
THE WINTER (EL INVIERNO) (d: Emiliano Torres, Argentina/France 2016)
JURY STATEMENT: A complex and multi-layered first feature that bends the Western genre to create a remarkable film that is as much about the relationship between two men, as it is about Man’s relationship to the landscape.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
DEVIL’S FREEDOM (LA LIBERTAD DEL DIABLO) (d: Everardo González, Mexico 2017)
JURY STATEMENT: A timely and urgent film on the ongoing Mexican drug war, that presents the many faces of violence without presenting any actual faces.

The SIFF Ibero-American Competition aims to highlight the strength, creativity, and influence of storytelling in the region. The Ibero-American Competition is for films having their Seattle premiere during the Festival and without US distribution. The SIFF Ibero-American Competition Jury members were Ivan Trujillo (Guadalajara Film Festival), Florangela Davila (Crosscut), and Carlos Gutierrez (Cinema Tropical).

2017 Entries:
Chameleon (d: Jorge Riquelme Serrano, Chile 2016, North American Premiere)
Devil’s Freedom (La Libertad Del Diablo) (d: Everardo González, Mexico 2017, US Premiere)
May God Save Us (d: Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Spain 2016)
Pendular (d: Julia Murat, Brazil/Argentina/France 2017)
Santa & Andres (d: Carlos Lechuga, Cuba/Colombia/France 2016)
Two Irenes (d: Fabio Meira, Brazil 2017, North American Premiere)
The Winter (El Invierno) (d: Emiliano Torres, Argentina/France 2016)
Woodpeckers (d: José María Cabral, Dominican Republic 2017)

SIFF 2017 NEW DIRECTORS COMPETITION WINNER
GRAND JURY PRIZE
BOUNDARIES (PAYS) (d: Chloé Robichaud, Canada (Québec) 2016)
JURY STATEMENT: For its fully-fleshed portrayal of women and the dilemmas of their public and private lives and its absurdist feel for political process, we award the Grand Jury Prize to the French–Canadian film Boundaries.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
THE INLAND ROAD (d: Jackie Van Beek, New Zealand 2017)
JURY STATEMENT: We also single out Gloria Popata for her arresting debut as a troubled native New Zealander in the film The Inland Road.

Festival programmers select 10 films remarkable for their original concept, striking style, and overall excellence. To be eligible, a film must be a director's first or second feature and without US distribution at the time of selection. The SIFF New Directors Jury members were James Shapiro (NEON/Drafthouse Films), Ella Taylor (NPR), and Gerren Crochet (The Gersh Agency).

2017 Entries:
Anishoara (d: Ana-Felicia Scutelnicu, Germany 2016)
Boundaries (Pays) (d: Chloé Robichaud, Canada (Québec) 2016)
Diamond Island (d: Davy Chou, France 2016)
The Inland Road (d: Jackie Van Beek, New Zealand 2017, North American Premiere)
I Was A Dreamer (d: Michele Vannucci, Italy 2016, North American Premiere)
Kati Kati (d: Mbithi Masya, Kenya 2016)
The Man (d: Charlotte Sieling, Denmark 2017)
Paris Prestige (d: Hamé Bourokba, Ekoué Labitey, France 2016)
Quit Staring at My Plate (d: Hana Jušić, Croatia 2016)
Struggle for Life (d: Antonin Peretjatko, Belgium 2016)

SIFF 2017 NEW AMERICAN CINEMA COMPETITION WINNER
GRAND JURY PRIZE
LANE 1974 (d: SJ Chiro, USA 2017)
JURY STATEMENT: A tough-minded, but tender look at the underside of 1970s counterculture life.

Festival programmers select eight films without US distribution at the time of selection that are sure to delight audiences looking to explore the exciting vanguard of New American Cinema to compete for the FIPRESCI Award for Best New American Film. The SIFF New American Cinema Jury members were Beat Glur (Swiss Film Critics Association), Nachum Mochiach (Habama), and Gerald Peary (Boston University Cinematheque).

