SIFF ANNOUNCES 2014 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE & COMPETITION AWARDS

SEATTLE -- June 8, 2014 -- The 40th Seattle International Film Festival, the largest and most highly attended film festival in the United States, today announced the winners of the SIFF 2014 Golden Space Needle and Competition Awards. The awards were presented at a ceremony and brunch held at the Space Needle. The 25-day festival, which began May 15, featured 452 films representing 83 countries, including 44 World Premieres (20 features, 24 shorts), 30 North American Premieres (22 features, 8 shorts), 14 US Premieres (8 features, 6 shorts), and over 770 Festival screenings and events. Additionally, SIFF brought in more than 350 filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals, setting a new guest record. 

Carl Spence, SIFF's Artistic Director, says, "This has been an extraordinary 40th anniversary Festival. From welcoming back Richard Linklater to Seattle with his groundbreaking epic Boyhood, to honoring Laura Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Quincy Jones for their masterful work, to welcoming Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who has brought Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life for years, to the hundreds of first-time directors making their debut, it's been another year of indelible cinematic experiences. Every year, it's so thrilling to see our legendary Seattle audiences discover our lineup of films and wholly immerse themselves in the Festival experience. Congratulations to every single film and filmmaker that we had the opportunity to present!"

Adds Mary Bacarella, SIFF's Managing Director, "Beginning with our big Opening Night announcement about the purchase of the SIFF Cinema Uptown and lease on the historic Egyptian Theatre, this Festival has blown away all of my expectations. Each day (and there's 25 of them!) seemed to bring even more exciting events and can't-miss moments. I'm thrilled to be leading SIFF in this time of growth, and can't wait to get to work on bringing incredible films to two neighborhood cinemas."

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SIFF 2014 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARDS SIFF celebrates its most popular films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Award. Selected by Festival audiences, awards are given in five categories: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Short Film. This year, nearly 90,000 ballots were submitted. GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST FILM  Boyhood, directed by Richard Linklater (USA 2014) First runner-up: Life Feels Good, directed by Maciej Pieprzyca (Poland 2013) Second runner-up: How to Train Your Dragon 2, directed by Dean DeBlois (USA 2014) Third runner-up: The Fault in Our Stars, directed by Josh Boone (USA 2014) Fourth runner-up: Big in Japan, directed by John Jeffcoat (USA 2014) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY  Keep On Keepin' On, directed by Alan Hicks (USA 2014) First runner-up: Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory, directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett (USA 2014) Second runner-up: I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, directed by Dave LaMattina, Chad Walker (USA 2014) Third runner-up: Strictly Sacred: The Story of Girl Trouble, directed by Isaac Olsen (USA 2014) Fourth runner-up: The Case Against 8, directed by Ben Cotner, Ryan White (USA 2014) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST DIRECTOR  Richard Linklater, Boyhood (USA 2014)  First runner-up: Maciej Pieprzyca, Life Feels Good (Poland 2013) Second runner-up: Zaza Urushadze, Tangerines (Estonia/Georgia 2013)  Third runner-up: Pawel Pawlikowski, Ida (Poland 2013) Fourth runner-up: Sara Colangelo, Little Accidents (USA 2014) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST ACTOR  Dawid Ogrodnik, Life Feels Good (Poland 2013) First runner-up: Guillaume Gallienne, Me, Myself and Mum (Belgium/France/Spain 2013) Second runner-up: Matt Smith, My Last Year With the Nuns (USA 2014)  Third runner-up: Felix Bossuet, Belle & Sebastien (France 2013) Fourth runner-up: Igor Samobor, Class Enemy (Slovenia 2013) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST ACTRESS  Patricia Arquette, Boyhood (USA 2014) First runner-up: Juliette Binoche, 1,000 Times Good Night (Norway 2013) Second runner-up: Agata Kulesza, Ida (Poland 2013)  Third runner-up: Jenny Slate, Obvious Child (USA 2014) Fourth runner-up: Jördis Triebel, West (Germany 2013)  GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST SHORT FILM  Fool's Day, directed by Cody Blue Snider (USA 2013) First runner-up: The Hero Pose, directed by Mischa Jakupcak (USA 2013) Second runner-up: Strings, directed by Pedro Solis (Spain 2013) Third runner-up: Mr. Invisible, directed by Greg Ash (United Kingdom 2014) Fourth runner-up: Aban + Khorshid, directed by Darwin Serink (USA 2014) LENA SHARPE AWARD FOR PERSISTENCE OF VISION Bound: Africans Versus African Americans, directed by Peres Owino (USA 2014) 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.

