Seattle International Film Festival

'Americana' Exclusive Poster: An Alcoholic Film Editor Tries To Solve His Sister's Murder

Vikram Murthi — Fri, 27 May 2016 22:18:01 GMT

"Americana" follows Avery Wells (David Call), a once prominent film editor who has spent years destroying his life and career with rampant alcohol abuse. He wakes up from a forced detox session in an uncertain location to see film producer Caleb (Jack Davenport) who has brought Avery to San Francisco to complete the edit on a film stuck in post-production starring Avery's sister Kate (Kelli Garner). Though Avery tries to stay clean and reconnect with his family, he starts to receive phone calls from a mysterious stranger threatening to reveal Avery's secrets. When Kate ends up murdered, Avery has to put together the pieces of her killing all the while struggling to keep his judgment clear and addiction at bay. Take a look at the exclusive poster above.

READ MORE: Project of the Day: 'Americana'

Zachary Shedd is the co-founding filmmaker behind Flies Collective, which produced such films like Matthew Petock's "A Little Closer" and Daniel Patrick Carbone's "Hide Your Smiling Faces." "Americana" is his feature-length debut. David Call has appeared in Josh Mond's "James White" and Lena Dunham's "Tiny Furniture"; he also had recurring roles on "Gossip Girl," "Rescue Me," "Mercy," "Fringe," "Smash," and most recently "The Magicians." Jack Davenport is best known for his role as James Norrington in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, Peter Smith-Kingsley in "The Talented Mr. Ripley," and as Steve Taylor on Steven Moffat BBC2 series "Coupling." Kelli Garner made her debut in Larry Clark's "Bully," and went on to appear in Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator," Mike Mills' "Thumbsucker," and a main role on ABC's period drama "Pan Am."

"Americana" will premiere on June 9th at the Seattle International Film Festival. Watch a trailer for the film below.

Americana - Teaser Trailer from Flies Collective on Vimeo.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Seattle International Film Festival Awards $50,000 Grants to Two Documentaries on Aging

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Exclusive 'Full Court' Poster: Check Out Chuck D's Artwork for Upcoming Basketball Documentary

Michael Nordine — Wed, 11 May 2016 16:03:07 GMT

Spencer Haywood is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball of Fame, but his best-known accomplishment took place in a different court. Martin Spirit's documentary "Full Court: The Spencer Haywood Story" delves into the NBA standout's landmark Supreme Court case against the league's "four-year rule," which mandated that only players four years removed from high school were eligible to play professionally. Ahead of the film's imminent premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival, avail yourself of its poster designed by Chuck D. The Public Enemy luminary also narrates the movie and wrote original music for it.

READ MORE: '30 for 30': Will Ferrell Narrates Adam McKay's 'A.C. Green: Iron Virgin,' About an Incredibly Hard Accomplishment

The SIFF premiere will be something of a homecoming for Haywood, who played for the Seattle SuperSonics between 1970 and 1975. He averaged 29.2 points per game in the 1972–73 season and 13.4 rebounds per game the following year, both of which stand as single-season records for the now-defunct franchise — they relocated and rebranded as the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.

READ MORE: 'Space Jam 2': Justin Lin to Take His Chance, Do His Dance With LeBron James in Highly Anticipated Sequel

Among the interviewees in "Full Court" are Lenny Wilkens, Charles Barkley, Bill Bradley and Pat Riley. SIFF begins on May 19, and "Full Court's" first screening will be a day later.

For more, watch LeBron James in "Trainwreck":

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Exclusive: Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) Announces Rich African Pictures Program Lineup of Features and Shorts

Tambay A. Obenson — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:18:24 GMT

In 2012, SIFF (the Seattle International Film Festival) was the recipient of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences multi-year grant for its African Pictures program - a total of $150,000 over a three-year period - funds that would go towards showcasing the burgeoning and diverse brands of cinema that are emerging across continental Africa.

The grant would allow SIFF to really broaden and deepen its search across the continent, to find films that would later screen/premiere at the festival - 67 films from 37 countries, including 6 World premieres, 17 North American premieres, and 3 US premieres since 2013 - curated by SIFF programmers Dustin Kaspar and Justine Barda, many of the titles covered on this blog like "The African Cypher" (South Africa), "Coming Forth by Day" (Egypt), "Comrade President" (Zimbabwe), "Fanie Fourie’s Lobola" (South Africa), "Last Flight To Abuja" (Nigeria), and several others.

For the 2016 Festival (slated for May 19 - June 12), SIFF will receive a FilmWatch grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences totaling $25,000, so that it can continue its groundbreaking African Pictures program. FilmWatch grants support curated screening programs at North America-based film festivals, film societies, and other film-related organizations.

“The Academy’s grant recognizes SIFF’s tremendous initiative in fostering and presenting film from and about Africa,” says SIFF Festival Director and Chief Curator Carl Spence. “Academy funding of African Pictures has given SIFF an unprecedented opportunity as a major international film festival to showcase a substantive program of films from and about Africa, and more importantly bringing African filmmakers to the United States to engage with the film industry, film aficionados, and students at all levels.”

Additionally, the program has welcomed 41 guests from 12 countries, to participate in engaging Q&As, industry networking, and educational panels on every aspect of the global film scene.

This year's lineup of African Pictures films has been released, and it includes several titles that you will be familiar with, as we've profiled some of them on this site, like: Tunisian filmmaker Leyla Bouzid’s impressive debut feature, "As I Open My Eyes," which won the Europa Cinemas Label prize as best European film in the Venice fest’s independently run Venice Days section; Sékou Traoré’s feature debut film "The Eye of the Storm," a psychological drama about a young lawyer who has been appointed a case that no one else wants; Ethiopia's selection for Best Foreign Language Oscar consideration this year, Yared Zeleke's "Lamb" which hails from Slum Kid Films, an Ethiopia-based film production company whose goal is to discover and nurture emerging talent in Ethiopia, as well as to support the development of Ethiopian filmmaking; Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch's controversial stark social drama about prostitution, 'Much Loved," which was banned by the country on charges of “indecency and inciting minors to debauchery," which the filmmaker and the film's star were reportedly (according to reports from various Moroccan press outlets) asked to defend before a court in Marrakech last year; and more, including a short film program as well.

As part of African Pictures, SIFF provides tickets to educators and their students to participate in and attend screenings at the Festival, in addition to taking filmmakers into classrooms around the region as part of SIFF’s FutureWave education outreach program for K-12 and University students. To date, African Pictures filmmakers have visited twenty such classes in the Seattle area, spending time with nearly one thousand students.

The full African Pictures lineup for SIFF 2016 is below. Look for individual profiles of each film in future posts, leading up to the festival - especially those we haven't previously covered:

Feature Films

- "Action Comandante"

d. Nadine Angel Cloete | South Africa, Lesotho 2016 | 90 min

The sister of South African anti-apartheid freedom fighter Ashley Kriel, who was shot and killed by police at age 20, reflects on how he became a symbol of youth resistance in the 1980s. World Premiere

- "Aisha"

d. Chande Omar | Tanzania 2015 | 112 min

When a Tanzanian businesswoman experiences a brutal attack upon returning to her home village, she discovers that friends and family are willing to turn a blind eye to the abuse that women suffer and decides to fight for justice no matter the consequence.

- "As I Open My Eyes"

d. Leyla Bouzid | Tunisia, France, Belgium, United Arab Emirates 2015 | 102 min

On the eve of the Jasmine Revolution, a young Tunisian woman must balance the expectations of her family, who would love to see her go to medical school, with her creative life as a singer in a politically charged rock band that is just beginning to get noticed.

- "Atlantic Heart"

d. Robbie McCallum | Cape Verde, United Kingdom 2016 | 87 min

After losing their dog amid the chaos of Mardi Gras on the African island country of Cape Verde, teenage siblings Lucas and Telma begin a quest that leads them through bars, bordellos, and back streets, exposing them to the harsh realities of island life.

- "Checks and Balances"

d. Malek Bensmaïl | Algeria, France 2015 | 97 min

Experience firsthand the struggles and triumphs of fiercely independent Algerian newspaper El Watan, whose staff have been targets of attacks from both the government and Islamist insurgents, but who continue to fight for freedom of the press. North American Premiere

- "Eye of the Storm"

d. Sékou Traoré | Burkina Faso, France 2015 | 101 min

In a small African country, an idealistic lawyer reluctantly defends a rebel, and former child soldier, on trial for war crimes, and begins to understand the psychological ramifications and effects on adults of brainwashing youth for war.

- "Lamb"

d. Yared Zeleke | Ethiopia, France, Germany, Norway, Qatar 2015 | 94 min

After he is sent to live with his uncle in a small farming village, 9-year-old Ephraim must protect his beloved pet lamb from a traditional holiday sacrifice. Meanwhile, his headstrong female cousin challenges customs in her own way.

- "Much Loved"

d. Nabil Ayouch | Morocco, France 2015 | 103 min

Banned in Morocco due to its controversial content, Much Loved tells the stories of four sex workers in Marrakesh operating on the margins of society. From Nabil Ayouch, the Golden Space Needle Award-winning director of Horses of God (SIFF 2013).

- "Nakom"

d. Kelly Daniela Norris, TW Pittman | Ghana, USA 2016 | 90 min

Talented medical student Iddrisu returns to his native Ghanaian village after his father's death only to be dragged back into family obligations in an intimate yet universal story of the struggles between tradition and progress, family and career.

- "The Revolution Won’t Be Televised"

d. Rama Thiaw | Senegal 2016 | 110 min

In a campaign to unseat president Abdoulaye Wade, three young Senegalese rappers began a protest movement called "We Are Fed Up,” taking their message across Dakar to spread a message of freedom and emphasizing the importance of voting through their rap music. US Premiere

Short Films

- "Alive & Kicking: The Soccer Grannies of South Africa"

d. Lara-Ann de Wet | USA, South Africa 2016 | 20 min

- "Awa’s Dream"

d. Zena Zeidan, Yancouba Dième | Senegal 2015 | 5 min | US Premiere

- "Battalion To My Beat"

d. Eimi Imanishi | USA, Algeria, Western Sahara 2016 | 14 min

- "Hope"

d. Aïda Senna | Morocco 2015 | 15 min | North American Premiere

- "New Eyes"

d. Hiwot Admasu | France, Great Britain 2015 | 12 min | US Premiere

- "Thunderstruck"

d. Brent Dawes | South Africa 2016 | 5 min

Dan Ireland RIP

Sydney Levine — Sat, 16 Apr 2016 02:26:50 GMT

Dan and I were friendly competitors in the early days of video acquisitions. He was at Vestron, the first home video company whose deal with Time Life brought the industry into the mainstream. When he bought "Dirty Dancing", the video technology came into its own. I was at Lorimar Home Video and my earliest acquisition, "My Beautiful Laundrette" premiered at the Seattle Film Festival, the festival he had founded with Darryl McDonald (but was not running then as he had moved on to Vestron). We have stayed friends over these many years and I will always be beholden to Dan Ireland. A good man and all of his many friends already miss him!

