SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS NEW SIFF 360/VR AWARD, SPONSORED BY PIXVANA

SEATTLE, WA—June 9, 2017—360/VR continues to expand the potential of storytelling within the film industry. As the emerging technologies that power these mediums have evolved over the past few years, the tools and techniques used to craft storytelling in these spaces have begun to evolve as well. Powered by WonderTek Labs, the 360/VR Storytelling Pop-Up at SIFF Lounge, presented by Vulcan Productions, welcomes all audiences to experience a selection of the best creative 360 and virtual reality storytelling content from Seattle and around the globe.

As part of the 2017 Festival, SIFF is proud to present the first SIFF 360/VR Award, sponsored by Pixvana, recognizing excellence in virtual reality filmmaking. The winner will receive $500 and the opportunity for the awarded film to be distributed globally through Pixvana's SPIN Studio platform. This year, the jury's decision was guided by three criteria: story, impact, and technical prowess. Jury members included Julia Fryett (Director of Marketing & Community Development, Pixvana), Kate Becker (Director, Seattle Office of Film + Music) and Sarah Wilke (Executive Director, SIFF).

In a statement the jury said, "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." We Who Remain is produced by Emblematic Group and directed by Trevor Snapp and Sam Wolson.

360/VR Films Presented at SIFF 2017:
After Solitary by Emblematic Group / Cassandra Herrman and Lauren Mucciolo
Behind the Fence by Lindsay Branham and Jonathan Olinger
Eagle Bone by Tracy Rector
The Giant by New Media Ltd. / Mike Anderson, Ryan Dickle, and Abigail Horton
Journey VR by Eugene Capon
Love! A Virtual Reality Dance Story by Jess Kantor
The Ministry of Time by Future Lighthouse / Nicolás Alcalá
Potato Dreams by Mechanical Dreams / Wes Hurley (Work-in-Progress)
Say Our Name by State Media / Stina Hamlin
Silent Resonance by Pixvana / Scott Squires
Syzygy: Paul Taylor Dance Company by Andrew Asnes
We Who Remain by Emblematic Group / Trevor Snapp and Sam Wolson

All twelve films included in the 360/VR Storytelling Pop-Up at the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival will be available for viewing at the SIFF Lounge, presented by Vulcan Productions, Friday, June 9 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Saturday, June 10 from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

On Saturday, June 10 SIFF will also be hosting a 360/VR Storytelling PlayTank where participants from the film and VR communities will engage with visiting artists and industry leaders who are pioneering storytelling through emerging technologies in breakout sessions and hands-on demos and workshops in this engaging, "unconference" event. For more details about PlayTank, visit SIFF.net.

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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