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SIFF 2014 COMPETITION AWARDS

SIFF announced three Competition Awards for Best New Director, Best Documentary, and Best New American Film (FIPRESCI). Winners in the juried New Director and Documentary competition each received $2,500 in cash, while the New American Cinema competition winner was awarded a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 6: Production Premium edition in addition to the FIPRESCI prize.  

SIFF 2014 BEST NEW DIRECTOR 

GRAND JURY PRIZE

10,000KM,directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet (Spain/USA 2014)

JURY STATEMENT: Our unanimous winner is Carlos Marques-Marcet's 10,000KM for its ability to simply and creatively convey the complexity and fragility of human relationships with gorgeous attention to detail.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION

B For Boy, directed by Chika Anadu (Nigeria 2013)

JURY STATEMENT: Our special jury mention goes to B For Boy's director Chika Anadu for her assured and fierce storytelling.

Festival programmers select 12 films remarkable for their original concept, striking style, and overall excellence. To be eligible, films must be a director's first or second feature and without U.S. distribution at the time of their selection. The New Directors Jury is comprised of Ron Leamon (costume designer), Sharon Swart (journalist), and Helen du Toit (Artistic Director, Palm Springs International Film Festival).

2014 Entries:

10,000KM (d: Carlos Marques-Marcet, Spain/USA 2014)

40 Days of Silence (d: Saodat Ismailova, Uzbekistan/Tajikistan/Netherlands/Germany/

France 2014, North American Premiere)

B For Boy (d: Chika Anadu, Nigeria 2013)

Eastern Boys (d: Robin Campillo, France 2013)

History of Fear (d: Benjamín Naishtat, Argentina/Uruguay/France/Germany 2013)

Life Feels Good (d: Maciej Pieprzyca, Poland 2013)

Macondo (d: Sudabeh Mortezai, Austria 2014, North American Premiere)

Me, Myself and Mum (d: Guillaume Gallienne, Belgium/France/Spain 2013)

Remote Control (d: Byamba Sakhya, Mongolia/Germany/USA 2013)

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (d: Jeff Barnaby, Canada (Québec) 2013, US Premiere)

Standing Aside, Watching (d: Yorgos Servetas, Greece 2013)

Viktoria (d: Maya Vitkova, Bulgaria/Romania 2014) 

SIFF 2014 BEST DOCUMENTARY

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Marmato, directed by Mark Grieco (Colombia/USA 2014)

JURY STATEMENT: We give the documentary prize to Marmato. With courage and ambition, director Mark Grieco artfully brings to life a personal story with global significance and provides a window into a world that few would have access to.

SPECIAL JURY MENTIONS

Dior and I,directed by Frédéric Tcheng (France 2014) and Garden Lovers, directed by Virpi Suutari (Finland 2014)

JURY STATEMENT: We want to give special recognition for the aesthetic richness and cinematography of these films. 

Unscripted and uncut, the world is a resource of unexpected, informative, and altogether exciting storytelling. Documentary filmmakers have, for years, brought these untold stories to life and introduced us to a vast number of fascinating topics we may have never known existed-let alone known were so fascinating. The Documentary Jury is comprised of Brian Brooks (FilmLinc.com), Claudia Puig (USA Today), and Pat Saperstein (Variety).