2017 Entries:
American Folk (d: David Heinz, USA 2017)
Columbus (d: Kogonada, USA 2017)
Dara Ju (d: Anthony Onah, USA/Nigeria 2017)
The Feels (d: Jenée Lamarque, USA 2017, World Premiere)
In The Radiant City (d: Rachel Lambert, USA 2016)
The Landing (d: Mark Dodson, David Dodson, USA 2016)
Lane 1974 (d: SJ Chiro, USA 2017)
Say You Will (d: Nick Naveda, USA 2017, World Premiere)

SIFF 2017 DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION WINNER
GRAND JURY PRIZE
BECOMING WHO I WAS (d: Chang-Yong Moon, Jin Jeon, South Korea 2016)
JURY STATEMENT: We admired the filmmaker’s skill and commitment to capturing the relationship between the two subjects in this artfully crafted documentary. For a film that beautifully tells the story of a truly incredible emotional and spiritual journey, the jury awards the grand prize for documentary filmmaking to Becoming Who I Was.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
WHAT LIES UPSTREAM (d: Cullen Hoback, USA 2017)
JURY STATEMENT: For filmmaker Cullen Hoback’s journalistic integrity in revealing the unseemly collusion between public servants and lobbyists that lead to the poisoning of West Virginia’s water supply, we give a special jury mention to What Lies Upstream.

Unscripted and uncut, the world is a resource of unexpected, informative, and altogether exciting storytelling. Documentary filmmakers have for years brought untold stories to life and introduced us to a vast number of fascinating topics we may never have known existed. The SIFF Documentary Jury members were Kathy McDonald (Documentary Magazine), Ryland Aldrich (producer, L.A. Times, Folk Hero & Funny Guy), and Shane Smith (Hot Docs).

2017 Entries:
Becoming Who I Was (d: Chang-Yong Moon, Jin Jeon, South Korea 2016, US Premiere)
Close Relations (d: Vitaly Mansky, Germany/Latvia/Estonia/Ukraine 2016, US Premiere)
The Farthest (d: Emer Reynolds, Ireland 2017)
Ghost Hunting (d: Raed Andoni, Palestine/France/Switzerland 2016, US Premiere)
The Reagan Show (d: Pacho Velez, Sierra Pattengill, USA 2017)
Roberto Bolle ― The Art Of Dance (d: Francesca Pedroni, Italy 2016, North American Premiere)
Those Who Remain (d: Eliane Raheb, Lebanon/UAE 2016, North American Premiere)
What Lies Upstream (d: Cullen Hoback, USA 2017)
Winnie (d: Pascale Lamche, France/Netherlands/South Africa 2017)
 

SIFF 2017 FUTUREWAVE AND YOUTH JURY AWARDS
 

SIFF presents FutureWave Shorts during ShortsFest Weekend. These inspiring original short films represent some of the best short filmmaking from around the world. In addition SIFF presents films throughout the Festival curated for youth in our Films4Families and FutureWave feature programs.

YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE
PATTI CAKE$ (USA 2017), directed by Geremy Jasper
JURY STATEMENT: For the unique, compelling characters and incredible music in this story of transformation.

YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FILMS4FAMILIES FEATURE
SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS (United Kingdom 2016), directed by Philippa Lowthorpe
JURY STATEMENT: For its relatable story and characters, production design that captured the essence of an era, and combination of action, humor, and mystery.

FUTUREWAVE SHORTS WAVEMAKER AWARD (GRAND PRIZE)
The winner will be awarded a $1000 cash prize presented by Amazon.com
BATTLES (BATAILLES) (Canada (Quebec) 2016), directed by Karen Pinette Fontaine
JURY STATEMENT: For its richly composed visuals and poetic journey of self that takes the viewer from a hollow party atmosphere to a seemingly empty space that becomes filled with the narrator’s culture that is thriving within her.

FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AUDIENCE AWARD
FAMILY SHADOWS (USA 2016), directed by Laura Malatos

FUTUREWAVE SHORTS PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP
The winners each will be awarded a $1250 partial scholarship to the 2017 Prodigy Camp.
THE PETITION (USA, 2016), directed by Riley Goodwin and Kibiriti Majuto
 

SIFF 2017 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS

All short films shown at the Festival are eligible for both the Golden Space Needle Audience Award and Jury Award Shorts Competition. Jurors will choose winners in the Live Action, Animation, and Documentary categories. Each jury winner will receive $2,500 and winners in each of the three categories may also qualify to enter their respective films in the Short Film category of the Academy Awards®.

LIVE ACTION

GRAND JURY PRIZE
WOMEN&WINE (KVINNER&CAVA) (Norway, 2017), directed by Liv Karin Dahlstrøm
JURY STATEMENT: For its honest depiction of friendship that, over a short period of time, authentically runs the spectrum from silly and beautiful to awkward and heartbreaking, we give the Jury Award for Best Live Action Short to Women&Wine, directed by Liv Karin Dahlstrøm.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
NOTHING EVER REALLY ENDS (INGENTING TAR NOENSINNE SLUTT) (Norway, 2017), directed by Jakob Rørvik
JURY STATEMENT: For its exceptional craftsmanship in all areas of the filmmaking process we decided that Nothing Ever Really Ends could not go unmentioned. From the writing and directing to the editing and acting this film unfolds effortlessly. And all in the service of an incredibly entertaining and relatable story.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
FANNY (Norway, 2017), directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
JURY STATEMENT: We'd also like to recognize a filmmaker who impressed us with an intimate and frank film about sexuality and loneliness. For his unique vision, heartbreaking honesty, and nuanced direction in the film Fanny, we'd like to award Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel a special jury award for emerging director.

DOCUMENTARY

GRAND JURY PRIZE
REFUGEE (USA, 2016), directed by Joyce Chen and Emily Moore
JURY STATEMENT: For many refugees, getting to the United States is only the first step of a decades-long journey. Refugee is the moving and powerful story of a mother of five, Aicha Diop, whose journey to obtain asylum encapsulates the hope of life in America, as well as its harsh political realities.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
WAITING FOR HASSANA (Nigeria, 2017), directed by Ifunanya Maduka
JURY STATEMENT: By bringing to light one young girl’s traumatic experience, this important documentary gives a voice to all 276 teenage girls whose lives were violently interrupted by Boko Haram in 2014. This film is a necessary reminder that an issue doesn't vanish when its hashtag stops trending.

ANIMATION

GRAND JURY PRIZE
PUSSY (CIPKA) (Poland, 2016), directed by Renata Gasiorowska
JURY STATEMENT: A witty and whimsical animated short about a girl and her body, Pussy quickly takes the audience on a wild ride through female sex positivity.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
THE HEAD VANISHES (France, 2016), directed by Franck Dion
JURY STATEMENT: Through its beautiful animation and unique perspective, The Head Vanishes poignantly captures the exceptional challenges, the hopeful glimmers, the peaceful moments, and the continual struggles of dealing with a mentally ill parent.

SHORT FILM JURIES FOR SIFF 2017

LIVE ACTION: Ina Pira (Vimeo), Lacey Leavitt (producer, Laggies, Safety Not Guaranteed) and Tony Fulgham (commercial director and independent filmmaker)

DOCUMENTARY AND ANIMATION: Anna Sampers (Milwaukee FIlm), Nancy Chang (Reel Grrls) and David Chen (Slashfilm)

SIFF 2017 360/VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION
 

SIFF 360/VR AWARD
Sponsored by Pixvana
WE WHO REMAIN (USA, 2017) by Emblematic Group / Trevor Snapp and Sam Wolson
JURY STATEMENT: We are pleased to present the SIFF 360/VR Award, sponsored by Pixvana, to We Who Remain, a film that intimately brings the viewer inside the heart of a forgotten conflict in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. Fusing elegant storytelling with sharp technical skill, the film weaves together narratives from a student, rebel soldier, journalist, and mother who have chosen to remain and relentlessly struggle to bring peace back to their land.