He was supposed to be at Louisiana International Film Festival which he coprogrammed with Ian Birnie who just wrote in:

"In total shock. But almost no time to process. I am at Louisiana FF. Dan was supposed to fly down with me but was feeling sick on Monday and thinking of cancelling. I called Tuesday and never heard back, so flew down solo, and was surprised to learn at the Opening Night on Thursday that no one at the fest had heard from him. Got the news in the middle of the night on Thursday...It would appear he had a stroke late Monday or early Tuesday. Will try to write some kind of tribute but am being pulled in 100 directions. Sorry I couldn't tell him that attendance has doubled this year, screenings are selling out, there is real energy. He is greatly missed in Louisiana today."

Ireland worked as an acquisitions executive, co-founded the renowned Seattle Film Festival, and directed films such as "The Whole Wide World," The Velocity of Gray," and "Jolene."

Here are some of the reactions from people who knew and worked with Dan Ireland over the years:

From Tim Ireland:

To all Dan's friends,

With great shock and sadness, Mike Ireland, Judy, and I must tell you that we have lost our "Hollywood" star. Dan passed away suddenly from natural causes on April 14. We found out just a few short hours ago, so details are sparse at the moment. We know the great multitude of Dan's friends will want to know this sorrowful news as soon as possible; and to all those in Los Angeles especially, we will appreciate your help and input in the coming days.

Ira Deutchman: If you haven’t heard, Dan Ireland has died. He was one of us.

Darryl Macdonald: Dan and I were emotional and intellectual SiameseTwins for most of our lives. We used to sneak out of classes in grade 7 to watch movies together, then came back together as best friends when he moved back to Vancouver in the early 70s and we ran into each other in a bar. We moved to Seattle together to refurbish and open the Moore Egyptian in 1975 and started SIFF in 1976. The truth is that Dan's boundless ambition, dedication to talent, refusal to take 'no' for an answer and ability to bring anyone 'outside the fold' on-side is what made our success possible. Though our professional paths diverged somewhat a decade later when he moved to L.A. to pursue his real passion - making great movies - we were never less than cosmic lovers, and remained as close as close can be for the next 30 years. His legacy - best exemplified by his body of work and the enduring love of his huge circle of friends, is a testament to the unique sensibility and incredibly positive energy Dan brought to everything in his life. But that's not what I will miss forever - as rare a trait as that constant positive energy is. It's that positivity, and Dan's unique, twisted sense of humor I will forever miss. Nobody on earth will ever take his place where either of those elements are concerned. I'll miss him madly, and pray he has access to making the movies he cares about in Heaven.

Jeff Dowd: Kindly Please Share Widely. RIP Dan Ireland. Dan was and will eternally be one of the leads in so many people's personal “It's a Wonderful Life”--he touched and helped so many people in so many ways. I just wrote a lot about Dan recently in one of Our Classic Tales Episodes. If you email me at jeffdowd6[AT] gmail.com with DAN in the subject line I will send you a rough draft with some Dan Classic Tales some time soon. If you want to talk about Dan please feel free to call me. Lotsa of love to everyone--and never forget that one of Dan's great attributes was his sense of humor and his laugh which you are all hearing now. Have a laugh for Daaaaaan!

Diane Slattery: Heartbroken... longtime friend from Vestron days. Please keep us posted on what we can do and greatest sympathies to his sister and all close to him.

Karen Roberts: Beautiful soul, handsome man, good friend to many - this is such a terrible loss for all who had the good fortune to know him - way too soon, very sad news. Please let me know how I can help - please let me know of any arrangements to remember him with others. Tears...

Temi Lopez: Dan is one of my closest friends ever... I'm devastated...will miss his warmth, his smile, his lovely voice... I love you Dan and always will.

Dan Ireland: ‘Whole Wide World’ Director Who Co-Founded Seattle International Film Festival Dies at 57

Liz Calvario — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 23:09:58 GMT

Dan Ireland, co-founder of the Seattle International Film Festival and director of films such as “The Whole Wide World” and “Jolene,” died Thursday, April 14 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 57.

According to his manager, Ireland recently suffered from flu-like symptoms, but the exact cause of death is unknown.

The Canadian-born filmmaker co-founded the Seattle International Film Festival in 1975 with Darryl Macdonald. He ran the event until 1986. During his time there, he booked some of the festival's most talked-about films, including Tobe Hooper’s “Poltergeist,” Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Blood Simple,” Richard Rush’s “The Stunt Man,” Irwin Kirshner’s “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Alien” by Ridley Scott.

READ MORE: Dan Ireland on Ken Russell's Drastically Cut and Uncut "The Boyfriend"

In 1986, he moved to Los Angeles to lead film acquisition for Vestron Pictures. For the following three years, he executive produced projects that included “Paperhouse” by Bernard Rose, “The Rainbow,” “Salome’s Last Dance” and “Lair of the White Worm” by Ken Russell.

It wasn’t until 1995 that he decided to make his directional debut with the 1930s Texas-set film “The Whole Wide World,” starring Renée Zellweger and Vincent D’Onofrio. The project was a biopic about pulp-fiction writer Robert E. Howard, who created Conan the Barbarian. His feature garnered positive attention from critics such as Roger Ebert, and was nominated for the grand jury prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival.

He went on to helm movies such as 1998's “The Velocity of Gary," starring D’Onofrio along with Salma Hayek and Thomas Jane, “Passionada” (2002), a romantic comedy starring Emmy Rossum, Sofia Milos and Jason Isaacs, and “Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont” (2005), with Joan Plowright as a women who flees from her life in Scotland and meets a writer in London.

READ MORE: Jessica Chastain Graces Cannes Poster, Tribeca Shortlist Joins Apple TV and More — Indiewire's Thursday Rundown

His last film was the 2008 indie “Jolene” with Jessica Chastain, who upon hearing the news tweeted: “The sweetest angel left us. Called his voicemail just to hear his voice once more. I’ll miss you baby.”

In September, it was announced that Ireland would helm “Life Briefly” with Ashley Judd and Bill Paxton. Scheduled for a 2017 release, the film depicted the life of Brian Knapp, a blind musician who conquered his disability by becoming a world class drummer and guitarist.

The director’s manager told The Hollywood Reporter that financing for the film had fallen through at the last minute, but that production was slated to resume shortly. No word on what the future plans of this project will be.

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EXCLUSIVE: Seattle International Film Festival Awards $50,000 Grants to Two Documentaries on Aging

Matt Brennan — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 21:16:59 GMT

The two feature-length documentaries, both of which focus on subjects over the age of 80, are the beneficiaries of a three-year pledge from True Productions founder Dwayne Clark and his wife, Terese.

The Seattle-based film, theater, and media production company will award one $50,000 grant annually during that time — though the competition was so strong in this, the program's inaugural year, that Clark tapped Aegis Living, the retirement, assisted living, and Alzheimer's care company of which he's CEO, to support a second $50,000 grant.

Leah Warshawski and Todd Soliday's "Big Sonia" depicts 90-year-old Holocaust survivor Sonia Warshawski — who stands at a not-so-big 4'8" — struggling with retirement and imparting life lessons after she's served an eviction notice for John's Tailoring, the last shop left in a dying suburban mall.

Kate Dandel's "Gold Balls," filmed at four locations around the country, depicts the competitors in the tennis national championships' "ultra" senior division, raising questions about aging, mindset, and the power of setting goals well after retirement age.

Founded in 1976, the next edition of the Seattle International Film Festival runs from May 19 to June 12.

Exclusive: Seattle International Film Festival Launches New Screenplay Competition

Paula Bernstein — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 17:54:33 GMT

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) has introduced a feature-length screenplay competition as part of its Catalyst Program. The new competition will give emerging writers a chance to gain industry exposure through SIFF's Catalyst Program alumni network as well as a chance to have their work read live during SIFF's 2016 Catalyst Weekend.

READ MORE: Seattle International Film Festival Announces 2015 Winners

"Expanding our Catalyst First Draft program into a screenplay competition aimed at connecting up and coming filmmakers with emerging writers is a great way for SIFF to both deepen and expand our relationships with the most exciting, and, in many cases, as yet undiscovered, new voices in U.S. independent cinema," said Carl Spence, SIFF's Artistic Director, in a statement.

The SIFF Catalyst Screenplay Competition will connect strong scripts with independent directors and producers who are alumni of the SIFF Catalyst Festival Program.

"Knowing the struggle that all unrepresented writers face to get their script noticed, we've focused our prizes on helping make connections in real, tangible ways, while also taking steps to further cultivate and nurture the growing community of SIFF Catalyst filmmakers around the country," said J. Brad Wilke, SIFF Catalyst Programmer and Screenplay Competition Manager.

Each submitted screenplay will receive at least one page of written feedback from SIFF's team of trained screenplay readers. Finalist scripts will be read (and further adjudicated) by a panel of film industry members, with the semifinalist and grand prize-winning scripts handed over to Catalyst alumni (filmmakers, actors, and producers), all of whom have screened feature films at SIFF in the past and maintain an active and engaged presence in the indie film community.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a live script reading during SIFF 2016 Catalyst Weekend and an invitation to SIFF 2016 (including domestic airfare and two nights hotel).

The early bird deadline is November 15, 2015 and the late deadline is January 16, 2016. Visit the SIFF Catalyst Screenplay Competition page on the SIFF website for additional details and script submission information.

READ MORE: Attention, Filmmakers: 10 Tips for Making the Transition from Writer to Writer-Director

Seattle Shorts Film Festival Reveals 2015 Lineup

Zack Sharf — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 20:34:52 GMT

READ MORE: Attention, Filmmakers: Essential Short Film Tips

The Seattle Shorts Film Festival is celebrating its fifth anniversary this November by doubling its size of entries and expanding to two days. Made up of local, national and international short films, the official slate includes dozens of female-directed films, including two produced through the AFI Directing Workshop for Women ("The Haircut," "Election Night"), and titles with local ties to the Pacific Northwest ("The Mobile Stripper").

The 2015 SSFF takes place November 14-15 at the SIFF Film Center and will be include an all female jury. Visit the website for tickets and more information.