2014 Entries:

Ballet 422 (d: Jody Lee Lipes, USA 2014)

#ChicagoGirl - The Social Network Takes on a Dictator (d: Joe Piscatella, USA/Syria 2013, North American Premiere)

Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus (d: Madeleine Sackler, United Kingdom/USA/Belarus 2013, US Premiere)

Dior and I (d: Frédéric Tcheng, France 2014)

Garden Lovers (d: Virpi Suutari, Finland 2014, US Premiere)

I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (d: Dave LaMattina, USA 2014)

Leninland (d: Askold Kurov, Russia/Germany/Netherlands 2013, North American Premiere)

Marmato (d: Mark Grieco, Colombia/USA 2014)

Obama Mama (d: Vivian Norris, USA/Poland/France 2014, World Premiere)

Shake the Dust (d: Adam Sjöberg, USA 2014, World Premiere)

Song of the New Earth (d: Ward Serrill, USA 2014, World Premiere)

Two Raging Grannies (d: Håvard Bustnes, Norway/Denmark/Italy 2014,

North American Premiere)

SIFF 2014 BEST NEW AMERICAN CINEMA

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Red Knot,directed by Scott Cohen (USA/Argentina/Antarctica 2014)

JURY STATEMENT: An ethnographic journey to the South Pole becomes an unsettling tale of fumbled love and transcendent redemption, capped by an extraordinary performance from Olivia Thirlby.

Festival programmers select 12 films without U.S. distribution that are sure to delight audiences looking to explore the exciting vanguard of New American Cinema and compete for the FIPRESCI Award for Best New American Film. The New American Cinema Jury is comprised of members of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI): Juan Manuel Dominguez, Gerald Peary, and Amber Wilkinson.

2014 Entries:

Alex of Venice (d: Chris Messina, USA 2014)

Another (d: Jason Bognacki, USA 2014, World Premiere)

Five Star (d: Keith Miller, USA 2014)

Kinderwald (d: Lise Raven, USA 2013)

Layover (d: Joshua Caldwell, USA 2014, World Premiere)

Little Accidents (d: Sara Colangelo, USA 2014)

Medeas (d: Andrea Pallaoro, USA/Italy/Mexico 2013)

Red Knot (d: Scott Cohen, USA/Argentina/Antarctica 2014, World Premiere)

Sam & Amira (d: Sean Mullin, USA 2014, World Premiere)

The Sleepwalker (d: Mona Fastvold, USA/Norway 2014)

Time Lapse (d: Bradley King, USA 2014, North American Premiere)

X/Y (d: Ryan Piers Williams, USA 2014)

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SIFF 2014 FUTUREWAVE AND YOUTH JURY AWARDS

YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Dear White People, directed by Justin Simien (USA)

JURY STATEMENT: For skillfully using humor as a vehicle for social awareness, breaking the mold of traditional cinematic archetypes, and unifying audiences of all backgrounds. 

YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FILMS4FAMILIES FEATURE

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Belle & Sebastien, directed by Nicolas Vanier (France)

JURY STATEMENT: For its realistic characters, beautiful scenery and cinematography, and strong, touching theme of friendship through hard times.

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang, directed by Óskar Santos (Spain)

JURY STATEMENT: For being a funny, adventurous story about the importance of creativity in children's lives.

FUTUREWAVE WAVEMAKER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN YOUTH FILMMAKING

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Malone Lumarda, Black Rock Creek (USA)

JURY STATEMENT: For its gentle depiction of a young girl exploring her natural surroundings that was both captivating and realistic.

FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AUDIENCE AWARD

While We're Asleep, directed by Summer Matthews (USA)

FUTUREWAVE PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP

Khidr Joseph, Clapping for the Wrong Reasons (USA)

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SIFF 2014 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS

All short films shown at the Festival are eligible for both the Golden Space Needle Award and Jury Award. Jurors choose winners in the Narrative, Animation, and Documentary categories. Each jury winner will receive $1,000 and winners in any 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

Twaaga, directed by Cédric Ido (Burkina Faso/France)

JURY STATEMENT: A rich and compelling world with beautiful cultural and generational chapters. The seamless use of animated comic book imagery to reflect the protagonist's journey and the larger political backdrop.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION

Aban + Khorshid, directed by Darwin Serink (USA)

JURY STATEMENT: A beautifully filmed and tragic story, based on real life events, about freedoms here that carry the death penalty elsewhere.

