ARTIST PIPER O'NEILL CREATES GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD FOR FIFTH YEAR

SEATTLE—May 13, 2017—The Seattle International Film Festival, the largest and most highly attended festival in the United States, announced today that Seattle artist Piper O'Neill has been commissioned to create the Golden Space Needle Awards statue for the fifth year.
A Seattle-based artist, O'Neill boasts an impressive and diverse body of work ranging from neon installations to large inflatable public sculptures.

For over 30 years, SIFF has celebrated its most popular films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Audience Award. Created to recognize the audience's favorite films, awards are given to the Festival's Best Feature Film, Documentary, Director, Actor, Actress, and Short Film. Following every SIFF screening, audience members submit their votes in applicable categories.

SIFF Executive Director Sarah Wilke said, "It is such an honor to present Piper O'Neill's stunning artwork to our audience award winners year after year. We are happy to continue having a local artist create spectacular pieces for one of our most exciting festival ceremonies."
Piper O'Neill's work addresses the concept of inherited histories and memory. Her work is in many notable private and public collections and has been reviewed by Art in America, Art Ltd and featured on the cover of The Stranger. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and Experimental Animation from Parsons School of Design in New York and a Masters of Communication in Digital Media from the University of Washington.

O'Neill's inspiration for the Golden Space Needle Award came from the DeJur Electra 8mm camera lens, an iconographic silhouette that is symbolic of Seattle's love of film.

The 2017 Golden Space Needle Awards will be announced on the morning of June 11 on location at the Seattle Space Needle. Below is a complete list of last year's award winners:

SIFF 2016 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AUDIENCE AWARDS

Best Film Golden Space Needle Award
Captain Fantastic, directed by Matt Ross (USA 2016)

Best Documentary Golden Space Needle Award
Gleason, directed by Clay Tweel (USA 2016)

Best Director Golden Space Needle Award
Javier Ruiz Caldera, Spy Time (Spain 2014)

Best Actor Golden Space Needle Award
Rolf Lassgard, A Man Called Ove (Sweden 2015)

Best Actress Golden Space Needle Award
Vicky Hernandez, Between Sea and Land (Columbia 2016)

Best Short Film Golden Space Needle Award
"Alive & Kicking: The Soccer Grannies of South Africa", directed by Lara-Ann de Wet (USA/South Africa 2016)

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 400 features, short films, and documentaries from over 80 countries each year. SIFF Cinema exhibits premiere theatrical engagements, repertory, classic, and revival film showings 365 days a year on five screens at the SIFF Cinema Uptown, SIFF Cinema Egyptian, and SIFF Film Center, reaching more than 175,000 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.
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