The 2015 lineup includes:

"D.Asian"
"The Mobile Stripper"
"Tomgirl"
"The Out and Out's"
"Ticketed"
"Election Night"
"The Perfect Pieces"
"The Edge of Impossible"
"Rabbits"
"Even the Walls"
"The Ballad of Holland Island House"
"The Evolution of a Gen Ex Music Purchaser"
"The Midnight Tourist"
"The Apple Tree"
"Tiny Out Loud"
"Sin Frontera (Without Boundary)"
"Beverley"
"Signs Everywhere"
"Fishbone"
"The Red Thunder"
"The Haircut"
"The Gift"
"The Pacific Wayfarer"
"The Lost Mariner"
"Breathe"
"Boulevard 168"
"Save"
"The Adept"
"My Dad's a Rocker"
"Shelter"
"Fog City"

READ MORE: Questions to Ask Before Making a Short Film

LAFF Review: Rick Famuyiwa Remixes the '90s with 'DOPE'

Jai Tiggett — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 13:56:33 GMT

After its buzzy Sundance premiere and $7 million sale to Open Road Films, expectations for Rick Famuyiwa's "Dope" were high. Surprisingly, the movie's plot and characters are a lot like every teen comedy: a nerd crosses paths with a tough guy, which gets him into an unexpected jam, which leads to a wild adventure, which helps him grow wiser and more confident, while managing to get the girl along the way. The place where the film innovates is in its mash-up of visual styles. From the first scene it's clear that "Dope" wants to assault senses, feeding into 1990s nostalgia while catering to the short attention span of an internet-addicted generation. Like a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper, it's intentionally all over the place.

Anyone who saw Famuyiwa's previous films like "The Wood" and "Brown Sugar" knows his affinity for the '90s and hip hop culture. But instead of flashbacks or a full-fledged period piece, here he casts main character Malcolm (Shameik Moore) as a '90s-obsessed teen, which allows for all the fun of the past while keeping the movie's cultural references grounded in the present. Naughty By Nature, Cross Colours clothing and Malcolm's high top fade live alongside YouTube and Donald Glover jokes.

Flanked by his equally nerdy pals Diggy and Jib (Kiersey Clemmons and Tony Revolori), Malcolm struggles to survive his gang infested Inglewood neighborhood long enough to graduate and attend his dream college (Harvard, of course). When the friendly neighborhood drug dealer Dom (A$AP Rocky) invites Malcolm to a birthday party, it sets the group on a dangerous adventure through the streets of Los Angeles.

It's a truly LA story (after all, DeAundre Bonds is in it) and darts between the city's starkly different neighborhoods and characters with ease. This is also where the movie shows who it's after, with celebrity cameos galore. A$AP Rocky and love interest Zoe Kravitz play the characters we all imagine them to be in real life – equal parts street savvy and sophistication, and effortless cool. Model Chanel Iman appears briefly for sex appeal and comic relief purposes, and not much else. Most of the characters are footnotes in Malcolm's journey, there to present various Wonderland-esque challenges which only grow more extreme and ridiculous as the story goes on.

The movie isn't concerned with thwarting teen comedy conventions so much as updating them. What might have been a tomboy and foreign exchange student 20 years ago become a full-blown lesbian and Indian American who identifies with black culture. But the bullies are just as mean, the adults just as clueless; it's still tough to be a nerd and virginity is still regarded as the most shameful thing on the planet. It's still high school.

As for social commentary, Famuyiwa's voice resonates best in his observations of race and class. Within the wacky narrative, he weaves in conversations about drone strikes and the failings of the public school system. Then there's the overall theme of racial identity. This is the era of the blerd after all, with so much of our content – from "black-ish" to "The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl" to "Black Folk Don't" - aimed at shutting down stereotyped notions of what it means to be black. "Dope" gives us the wide-release feature film version of that, with its hero Malcolm straddling both sides of the fence as hip hop and punk, "disadvantaged youth" and overachiever.

If there's one specific message to "Dope," it's that you can be everything, all at once. The message is delivered in the politics of Malcolm's identity as well as the mish-mash of eras and visual styles. The movie's approach of throwing everything at the screen could be overwhelming to some, but it essentially caters to a generation that has seen it all, all the time, on multiple electronic devices. Bottom line: it's a fun film that should give young audiences everything they want from a teen movie in a package that's just flashy enough to hold their attention.

"Dope" is due in theaters on June 19.

Review: Donald Mugisha's 'Bicycle Thieves'-Like Ugandan Crime Drama 'The Boda Boda Thieves'

Jai Tiggett — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 23:48:08 GMT

Inspired by Vittorio De Sica's 1948 drama "The Bicycle Thief," director Donald Mugisha's "The Boda Boda Thieves" gives a vivid look into the life of a Ugandan teen on a mission to save his family's livelihood. Produced through the Pan-African filmmaking collective Yes! That's Us Films, the feature recently screened at the Seattle International Film Festival.

On paper, the stories for this film and De Sica's are similar – the fate of a poor family hinges on the father's bicycle business, and when his bike is stolen it throws their world into chaos. Here, the patriarch Goodman runs a boda boda (motorbike taxi) business while his wife breaks rocks for a living. Though the economic conditions are just as depressing as 1940s Italy, this story is fast paced and offers moments of comedy to punctuate the overall dramatic tone. Mugisha also treads new territory by telling his story squarely from the perspective of Goodman's 15-year-old son Abel.

From the first, Abel is cast as a young thrill-seeker itching for mischief. His parents want him to go into town to find a job; he'd rather hang out gambling with friends. To manage his parents' expectations, he does what any savvy young man would do – he lies. First-time actor Hassan Insingoma, whose real life influenced many of the events in the movie, gives a natural performance as Abel that makes the character easy to like, even as he makes all the wrong choices.

Insingoma's Abel is just as aimless and irresponsible as any modern-day American teen, but in the unforgiving big city of Kampala his actions come with a price. When forced to take over his dad's boda boda business, the responsibility of providing for the family is suddenly heaped on his skinny shoulders. It's not by chance, but by Abel's willful decisions that the motorbike and his family's livelihood are soon thrown into jeopardy. In a community corrupt at every level, he tries to get out of trouble while only managing to drag himself deeper into it. As such, the film becomes a coming-of-age tale with a morality lesson attached. Abel wants the bike, but he needs to grow and become better.

Though morality is threaded throughout the film, it's even-handed enough to avoid being preachy. The classic story of a flawed hero struggling against all odds is as effective as ever, especially when the odds involve the shifty characters of an East African big city. Camera work is solid with handheld shots adding to the tension in Abel's story.

Mugisha has said that similarities between Uganda and De Sica's Italy inspired him to make the film, but again, it's tough to avoid comparisons to the present-day U.S. or any nation where teens have the freedom to simply be teens. Even as the story forces its hero to grow up, there's the sense that he shouldn't have to, at least not to the extremes that poverty and his environment demand. The harsh realities of the story's setting, and the conflicting ideals explored within, make it poignant as well as entertaining, and definitely worth a watch.

"The Boda Boda Thieves" is currently screening at film festivals. No word yet on distribution.

9 Things We Learned About Jason Schwartzman at SIFF 2015

Paula Bernstein — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 13:00:00 GMT

"I've never had an evening before," said Jason Schwartzman in response to the thunderous applause at the the start of "An Evening with Jason Schwartzman" on June 6 at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF).

READ MORE: The Resurgence of Jason Schwartzman

Schwartzman, in Seattle for screenings of his latest two films, Bob Byington's "7 Chinese Brothers" and Patrick Brice's "The Overnight," chatted for nearly an hour with Indiewire's own Eric Kohn.

Below are highlights from the lively conversation, which spanned the actor's career.

1. His cousin Sofia Coppola helped him land the part in "Rushmore."

Schwartzman told the audience that never he set out to act. As a teenager, his focus was on music -- playing drums in a band he formed with some high school friends. "We were recording our record [for his band Phantom Planet] and, at that time, I suffered from typical kind of high school behavior. I was sort of a clown and I would revert to clownish behavior like dressing like an ice cream man or a milk man," he said.

His first acting gig just happened to fall into his lap, while accompanying his mother to a special 1997 screening of Abel Gance's "Napoleon," for which Schwartzman's late grandfather Carmine Coppola had composed the score. "I wore a tuxedo which had tails and I think I was wearing a top hat," he said.

A guest at the event, Davia Nelson, then the San Francisco-based casting agent for Wes Anderson's "Rushmore," was describing the project to Sofia Coppola. According to Schwartzman, "Davia said it was about a young eccentric teenager who wrote plays and was in love with an older woman. And Sofia said 'oh, that sounds like my cousin Jason.' It was true that the summer before I had written and directed a play and I was in love with my nanny."

Sofia introduced Schwartzman to Nelson, who soon after, sent him the script for "Rushmore" and had him audition with Anderson for the leading role of Max Fischer. The rest is film history.

2. "Rushmore" was the first script Schwartzman had ever read. And it changed his life.

"It was everything that I thought was funny…I just thought this is what I'm talking about," Schwartzman recalled. When he gave the script to his mother, actress Talia Shire, he said that she went to the video store and brought home three films that would end up changing his life. They were "Harold and Maude," "The Graduate" and "Dog Day Afternoon." "I had never seen any of those movies," said Schwartzman, "It was the first time a movie had made me feel the way a record did. It changed my life."

3. Schwartzman didn't think he would land the part in "Rushmore."

At the time, he was a high school student with no professional acting experience, focused on drumming. "I didn't actually think I was going to get the part," he said. "My attitude was 'this is going to be an insane thing to tell people about.'"

4. His close relationship with Wes Anderson has fueled his passion for acting.

Speaking of his longtime collaboration with Anderson, Schwartzman said, "It's been incredible because as we all know, it's hard to meet people that you really consider a true friend and also really hard to find people that you work with that you like. The idea that I was fortunate enough to meet someone that truly was like a big brother to me and a real mentor, showing me movies when we were making 'Rushmore' and really turning me on to stuff at a really important time in my life, it's beyond a normal thing I could describe, a true, deep friendship."

Since "Rushmore," Schwartzman has appeared in Anderson's "The Darjeeling Limited," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

Both director and actor are in tune with one another in such a way that they are able to communicate using their own form of shorthand. Said Schwartzman: "There's an archive of memories that we're able to talk about that gives it a unique space for me working with him. He's so curious as a filmmaker and he loves making movies and loves what we're doing."

5. Playing Max Fischer made him fall in love with acting.

As Kohn acknowledged, starting out with a memorable role such as Max Fischer in "Rushmore" is a "Hell of a way to start your career as an actor."

Schwartzman agreed, noting how the "experience was so singular, it made me fall in love with acting and movies. I didn't think I was going to be an actor."

After the film's release, he got an agent who, Schwartzman said, "tried to help me find a way to work and navigate those waters."