DOCUMENTARY

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Maikaru, directed by Amanda Harryman (USA)

JURY STATEMENT: An honest, vulnerable and authentic piece that exposes an invisible issue that is happening in Seattle and worldwide. The character's story of healing leaves the audience with a sense of hope. The use of artistic footage illustrating the character's transformative journey.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION

The Queen (La Reina), directed by Manuel Abramovich (Argentina) 

JURY STATEMENT: Effective framing, to craft a haunting portrait of youth in exhibition pageants. 

ANIMATION

GRAND JURY PRIZE 

Rhino Full Throttle, directed by Erik Schmitt (Germany)

JURY STATEMENT: A story of self redemption told through quirky and playful animation bounding with shifting formats that would be dizzying if the story wasn't so timeless. An animated love story that tips its hat to its own genre.  

The Short Film Jury comprised of Laura Jean Cronin (B47 Studios), Craig Downing (Couch Fest Films), and Brooks Peck (EMP Museum). 

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 FESTIVAL 2014 HIGHLIGHTS 

Festival highlights in 2014 included the announcement on Opening Night by Artistic Director Carl Spence and Managing Director Mary Bacarella that SIFF had officially purchased the SIFF Cinema Uptown, built in 1926, and signed a long-term lease to re-open the Festival's longtime flagship cinema, the Egyptian Theatre, for year-round exhibition, securing two neighborhood landmark cinemas for the city. SIFF will now present films year round at three locations with 5 screens and more than 1600 seats in Seattle.

Three Tribute honorees were celebrated in 2014. Academy Award®-nominated actress Laura Dern received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting, and the Festival screened her films The Fault in Our Stars and Wild at Heart. Academy Award®-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor also received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting, and the Festival screened Half of a Yellow Sun, Serenity, and Columbite Tantalite, a short directed by Ejiofor. Quincy Jones received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to film and music. The Festival screened an archival presentation of The Pawnbroker, which features a score by Jones, and also screened the documentary Keep On Keepin' On, which he produced and appears in. Pianist Justin Kauflin, one of the subjects of the film, also attended the Festival and performed live at the Triple Door with his jazz trio.

Additional celebrities at SIFF this year included John Ridley, director of the Opening Night Gala film Jimi: All Is By My Side, along with star Hayley Atwell; Clark Gregg, director and star of Trust Me; Jenny Slate in Obvious Child; Caroll Spinney, puppeteer and subject of I Am Big Bird, along with Oscar the Grouch; Richard Linklater, director of Boyhood; America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams of X/Y; Isaiah Washington, producer of Bound: Africans Versus African Americans; Chris Messina, director and star of Alex of Venice; David Wain, director of They Came Together; and actors Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass, director Charlie McDowell, and Seattle-based producer Mel Eslyn of the Closing Night Gala film The One I Love. 

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About SIFF Founded in 1976, SIFF creates experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world with the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and SIFF Education. Recognized as one of the top film festivals in North America, the Seattle International Film Festival is the largest, most highly attended film festival in the United States, reaching more than 150,000 annually. The 25-day festival is renowned for its wide-ranging and eclectic programming, presenting over 450 features, short films, and documentaries from over 70 countries each year. SIFF Cinema exhibits premiere theatrical engagements, repertory, classic, and revival film showings 365 days a year on four screens at the SIFF Film Center and the historic SIFF Cinema Uptown, reaching more than 120,000 attendees annually. SIFF Education offers educational programs for all audiences serving more than 13,000 students and youth in the community with free programs each year.  ###