SIFF is proud to be awarding this new cutting edge work and providing the winner with a $500 prize and the opportunity for the awarded film to be distributed globally through Pixvana’s SPIN Studio platform. The SIFF 360/VR Award jury is comprised of Julia Fryett, Kate Becker, and Sarah Wilke.
 

SIFF 2017 CHINA STARS AWARDS

The Seattle International Film Festival is pleased to have presented the following awards at the China Stars Award Ceremony on Friday, June 9th at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

CHINA STARS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Qin Yi  (The Beautiful Kokonor Lake)

CHINA STARS EMERGING TALENT
Liang Dong  (The Door)

CHINA STARS EMERGING ACTOR
Yi Li Ha Mu. M (The Beautiful Kokonor Lake)

SIFF 2017 CATALYST SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

The Catalyst Screenplay Competition is a platform aimed at offering up-and-coming writers the opportunity to gain industry exposure through SIFF. This year, the Finalist and Grand Prize scripts were juried by script supervisor Emily Zulauf (Inside Out) and producer Brent Stiefel (Obvious Child). The winning script, The Tiger & the Protected, received a live read by SAG-AFTRA actors on Saturday, June 10.

Grand Prize Winner
The Tiger & the Protected by Jeff Scott

Finalists
I Can Change by Amy Lowe Starbin
Keeper of the Cup by Larry Shulruff
This Close by Marc Messenger

Semi-Finalists
Beasts Undiscovered by Jeremy Dehn and Catherine Dale
Catherine’s Cross by Millie West
Ladies by Natalie Nicole Dressel
A Promise Kept by Linda Sunshine
Until the End of the Ninth by Beth Bollinger
The Zuckermans by Ethan Mermelstein
 

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

SIFF 2017 started off with the smart and romantic comedy The Big Sick, with director Michael Showalter, actor/co-writer Kumail Nanjiani and co-writer Emily V. Gordon in attendance. Halfway through the 25 day festival, we welcomed the dynamic duo of director Gillian Robespierre and actor Jenny Slate for their second feature Landline as the Centerpiece Gala,  along with newcomer actor Abby Quinn. The Festival closed out with the North American Premiere of Raoul Peck’s new feature The Young Karl Marx.

The stunning Anjelica Huston arrived in Seattle to accept the Festival's Outstanding Achievement Award in Acting along with an on-stage interview with Variety’s Jenelle Riley, before screening the World Premiere of her newest film Trouble with director Theresa Rebeck also in attendance. SIFF welcomed back the iconic Sam Elliott for “An Afternoon with Sam Elliott,” where Sam chatted with TIME Magazine’s Sam Lansky before screening The Hero. Qin Yi was presented with the China Stars Lifetime Achievement Award at the China Stars Award Presentation. Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena brought their new hit comedy The Little Hours and helped SIFF-goers party on into the night at one of our Saturday Night Parties. The first ever all-female crew feature film Band-Aid was a delight with writer/director/star Zoe Lister-Jones. Conversations were sparked after the brave Matthew Heineman discussed the making of his new documentary City of Ghosts.

In between films, forums, and parties, SIFF-goers were able to connect at this year’s brand new SIFF Lounge, presented by Vulcan Productions. The SIFF Lounge featured twelve 360/VR films and celebrated the pivotal direction filmmaking is taking with the SIFF 360/VR Award given to We Who Remain. The inaugural New Works-in-Progress Forum sparked a new format of conversation between filmmakers, audience, and industry with two narrative and two documentary features in the midst of their creative process. The China Stars program celebrated international cinema with awards to both legendary filmmakers and up-and-coming talent.