6. What he really wanted to do was...write.

"I'd always wanted to write," said Schwartzman. The opportunity to give writing a shot finally came about when he and Anderson reunited to work on "The Darjeeling Limited." "Wes read me the opening scene on that movie and said, 'I think you and I and Roman [Coppola] should write this together,'" Schwartzman recalled. He proceeded to learn more about the craft of writing after having met author Jonathan Ames, also the creator of the HBO series "Bored to Death," in which Schwartzman starred for three seasons. "He's a really great writer and a truly wonderful novelist," said Schwartzman. "I I began to spend more and more time observing his writing on 'Bored to Death.'"

He likened "Mozart in the Jungle," the series he developed and wrote for Amazon with Roman Coppola and Alex Timbers, to boot camp. He said "that [it] was really a crash course in learning how to write. I don't feel like I write. I just feel like I type away at this stuff. But when you see a real writer, it's like magic."

7. He found out he was offered a role in Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" through his agent - not through his cousin.

"For the record, there are so many ways that actors get in movies and unless you're one of five people who have proven to make a lot of money for people and they are bankable actors who can get a movie made, everyone else is trying to piece it together," said Schwartzman. "To be offered a movie that's filming is a very rare thing," he continued, "I've been fortunate the few times that's happened." Schwartzman said he loved the experience of shooting the film in which he played Louise XVI. "It was a beautiful experience. We got to shoot in Versailles," he told the audience. The only downside? Said Schwartzman: "I had to put on 60 pounds of fat to play the part."

8. The movie he quotes the most is "The Three Amigos."

When auditioning for the 2005 film, "Shopgirl," Schwartzman said he got the opportunity to meet one of his childhood idol's, actor-comedian Steve Martin who adapted the novella he wrote into a screenplay that would eventually become the film. "It was insane because all of [Steve Martin's] movies are -- I'm sure for us all they represent the same thing. 'The Three Amigos' might [be] the movie that I find myself quoting the most."

9. A movie's budget is less important than the cast and crew's enthusiasm for the project.

"I've never been in a movie that's a humongous budget movie that's got explosions. I don't really think in terms of budget," said Schwartzman. "I just approach each movie as its own thing and try not to compare it to the one before."

Schwartzman expressed gratitude that he's made a career doing what he loves. "I'm really happy to be working and really lucky to be working. I just bring enthusiasm and excitement and my main thing is 'what can I try to learn?' Because I didn't go to acting school, I guess I have a chip on my shoulder like I'm not supposed to be here."

He tends to choose film projects where he can learn something. "On the last few movies I did ('7 Chinese Brothers,' 'The Overnight' and 'Listen Up, Phillip') I felt so excited because everyone was into it, really pumped up to be there. They're there because they want to be there and they're excited to be there. That's how I feel. I'm nervous, but I'm excited to be there…."

READ MORE: Seattle International Film Festival Announces 2015 Winners

Seattle International Film Festival Announces 2015 Winners

Meredith Mattlin — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 16:25:58 GMT

READ MORE: Exclusive: Seattle Film Fest Programs 6 American Indies in Catalyst Lineup

The 2015 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) has announced its set of winners.

The festival, which is in its 41st year, ran for 25 days and featured 450 movies, representing 92 countries. An eclectic collection of films of all genres screened at SIFF, in addition to a handful of revivals that were played in recognition of the 25th anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation.

Read on below for the list of winners:

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award for Best Film:
"The Dark Horse," directed by James Napier Robertson (New Zealand).
"The Dark Horse" explores triumph through hardship as a genius New Zealand chess player who suffers from bipolar disorder pays forward his chess expertise to young and underserved people in his community.

Audience Award for Best Documentary:
"Romeo is Bleeding," directed by Jason Zeldes (USA).
A poet works through the perils of intense community violence to help local youth create a modern-day adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet."

Audience Award for Best Director:
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" (USA).
A high school senior who is exclusively concerned with reimagining old movies and hanging out with his only friend, Earl, is forced by his mother to befriend a very ill classmate. He eventually becomes close to her as she suffers through her disease.

Audience Award for Best Actor:
Cliff Curtis, "The Dark Horse" (New Zealand).
Curtis portrays a bipolar chess player, recently released from a psychiatric facility, who uses his chess skills and brilliance to connect with youth in his community.

Audience Award for Best Actress:
Nina Hoss, "Phoenix" (Germany).
Hoss plays a Holocaust survivor who emerges from the brutal conflict with a reconstructed face and a newfound understanding of the ways in which her life could be in danger.

Audience Award for Best Short Film:
"Even the Walls," directed by Sarah Kuck, Saman Maydáni (USA).
Nine public housing residents of Yesler Terrace explore the ways in which their neighborhood is changing.

Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision:
"Frame by Frame," directed by Mo Scarpelli, Alexandria Bombach (Afghanistan).
Explores the rebuilding of the ability to exercise free press since the Taliban ruled Afghanistan through photojournalism.

COMPETITION AWARDS

Best New Director (Grand Jury Prize):
Károly Ujj-Mészáros for "Liza, the Fox-Fairy" (Hungary).
JURY STATEMENT: "For its lively, inventive visual wit and offbeat look at romantic delusion involving a haunted Hungarian nurse, a long-suffering police sergeant, and the ghost of a ’50s Japanese pop singer, we have given this year's New Directors Prize to Károly Ujj-Mészáros."

Best Documentary (Grand Jury Prize):
"The Great Alone," directed by Greg Kohs (USA).
JURY STATEMENT: "Our Grand Jury Prize goes to a film that stopped all of us in our tracks. One of the joys of the film festival experience is discovering a film that works so well on every level. This is an inspiring film about one man’s story that is both intimate and epic - we were knocked out by the filmmaker’s achievement in crafting a visually stunning, completely engrossing narrative about one extraordinary human being."

Best New American Cinema (Grand Jury Prize):
"Chatty Catties," directed by Pablo Valencia (USA).
JURY STATEMENT: "The FIPRESCI jury at the 41st edition of the Seattle International Film Festival bestows its International Critics' Prize to a film that - with an enormous amount of risk-taking - innovatively expands stylistic and narrative boundaries. With a fresh view on intimate relationships, director Pablo Valencia creates an unexpected and utterly original emotional landscape in 'Chatty Catties.'"

FUTUREWAVE AND YOUTH JURY AWARDS

Best Futurewave Feature:
"Seoul Searching," directed by Benson Lee (USA/South Korea).
JURY STATEMENT: "For its diverse and relatable characters, quality mix of emotion and comedy, and accurate and respectful representation of teens, the 2015 FutureWave Youth Jury Prize goes to 'Seoul Searching.'"

Best Films4Families Feature:
"When Marnie Was There," directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Japan).
JURY STATEMENT: "For its beautiful and detailed animation, realistic sound design, and original, bittersweet tale of mystery the Films4Families Jury awards 'When Marnie Was There.'"

Wavemaker Award (Grand Prize):
"Audio Input," directed by Sho Schrock-Manabe (USA).
JURY STATEMENT: "For its insightful and engaging portrait of podcasting, an audio art form, through a collage of interviews and images."

Futurewave Audience Award:
"Minimum Max," directed by Josh Ovalle (USA).

Prodigy Camp Scholarships
"I'm Not Here," directed by Jack Markovitz (South Africa).
"Minimum Max," directed by Josh Ovalle (USA).

SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS

Grand Jury Prize (Live Action):
"The Chicken," directed by Una Gunjak (Croatia, Germany).
JURY STATEMENT: "An expertly crafted narrative that explores life and death through the eyes of a young girl. With a film full of authentic performances, Iman Alibalic is extraordinary as the six-year-old protagonist who receives a live chicken from her father for her birthday, and soon realizes it’s meant for dinner. This is an emotional film with a production quality that continues to move the story along and underscore the realities of life in a war zone."

Special Jury Prize (Live Action):
"Hole," directed by Martin Edralin (Canada).
JURY STATEMENT: "'Hole' is a brave exploration of human sexuality and yearning for intimacy through the eyes of a lonely, forgotten, disabled man in the heart of Toronto. Ken Harrower delivers a captivating performance that transcends any labels or limitations and speaks to the need for human connection."

Grand Jury Prize (Documentary):
"Bihttoš," directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Canada).
JURY STATEMENT: "For its ambitious approaches to visual storytelling and imaginative recounting of an exceptional family history."

Grand Jury Prize (Animation):
"The Mill at Calder's End," directed by Kevin McTurk (USA).
JURY STATEMENT: "There exists a tendency to laud the new—new stories, new techniques, new talent. With the animation award, the jury is pleased to celebrate a film that is decidedly old-school, breathing life into a bygone style, iterating in a story tradition that is centuries old. For this fusion of the modern and classic, we are happy to award Kevin McTurk for 'The Mill at Calder's End.'"

READ MORE: Seattle Film Fest Books Scorsese, Greenaway, 'Overnight,' 'Inside Out,' '54' and More

Seattle Film Fest: 'Me and Earl,' 'Phoenix,' Studio Ghibli Among 2015 Winners

Ryan Lattanzio — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 16:05:30 GMT

The awards were presented at a ceremony and breakfast held at the Space Needle. The 25-day festival, which began May 14, featured 450 films representing 92 countries, including 49 World Premieres (23 features, 26 shorts), 51 North American Premieres (33 features, 18 shorts), 18 US Premieres (7 features, 11 shorts), and 720 Festival screenings and events.

READ MORE: Seattle Film Fest Books Scorsese, Greenaway, "The Overnight," "Inside Out," "54" and More

SIFF 2015 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 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
The Dark Horse, directed by James Napier Robertson (New Zealand 2014)
First runner-up: Inside Out, directed by Pete Docter (USA 2015)
Second runner-up: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (USA 2015)
Third runner-up: Shaun the Sheep, directed by Richard Starzak, Mark Burton (UK 2015)
Fourth runner-up: Good Ol’ Boy, directed by Frank Lotito (USA 2015)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY
Romeo is Bleeding, directed by Jason Zeldes (USA 2015)

First runner-up: Paper Tigers, directed by James Redford (USA 2015)
Second runner-up: The Glamour & The Squalor, directed by Marq Evans (USA 2015)
Third runner-up: The Great Alone, directed by Greg Kohs (USA 2015)
Fourth runner-up: Frame by Frame, directed by Mo Scarpelli, Alexandria Bombach (Afghanistan 2014)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (USA 2015)
First runner-up: George Ovashvili, Corn Island (Georgia 2014)
Second runner-up: Peter Greenaway, Eisenstein in Guanajuato (Netherlands 2015)
Third runner-up: Susanne Bier, A Second Chance (Denmark 2014)
Fourth runner-up: Ross Partridge, Lamb (USA 2015)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST ACTOR
Cliff Curtis, The Dark Horse (New Zealand 2014)
First runner-up: Ian McKellen, Mr. Holmes (UK 2015)
Second runner-up: Jason Segel, End of the Tour (USA 2014)
Third runner-up: Victor Andrés Trelles Turgeon, Henri Henri (Canada (Québec) 2014)
Fourth runner-up: Jacir Eid, Theeb (Jordan 2014)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST ACTRESS
Nina Hoss, Phoenix (Germany 2014)
First runner-up: Kalki Koechlin, Margarita, with a Straw (India 2014)
Second runner-up: Rebecka Josephson, My Skinny Sister (Sweden 2015)
Third runner-up: Regina Case, The Second Mother (Brazil 2015)
Fourth runner-up: Ghita Nørby, Key House Mirror (Denmark 2015)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD - BEST SHORT FILM
Even the Walls, directed by Sarah Kuck, Saman Maydáni (USA 2015)
First runner-up: Submarine Sandwich, directed by PES (USA 2014)
Second runner-up: Stealth, directed by Bennett Lasseter (USA 2014)
Third runner-up: Personal Development, directed by Tom Sullivan (Ireland 2015)
Fourth runner-up: Bihttoš, directed by Elie-Máijá Tailfeathers (Canada 2014)

LENA SHARPE AWARD FOR PERSISTENCE OF VISION
Frame by Frame, directed by Mo Scarpelli, Alexandria Bombach (Afghanistan 2014)

SIFF 2015 COMPETITION AWARDS

SIFF announced three Competition Awards for Best New Director, Best Documentary, and Best New American Film (FIPRESCI). Winners in each juried competition received $2,500 in cash, while the New American Cinema competition winner was also awarded the FIPRESCI prize.

SIFF 2015 BEST NEW DIRECTOR
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Liza, the Fox-Fairy (Hungary 2015), directed by Károly Ujj-Mészáros
JURY STATEMENT: For its lively, inventive visual wit and offbeat look at romantic delusion involving a haunted Hungarian nurse, a long-suffering police sergeant, and the ghost of a ’50s Japanese pop singer, we have given this year's New Directors Prize to Károly Ujj-Mészáros.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Corrections Class (Russia/Germany 2014), directed by Ivan I. Tverdovsky
JURY STATEMENT: For the director's brave and unflinching handling of a young ensemble.

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 Brandon Harris (Filmmaker Magazine), Amy Nicholson (L.A. Weekly), and Alison Willmore (Buzzfeed).

SIFF 2015 BEST DOCUMENTARY
GRAND JURY PRIZE
The Great Alone (USA 2015), directed by Greg Kohs
JURY STATEMENT: Our Grand Jury Prize goes to a film that stopped all of us in our tracks. One of the joys of the film festival experience is discovering a film that works so well on every level. This is an inspiring film about one man’s story that is both intimate and epic - we were knocked out by the filmmaker’s achievement in crafting a visually stunning, completely engrossing narrative about one extraordinary human being.

SPECIAL JURY PRIZES
Romeo is Bleeding (USA 2015), directed by Jason Zeldes
JURY STATEMENT: For its strength in demonstrating the power of art to change lives.

Sergio Herman: F**king Perfect (Netherlands 2015), directed by Willemiek Kluijfhout
JURY STATEMENT: Which we found to be an exquisitely made film about a FUCKING PERFECT artist.

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 Jannat Gargi (Vulcan Productions), Janet Pierson (SXSW), and Anne Rosellini (producer, Stray Dog, Winter’s Bone).

SIFF 2015 BEST NEW AMERICAN CINEMA

GRAND JURY PRIZE
Chatty Catties (USA 2015), directed by Pablo Valencia
JURY STATEMENT: The FIPRESCI jury at the 41st edition of the Seattle International Film Festival bestows its International Critics' Prize to a film that - with an enormous amount of risk-taking - innovatively expands stylistic and narrative boundaries. With a fresh view on intimate relationships, director Pablo Valencia creates an unexpected and utterly original emotional landscape in Chatty Catties.

Festival programmers select 9 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): Pamela Cohn, André Roy, and Dennis West.

SIFF 2015 FUTUREWAVE AND YOUTH JURY AWARDS

YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE
Seoul Searching (USA/South Korea 2015), directed by Benson Lee
JURY STATEMENT: For its diverse and relatable characters, quality mix of emotion and comedy, and accurate and respectful representation of teens, the 2015 FutureWave Youth Jury Prize goes to Seoul Searching.

YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FILMS4FAMILIES FEATURE
When Marnie Was There (Japan 2014), directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi
JURY STATEMENT: For its beautiful and detailed animation, realistic sound design, and original, bittersweet tale of mystery the Films4Families Jury awards When Marnie Was There.

WAVEMAKER AWARD (GRAND PRIZE)
In recognition of superior artistic and technical achievement.
Audio Input (USA), directed by Sho Schrock-Manabe
JURY STATEMENT: For its insightful and engaging portrait of podcasting, an audio art form, through a collage of interviews and images.

FUTUREWAVE AUDIENCE AWARD
Minimum Max (USA), directed by Josh Ovalle

PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS
Each winner will be awarded a $1000 scholarship to the Prodigy Camp.
I’m Not Here (South Africa), directed by Jack Markovitz
Minimum Max (USA), directed by Josh Ovalle

Top Takeaways from IFP's Amy Dotson's Catalyst 'Anti-Keynote': 'You Are Not a Filmmaker'

Paula Bernstein — Sun, 31 May 2015 18:51:10 GMT

Amy Dotson, Deputy Director and Head of Programming for the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), delivered the SIFF Catalyst Keynote on May 30 at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). In her keynote, which she dubbed "the anti-keynote," she urged filmmakers not to limit themselves by boxing themselves into the traditional term "filmmaker." Filmmaker Magazine published her talk in its entirety, but below are highlights from the keynote:

READ MORE: Seattle Film Fest Programs 6 American Indies in Catalyst Lineup

You are not a filmmaker.

"What makes that thing – and its creator – important is how others perceive it," said Dotson. In this age where filmmakers are creating content and telling stories on a variety of platforms, limiting oneself with labels no longer makes sense.

"Labeling things, staying within the reasonable expectations of others, following the set path and asking artists to color within in the lines are struggles that have been around throughout the lifetimes of our great grandparents and certainly, for more moons than that," she said.

READ MORE: 10 Reasons You Should Apply to the IFP Filmmaker Lab

The best or the worst time for indie film? Why define it at all?

In preparing for her keynote, Dotson said she studied previous keynotes and found that "every year, there's a keynote that bemoans the notion of independent cinema, the broken industry and gatekeepers never letting true talent shine."

There's also "a keynote that touts the promises of a better tomorrow, a new technology or screen or the demise of the laser disk ushering in a new era of creativity and paychecks," she said.

Then, of course, there's the keynote that declares it the year of the woman, the age of television, diversity or what have you... But Dotson said she wasn't planning on making any sweeping declarations. Instead, she talked about how filmmakers need to stop limiting themselves by the term "filmmaker."

"You can be a filmmaker, of course, but you cannot continue to singularly define yourself as such. You need to stop putting yourself in a box to try and contain and explain your talents. And you shouldn't let audiences or industry allow it either," she said.

She pointed to Cary Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Desiree Akhavan, Gillian Robespierre and others who transcend the term "filmmaker."

"It would be a disservice to reduce Cary Fukunaga to being 'just' a filmmaker," said Dotson. "Sure, he is an incredibly talented, unpredictable filmmaker who makes Spanish-language and period dramas sing new tunes. But this is an artist that makes commercials watchable and turns the whole model of television programming on its head."

In the case of Desiree Akhavan, Dotson said, she "got tired of waiting to make a film and instead made a modest web series called 'The Slope,' one of the first projects to lead the charge in online episodic storytelling." She then wrote, directed and starred in "Appropriate Behavior" and landed a role in Lena Dunham's 'Girls.' "Calling her simply a filmmaker would belittle her," said Dotson.

The same is true for Gillian Robespierre, who worked for years to make her "abortion comedy," first turning it into a short and finally developing it into the film "Obvious Child."

What should filmmakers call themselves?

"Storyteller, content creator, hybrid, multi-talented, entrepreneur – maybe it's best not to label it right now because none of it feels right," said Dotson. "There's artifice in every term. And who wants to rebrand every few years to keep up with the buzzword of the times or worse, just to fit in?"

Dotson said she's looking for a new, more fluid term.

"We're all trying to find a way to embrace the ambiguity of this new era we live in where web series and Vine videos are the new sketchpads. Where mad scientists and technologists are trying to figure out the best way to create immersive experiences out of cardboard and a halo of cameras," said Dotson. "Where there are more possibilities than ever to have your voice heard if we stop buying into the myth of the Cinema with a capitol C as the end all be all pinnacle of creative artistry."

American indie film is changing. Don't get stuck in old ruts.

"As individuals, audience members and industry, we have all have been stuck in the same rut for far to long – particularly, holy reverence to contemporary American independent cinema," said Dotson. "Cinema is awesome. Theaters are awesome. Communal experiences and good sound and popcorn cannot be beat or replicated. I get it."

But there are other new models and goals. "Making work consistently is also awesome. Meeting people across multiple platforms and industries that connect and inspire you is awesome. Finding new ways of sustaining your storytelling – and getting paid for that work – is super awesome," she said.

Stop categorizing yourself.

"We have to stop with the excessive categories, boxes, genres and color codes that mark talents for easy digestion," said Dotson. "We have to try to stop adjusting our realities to hold onto the ways we consume stories before rather than allow new forms and ideas to take hold."

Are web series and app-based storytelling subsets of television or their own new form? Why categorize creativity?

"The biggest shift I've seen is filmmakers finally, blessedly, learning to embrace the ambiguity that comes with being a creative artist," said Dotson, who urged the group to "dispel the notion that self-distribution is a lesser path, reserved for those not good enough to be distributed by an established company."

In conclusion, Dotson issued a rallying cry for filmmakers -- or whatever you want to call yourself -- to "keep pushing boundaries and buttons. To stop making excuses."

READ MORE: The 7 Best Things We Learned from Ava Duvernay's Keynote Talk

Seattle's "Best Guilty Pleasure" Winner 'Balls Out' Starring Jay Pharoah Scores Release (Trailer)

Ryan Lattanzio — Wed, 13 May 2015 18:50:48 GMT

"Balls Out" first premiered as "Intramural" at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival before winning Seattle's "Best Guilty Pleasure" award later that year. Orion Releasing will open the film in theaters and on VOD June 19, 2015. (Watch the festival trailer below.)

Directed by Andrew Disney and written by Bradley Jackson, the film centers on fifth-year college seniors who hop into the semi-competitive world of intramural football. It stars Jake Lacy (”Girls”), Nikki Reed (Twilight Franchise), Kate McKinnon (“SNL”), Jay Pharoah (”SNL”), Beck Bennett (”SNL”), and Nick Kocher. Film School Rejects said it's "destined to become something of a cult classic, thanks to both its charming cast and a series of highly quotable lines."

With graduation, marriage, and an uncertain future on the horizon, fifth year senior Caleb Fuller (Jake Lacy) decides to do the one thing he vowed to never do again: get the ol’ flag football team back together. Now with the help of his Panther teammates and unorthodox head coach Grant Rosenfalis (Nick Kocher), Caleb must defy all odds in the hope of achieving the glory he once had.

It was produced by Russell Wayne Groves, Andrew Lee, Bradley Jackson, David Ward, and Red Sanders.

Exclusive: Seattle Film Fest Programs 6 American Indies in Catalyst Lineup

Ryan Lattanzio — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 16:56:21 GMT

The six world premieres in Seattle's Catalyst Program, all included in the festival's New American Cinema competition, will play over the course of one weekend, May 28-31. The program also boasts two days of panels covering production, distribution, workflow and current trends in Indigenous Cinema. This year's Catalyst "State of the Indie Industry" will be delivered by IFP's Deputy Director and Head of Programming, Amy Dotson.

“Four years in and I feel like this is our strongest overall program yet," said SIFF programmer Brad Wilke. "Six world premieres, four first-time feature film directors, and a weekend full of panels and workshops aimed at sharing the latest best practices, all while forging new connections among attendees, participants, and audience members, alike.”

READ MORE: Seattle Film Fest Books Scorsese, Greenaway, "Overnight," "Inside Out" and More

Here are the six films in the Catalyst lineup, with synopses courtesy of the festival:

"Chatty Catties"
Meet sassy tabby Leonard and his emotional wreck of an owner, Shelby, in a world where domesticated cats are able to communicate with people and pass judgment on their all-too-human foibles. Hard-of-hearing actors provide the feline voices in this hilarious black comedy. Director: Pablo Valencia Cast: Megan Hensley, Matthew Grathwol, John Autry II, Julia Holter, Jennie Taylor, Russ Tamblyn World Premiere | USA | 2015 | TRT: 85 min

"Circle"
Could you trust a jury of your peers with your life? 50 strangers in a mysterious death chamber must make harrowing decisions as they strategize for survival in this psychological sci-fi thriller. Directors: Aaron Hann, Mario Miscione Cast: Julie Benz, Mercy Malick, Carter Jenkins, Lisa Pelikan, Cesar Garcia World Premiere | USA | 2015 | TRT: 87 min

"Fourth Man Out"
On his 24th birthday, Adam, a small-town mechanic, decides it’s time to finally tell his friends and family that he’s gay. Will his straight-as-an-arrow best bros have his back? A lighthearted and unexpectedly subversive comedy about coming out of the blue-collar closet. Director: Andrew Nackman Cast: Evan Todd, Parker Young, Chord Overstreet, Jon Gabrus, Kate Flannery World Premiere | USA | 2015 | TRT: 95 min

"Front Cover"
A mature, nuanced drama, set in the high fashion world of New York, that explores the relationship between two Asian men as they battle the cultural norms and traditions that keep them from living an honest, authentic life, together or apart. Director: Ray Yeung Cast: Jake Choi, James Chen World Premiere | USA | 2015 | TRT: 86 min

"Happy"
40th A middle-aged woman, wheelchair-bound for the last two years, invites her three best friends over for a long, emotionally fraught birthday weekend in this drama about marriage, friendship, betrayal, and, ultimately, survival. Director: Madoka Raine Cast: Yvonne Woods, Brian Slaten, Madoka Raine, Jenni Blong, Robyn Cohen, World Premiere | USA | 2015 | TRT: 100 min

"A Rising Tide"
After Hurricane Sandy destroys his family’s Atlantic City restaurant, young chef Sam Rama must start from scratch, forging new relationships that instill in him a hope for the future. Director: Ben Hickernell Cast: Hunter Parrish, Ashley Hinshaw, Tim Daly, Victor Slezak, Jonathan Togo World Premiere | USA | 2015 | TRT: 98 min

The 41st annual Seattle Film Festival runs May 14 to June 7.

Seattle Film Fest Books Scorsese, Greenaway, 'Overnight,' 'Inside Out,' '54' and More

Ryan Lattanzio — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 20:00:00 GMT

This year, the Seattle International Film Festival will screen 450 films from 92 countries, including 49 World premieres, 51 North American premieres and 18 US premieres. The festival runs from May 14 to June 7.

SIFF is bookended by two hit comedies off the festival circuit. Paul Feig's feminist Bond parody "Spy" will open the festival, and the California swingers sex comedy "The Overnight" will close Seattle, which has also picked "The End of the Tour" for its centerpiece gala.

In addition, SIFF 2015 Tribute Guest and prolific actor Kevin Bacon will be presented with the festival’s Career Achievement in Acting Award and interviewed on stage in conjunction with Focus World’s "Cop Car." Screenings of classics "Footloose" and "Diner" will also be held in celebration of his body of work.

An Evening with Jason Schwartzman will feature an on-stage interview and a screening of his SXSW hit "7 Chinese Brothers," in which he stars with his real-life French bulldog, Arrow.

This year’s galas, premieres and special presentations include Max Landis’ directorial debut "Me Him Her," Chris Evans in "Before We Go," Pixar's Cannes-bound "Inside Out," Sundance Grand Jury and Audience prize winner "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," Ian McKellen in "Mr. Holmes" and much more. Additional highlights include Seattle premieres of "54: The Director's Cut," Peter Greenaway's "Eisenstein in Guanajuato," and a 25th anniversary celebration of Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation.

Here's the full lineup:

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Mr. Holmes

Inside Out (dir. Pete Docter)

Shaun the Sheep (d: Richard Starzak, Mark Burton v: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili, Richard Webber, Kate Harbour, United Kingdom 2015, 85 min)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (d: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon c: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, USA 2015, 104 min)

The Second Mother - Renton Opening Night (d: Anna Muylaert c: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli, Brazil 2015, 111 min)

People, Places, Things (d: James C. Strouse c: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, USA 2015, 86 min)

54: The Director’s Cut (d: Mark Christopher c: Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Mike Myers, Mark Ruffalo, USA 2015, 106 min)

Good Ol’ Boy - Kirkland Opening Night (d: Frank Lotito c: Jason Lee, Anjul Nigam, Brighton Sharbino, Hilarie Burton, Roni Akurati, USA 2015, 104 min)

Tangerine - Gay-La (d: Sean Baker c: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, USA 2015, 89 min)

Excuse My French - African Pictures Celebration (d: Amr Salama c: Ahmed Dash, Hani Adel, Kinda Allouch, Ahmed Helmy, Egypt 2014, 99 min)

Eisenstein in Guanajuato (d: Peter Greenaway c: Elmer Bäck, Luis Alberti, Rasmus Slatis, Netherlands/Mexico/Belgium/Finland 2015, 105 min)

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARTIN SCORSESE’S THE FILM FOUNDATION

This year, SIFF celebrates the 25th anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation with 12 films; 8 are presented in the Festival and 4 are presented in partnership with STG and their Trader Joe’s Silent Movie Mondays at the Paramount:

Alyam, Alyam, d: Ahmed El Maanouni (Morocco 1978); Black Girl, d: Ousmane Sembène (Senegal 1966); Caught, d: Max Ophüls (USA 1949); The Color of the Pomegranates, d: Sergei Parajanov (Armenia 1969); The Dark Mirror, d: Robert Siodmak (USA 1946); Rebel Without a Cause, d: Nicholas Ray (USA 1955); The Red Shoes, d: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger (United Kingdom, 1948); The Mark of Zorro, d: Fred Niblo (USA, 1920); My Best Girl, d: Sam Taylor (USA, 1927); The Unholy Three, d: Tod Browning (USA, 1925); Snow White, d: J. Searle Dawley (USA, 1916).

ARCHIVAL PRESENTATIONS

Time travel may still just be a dream in the scientific world, but in cinema it is practically inevitable, as every film captures several distinct moments in time: the period of the story, the era of the film’s creation, and the instance of discovery and even rediscovery by the filmgoer. Here are some highlights from the 19 archival films in this year’s line-up.

The Alloy Orchestra performs live with The Son of the Sheik (d: George Fitzmaurice c: Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Banky, George Fawcett, Montagu Love, Agnes Ayres, USA 1926, 68 min)

Renowned pianist Donald Sosin performs live with Cave of the Spider Women (d: Dan Duyu, China 1927, 60 min); presented with the 1967 Shaw Brothers remake The Cave of Silken Web (d: Ho Meng Hua, Hong Kong 1967, 82 min)

Saved From the Flames - A Trip to the Moon and Other Trips Through Time and Space with film impresario Serge Bromberg live in person.

A Tribute to Stewart Stern: Rebel Without a Cause Live Screenplay Reading directed by Ryan Piers Williams. Rebel Without a Cause will also screen.

FEATURE FILM PREMIERES

World (23)

2045 Carnival Folklore (d: Naoki Kato c: Junya Ishii, Misaki Oka, Yusuke Hayashi, Hideyuki Okamoto, Ryo Hamamoto, Japan 2015, 100 min)

Beach Town (d: Erik Hammen c: Sarah Winsor, Ahren Buhmann, Riley Neldam, Kenna Kettrick, William Poole, USA 2015, 72 min)

Chatty Catties (d: Pablo Valencia c: Megan Hensley, Matthew Grathwol, John Autry II, Julia Holter, Jennie Russ Tamblyn, USA 2015, 85 min)

Circle (d: Aaron Hann, Mario Miscione c: Julie Benz, Mercy Malick, Carter Jenkins, Lisa Pelikan, Cesar Garcia, USA 2015, 87 min)

Fourth Man Out (d: Andrew Nackman c: Evan Todd, Parker Young, Chord Overstreet, Jon Gabrus, Kate Flannery, USA 2015, 95 min)

Front Cover (d: Ray Yeung c: Jake Choi, James Chen, USA 2015, 86 min)

The Glamour & The Squalor (d: Marq Evans f: Marco Collins, Shirley Manson, Macklemore, Ben Gibbard, Mike McCready, USA 2015, 82 min)

The Golden Hill (d: Rajan Kathet c: Tsewang Rinzin Gurung, Yeshi Choeden, Kunga Tashi, Mentok Gurung, Nepal 2015, 74 min)

Good Ol’ Boy (d: Frank Lotito c: Jason Lee, Anjul Nigam, Brighton Sharbino, Hilarie Burton, Roni Akurati, USA 2015, 104 min)

The Great Alone (d: Greg Kohs f: Lance Mackey, Dick Mackey, Kathie Smith, USA 2015, 84 min)

Happy 40th (d: Madoka Raine c: Yvonne Woods, Brian Slaten, Madoka Raine, Jenni Blong, Robyn Cohen, USA 2015, 100 min)

The Hollow One (d: Nathan Hendrickson c: Kate Alden, Jesse James, Chelsea Farthing, Tony Doupé, Tonya Skoog, USA 2015, 97 min)

In Utero (d: Kathleen Gyllenhaal, USA 2015, 84 min)

License to Operate (d: James Lipetzky f: Aquil Basheer, Kenneth Jones, Alfred Lomas III, Reynaldo Reaser, Stinson Brown, USA 2015, 103 min)

Me Him Her (d: Max Landis c: Luke Bracey, Dustin Milligan, Emily Meade, Scott Bakula, Geena Davis, USA 2015, 98 min)

Paper Tigers (d: James Redford, USA 2015, 102 min)

The Primary Instinct (d: David Chen f: Stephen Tobolowsky, USA 2015, 73 min)

A Rising Tide (d: Ben Hickernell c: Hunter Parrish, Ashley Hinshaw, Tim Daly, Victor Slezak, Jonathan Togo, USA 2015, 98 min)

Those People (d: Joey Kuhn c: Jonathan Gordon, Jason Ralph, Haaz Sleiman, Britt Lower, Meghann Fahy, USA 2015, 89 min)

Under Construction (d: Rubaiyat Hossain c: Shahana Goswami, Mita Rahman, Rikita Shimu, Rahul Bose, Bangladesh 2015, 88 min)

The Village (d: Levan Tutberidze c: Crystal Bennett, Tornike Bziava, Mikheil Gomiashvili, Georgia 2015, 112 min)

West of Redemption (d: Cornelia Duryee Moore c: Billy Zane, Kevin Alejandro, Mariana Klaveno, USA 2015, 90 min)

North American (33)

Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories (d: Phan Dang Di c: Do Thi Hai Yen, Nguyen Ha Phong, Le Cong Hoang, Truong The Vinh, Mai Quoc Viet, Vietnam/France/Germany 2015, 102 min)

A Blast (d: Syllas Tzoumerkas c: Angeliki Papoulia, Vassilis Doganis, Maria Filini, Themis Bazaka, Yorgos Biniaris, Greece/Germany/Netherlands 2014, 83 min)

The Blue Hour (d: Anucha Boonyawatana c: Atthaphan Poonsawas, Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang, Duangjai Hirunsri, Chaowalit Teangsap, Nithiroj Simkamtorn, Thailand 2015, 96 min)

The Boda Boda Thieves (d: Donald Mugisha c: Hassan Insingoma, Prossy Rukundo, Saul Mwesigwa, Michael Wawuyo, Peace Birungi, Uganda/Kenya/South Africa/Germany 2015, 85 min)

Bonifacio (d: Enzo Williams c: Robin Padilla, Vina Morales, Daniel Padilla, Eddie Garcia, Cholo Barretto, Philippines 2014, 105 min)

Breathe Umphefumlo (d: Mark Dornford-May c: Pauline Malefane, Sifiso Lupuzi, Zebulon Mmusi, Mhlekazi Moseia, Busisiwe Ngejane, South Africa/United Kingdom/Germany 2015, 89 min)

Cherry Tobacco (d: Andres Maimik, Katrin Maimik c: Maris Nõlvak, Gert Raudsep, Getter Meresmaa, Anne Reemann, Maarja Jakobson, Estonia 2014, 93 min)

The Coffin in the Mountain (d: Yukun Xin c: Weimin Huo, Xiaotian Wang, Yun Luo, Yuzen Yang, Li Sun, China 2014, 119 min)

Cooking Up a Tribute (d: Luis González, Andrea Gómez f: Joan Roca, Josep Roca, Jordi Roca, Spain 2015, 87 min)

Corrections Class (d: Ivan I. Tverdovsky c: Maria Poezhaeva, Filipp Avdeev, Nikita Kukushkin, Artem Markaryan, Irina Vilkova, Russia/Germany 2014, 98 min)

Dreams Rewired (d: Martin Reinhart, Thomas Tode, Manu Luksch n: Tilda Swinton, Austria 2015, 85 min)

Eisenstein in Guanajuato (d: Peter Greenaway c: Elmer Bäck, Luis Alberti, Rasmus Slatis, Jacob Öhrman, Maya Zapata, Netherlands/Mexico/Belgium/Finland 2015, 105 min)

Fassbinder - To Love Without Demands (d: Christian Braad Thomsen f: Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Irm Hermann, Harry Baer, Lilo Pempeit, Denmark 2015, 109 min)

The Fire (d: Juan Schnitman c: Pilar Gamboa, Juan Barberini, Luciano Suardi, Marcelo D’ Andrea, Andrea Garrote, Argentina 2015, 95 min)

Hedi Schneider Is Stuck (d: Sonja Heiss c: Laura Tonke, Hans Löw, Leander Nitsche, Germany/Norway 2015, 92 min)

How To Win At Checkers (Every Time) (d: Josh Kim c: Thira Chutikul, Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, Natarat Lakha, Thailand/USA/Indonesia/Hong Kong, 2015, 80 min)

The Invisible Boy (d: Gabriele Salvatores c: Ludovico Girardello, Valeria Golino, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Christo Jivkov, Noa Zatta, Italy 2014, 100 min)

Key House Mirror (d: Michael Noer c: Ghita Nørby, Sven Wollter, Trine Pallesen, Jens Brenaa, Denmark 2015, 94 min)

Kid Kulafu (d: Paul Soriano c: Buboy Villar, Alessandra de Rossi, Cesar Montano, Philippines 2015, 108 min)

Little Forest - Winter / Spring (d: Junichi Mori c: Ai Hashimoto,Takahiro Miura, Mayu Matsuoka, Yoichi Nukumizu, Karen Kirishima, Japan 2015, 120 min)

Liza, the Fox-Fairy (d: Károly Ujj-Mészáros c: Mónika Balsai, David Sakurai, Piroska Molnár, Zoltán Schmied, Gábor Reviczky, Hungary 2015, 98 min)

Love Among the Ruins (d: Massimo Alì Mohammad c: Mary Di Tommaso, Massimo Malucelli, Stefano Muroni, Filippo Parma, Edoardo Siravo, Italy/USA 2015, 71 min)

Love, Theft and Other Entanglements (d: Muayad Alayan c: Sami Metwasi, Maya Abu Alhayyat, Riyad Sliman, Ramzi Maqdisi, Kamel Elbasha, Palestine 2015, 93 min)

A Matter of Interpretation (d: Lee Kwang-kuk c: Shin Dong-Mi, Kim Kang-Hyun, Yu Jun-Sang, South Korea 2014, 99 min)

Morbayassa (d: Cheick Fantamady Camara c: Fatoumata Diawara, Claire Simba, Brigette Masure, Guinea 2015, 124 min)

My Skinny Sister (d: Sanna Lenken c: Rebecka Josephson, Amy Deasismont, Annika Hallin, Henrik Norlén, Maxim Mehmet, Sweden/Germany 2015, 95 min)

Name Me (d: Nigina Sayfullayeva c: Konstantin Lavronenko, Alexandra Bortich, Marina Vasilieva, Russia 2014, 91 min)

Pioneer Heroes (d: Natalya Kudryashova c: Natalya Kudryashova, Daria Moroz, Alexey Mitin, Russia 2015, 115 min)

Sergio Herman, F**KING PERFECT (d: Willemiek Kluijfhout, Netherlands 2015, 80 min)

Sherry & The Mystery of Palo Cortado (d: José-Luis López-Linares, Spain 2015, 87 min)

Short Skin (d: Duccio Chiarini c: Matteo Creatini, Francesca Agostini, Nicola Nocchi, Miriana Raschillà, Bianca Ceravolo, Italy 2014, 86 min)

Sugarcane Shadows (d: David Constantin d: Raj Bumma, Dany Bhowaneedin, Nalini Aubeeluck, Jean-Claude Catheya, Mauritius/France 2014, 88 min)

Waterline (d: Michal Otlowski c: Jowita Budnik, Sebastian Fabijanski, Mariusz Bonaszewski, Lukasz Simlat, Michal Zurawski, Poland 2014, 94 min)

US (7)

Atlantic. (d: Jan-Willem van Ewijk c: Fettah Lamara, Thekla Reuten, Mohamed Majd, Boujmaa Guilloul, Hassna Souidi, Netherlands/Belgium/Germany/Morocco 2014, 94 min)

Before We Go (d: Chris Evans c: Chris Evans, Alice Eve, USA 2014, 89 min)

Gazelles (d: Mona Achache c: Camille Chamoux, Audrey Fleurot, Joséphine de Maux, Franck Gastambide. Anne Brochet, France 2014, 99 min)

Graziella (d: Mehdi Charef c: Rossy De Palma, Denis Lavant, Claire Nebout, France 2014, 93 min)

Mountain Spirits (d: Singing Chen, Kuo-Liang Chiang, Taiwan 2014, 70 min)

Out of Nature (d: Ole Giæver, Marte Vold c: Ole Giæver, Marte Magnusdotter Solem, Sivert Giæver Solem, Rebekka Nystadbakk, Ellen Birgitte Winther, Norway 2014, 80 min)

War of Lies (d: Matthias Bittner, Germany 2014, 90 min)

COMPETITIONS

New Directors Competition

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. Winners receive a $2,500 cash prize.

2015 Entries:

A Blast (d: Syllas Tzoumerkas, Greece/Germany/Netherlands 2014, North American Premiere)

Bonifacio (d: Enzo Williams, Philippines 2014, North American Premiere)

Corrections Class (d: Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia/Germany 2014, North American Premiere)

Liza, the Fox-Fairy (d: Karoly Ujj-Meszaros, Hungary 2015, North American Premiere)

Love, Theft and Other Entanglements (d: Muayad Alayan, Palestine 2015, North American Premiere)

A Matter of Interpretation (d: Kwang-kuk Lee, South Korea 2014, North American Premiere)

Morbayassa (d: Cheick Fantamady Camara, Guinea 2015, North American Premiere)

My Skinny Sister (d: Sanna Lenken, Sweden/Germany 2015, North American Premiere)

Short Skin (d: Duccio Chiarini, Italy 2014, North American Premiere)

Under Construction (d: Rubaiyat Hossain, Bangladesh 2015, World Premiere)

Vincent (d: Thomas Salvador, France 2014)

Waterline (d: Michal Otlowski, Poland 2014, North American Premiere)

New American Cinema Competition

Festival programmers select 8 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. Jury is comprised of 3 members from the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). The winning film will receive a $2,500 cash prize and a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium edition.

2015 Entries:

Chatty Catties (d: Pablo Valencia, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Circle (d: Aaron Hann & Mario Miscione, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Fourth Man Out (d: Andrew Nackman, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Front Cover (d: Ray Yeung, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Good Ol’ Boy (d: Frank Lotito, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Happy 40th (d: Madoka Raine, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Me Him Her (d: Max Landis, USA 2015, World Premiere)

A Rising Tide (d: Ben Hickernell, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Those People (d: Joey Kuhn, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Documentary Competition

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. Winners receive a $2,500 cash prize.

2015 Entries:

Cooking Up a Tribute (d: Luis Gonzalez & Andrea Gomez, Spain 2015, North American Premiere)

Dreams Rewired (d: Martin Reinhart, Thomas Tode, & Manu Luksch, Austria 2015, North American Premiere)

The Glamour & The Squalor (d: Marq Evans, USA 2015, World Premiere)

The Great Alone (d: Greg Kohs, USA 2015, World Premiere)

In Utero (d: Kathleen Gyllenhaal, USA 2015, World Premiere)

License to Operate (d: James Lipetzky, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Mountain Spirits (d: Singing Chen & Kuo-Liang Chiang, Taiwan 2014, US Premiere)

Paper Tigers (d: James Redford, USA 2015, World Premiere)

Romeo Is Bleeding (d: Jason Zeldes, USA 2015)

Sergio Herman, F**KING PERFECT (d: Willemiek Kluijfhout, Netherlands 2015, North American Premiere)

War of Lies (d: Matthias Bittner, Germany 2014, US Premiere)

Shorts Competition

All short films shown at the Festival are eligible for both the Golden Space Needle Audience Award and Jury Award. Jurors will 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®.

Golden Space Needle Awards

For the past 30 years, SIFF has celebrated its most popular films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Audience Award. Awards by Festival audiences are given in five categories: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Short Film.

CULINARY CINEMA - new program!

Popcorn is no longer king as the phenomenon of food culture has exploded into cinema. We’ve selected 11 extraordinary films that explore different aspects of taste and the senses for the cinematically inclined. The program also includes dinner pairings in partnership with local restaurants Bookstore Bar & Café, The Dunbar Room, Loulay, Manhattan, Poppy, and Vude.

The Birth of Saké (d: Erik Shirai f: Yamamoto Toji, Yasuyuki Yoshida, USA 2015, 91 min)

City of Gold (d: Laura Gabbert f: Jonathan Gold, USA 2015, 88 min)

Cooking Up a Tribute (d: Luis González, Andrea Gómez f: Joan Roca, Josep Roca, Jordi Roca, Spain 2015, 87 min, North American Premiere)

For Grace (d: Mark Helenowski, Kevin Pang f: Curtis Duggy, Michael Muser, Ruth Snider, USA 2015, 92 min)

King Georges (d: Erika Frankel f: Georges Perrier, Nicholas Elmi, Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Eric Ripert, USA 2015, 77 min)

Little Forest - Summer / Autumn (d: Junichi Mori c: Ai Hashimoto, Takahiro Miura, Mayu Matsuoka, Yoichi Nukumizu, Karen Kirishima, Japan 2014, 112 min)

Little Forest - Winter / Spring (d: Junichi Mori c: Ai Hashimoto,Takahiro Miura, Mayu Matsuoka, Yoichi Nukumizu, Karen Kirishima, Japan 2015, 120 min, North American Premiere)

Sergio Herman, F**KING PERFECT (d: Willemiek Kluijfhout, Netherlands 2015, 80 min, North American Premiere)

Sherry & The Mystery of Palo Cortado (d: José-Luis López-Linares, Spain 2015, 87 min, North American Premiere)

Steak (R)evolution (d: Franck Ribière f: Franck Ribière, Yves-Marie le Bourdonnec, France 2014, 110 min)

That Sugar Film (d: Damon Gameau f: Stephen Fry, Brenton Thwaites, Isabel Lucas, Jessica Marais, Hugh Jackman, Australia 2015, 94 min)

FACE THE MUSIC

Seattle is a music-obsessed city, so it’s only fitting that the Festival features films that showcase the many ways in which music affects our lives, ranging from biopics and documentaries to concert films and live events.

808 (d: Alexander Dunn f: Afrika Bambaataa, The Beastie Boys, Pharrell Williams, Questlove, Phil Collins, United Kingdom 2015, 107 min)

All Things Must Pass (d: Colin Hanks f: Russ Solomon, Heidi Cotler, Mark Viducich, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, USA 2015, 100 min)

Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll (d: John Pirozzi f: Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Serey Sothea, Baksey Cham Krong, USA/Cambodia 2015, 106 min)

The Glamour & The Squalor (d: Marq Evans f: Marco Collins, Shirley Manson, Macklemore, Ben Gibbard, Mike McCready, USA 2015, 82 min, World Premiere)

Love & Mercy (d: Bill Pohlad c: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti, Jake Abel, Bill Camp, USA 2014, 119 min)

Paco de Lucía: A Journey (d: Curro Sanchez Varela f: Paco de Lucía, Spain 2014, 92 min)

Virtuosity (d: Christopher Wilkinson f: Alessandro Deljavan, Sean Chen, Fei Fei Dong, Vadym Kholodenko, Beatrice Rana, USA/Italy, Russia 2014, 86 min)

NORTHWEST CONNECTIONS

Seattleites see more films per capita than the residents of any other American city. This year’s lineup of films with their roots in the Pacific Northwest reveals a filmmaking region officially on the map. Every year, SIFF honors the many ways in which the Puget Sound region contributes to the world of cinema, whether it’s as an evocative location for outside filmmakers or inspiration for local filmmakers on the rise.

Beach Town (d: Erik Hammen c: Sarah Winsor, Ahren Buhmann, Riley Neldam, Kenna Kettrick, William Poole, USA 2015, 72 min, World Premiere)

Bodyslam: Revenge of the Banana (d: Ryan Harvie, John Paul Hortsmann c: Ronald McFondle, Eddie Van Glam, The Banana, USA 2015, 86 min)

The Hollow One (d: Nathan Hendrickson c: Kate Alden, Jesse James, Chelsea Farthing, Tony Doupé, Tonya Skoog, USA 2015, 97 min, World Premiere)

Paper Tigers (d: James Redford, USA 2015, 102 min, World Premiere)

Personal Gold: An Underdog Story (d: Tamara Christopherson s: Jennie Reed, Dotsie Bausch, Sarah Hammer, USA/Spain, United Kingdom 2015, 89 min)

Pilchuck, A Dance with Fire (d: John Forsen v: Jeff Bridges, USA 2015, 68 min)

The Primary Instinct (d: David Chen f: Stephen Tobolowsky, USA 2015, 73 min, World Premiere)

Uncertain (d: Ewan McNichol, Anna Sandilands, USA 2015, 82 min)

Valley of the Sasquatch (d: John Portanova c: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, D'Angelo Midili, Jason Vail, David Saucedo, Bill Oberst Jr., USA 2015, 92 min)

West of Redemption (d: Cornelia Duryee Moore c: Billy Zane, Kevin Alejandro, Mariana Klaveno, USA 2015, 90 min, World Premiere)

AFRICAN PICTURES

Now in its third year, this program once again presents an impressive and diverse selection of films from and about Africa. Supported by a generous multi-year grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, African Pictures brings the best in cinema to audiences in Seattle and the broader Northwest. Featured selections include indigenous films, films by African filmmakers working outside the continent, and films on topics relating to Africa's changing contemporary political and social landscape.

Beats of the Antonov (d: Hajooj Kuka s: Jodah Bujud, Insaf Awad, Sarah Mohamed Abunama-Elgadi, Seif Alislam, Sudan/South Africa 2014, 65 min)

Beti and Amare (d: Andy Siege c: Hiwot Asres, Pascal Dawson, Biniyam Kore, Yonas An Kidane, Delelegne Sharwe, Ethiopia/Germany 2014, 94 min)

The Boda Boda Thieves (d: Donald Mugisha c: Hassan Insingoma, Prossy Rukundo, Saul Mwesigwa, Michael Wawuyo, Peace Birungi, Uganda/Kenya/South Africa/Germany 2015, 85 min, North American Premiere)

Breathe Umphefumlo (d: Mark Dornford-May c: Pauline Malefane, Sifiso Lupuzi, Zebulon Mmusi, Mhlekazi Moseia, Busisiwe Ngejane, South Africa/United Kingdom/Germany 2015, 89 min, North American Premiere)

Challat of Tunis (d: Kaouther Ben Hania c: Jallel Dridi, Moufida Dridi, Mohamed Slim Bouchiba, Narimène Saidane, Tunisia/France, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates 2014, 90 min)

Décor (d: Ahmad Abdalla c: Horeya Farghaly, Khaled Abol Naga, Maged El Kedwany, Egypt 2014, 116 min)

Excuse My French (d: Amr Salama c: Ahmed Dash, Hani Adel, Kinda Allouch, Ahmed Helmy, Egypt 2014, 99 min)

I Am the People (d: Anna Roussillon c: Farraj Abdelwahid, France 2014, 111 min)

The Malagasy Way (d: Lova Nantenaina, Madagascar/France 2014, 84 min)

Morbayassa (d: Cheick Fantamady Camara c: Fatoumata Diawara, Claire Simba, Brigette Masure, Alex Ogou, Guinea 2015, 124 min North American Premiere)

Run (d: Philippe Lacôte c: Abdoul Karim Konaté, Isaach De Bankolé, Rasmane Ouédraogo, Reine Sali Coulibaly, Abdoul Bah, Ivory Coast/France 2014, 97 min)

Sugarcane Shadow (d: David Constantin c: Raj Bumma, Dany Bhowaneedin, Nalini Aubeeluck, Jean-Claude Catheya, Mauritius/France 2014, 88 min, North American Premiere)AF

Now in its third year, this program once again presents an impressive and diverse selection of films from and about Africa. Supported by a generous multi-year grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, African Pictures brings the best in cinema to audiences in Seattle and the broader Northwest. Featured selections include indigenous films, films by African filmmakers working outside the continent, and films on topics relating to Africa's changing contemporary political and social landscape.

Beats of the Antonov (d: Hajooj Kuka s: Jodah Bujud, Insaf Awad, Sarah Mohamed Abunama-Elgadi, Seif Alislam, Sudan/South Africa 2014, 65 min)

Beti and Amare (d: Andy Siege c: Hiwot Asres, Pascal Dawson, Biniyam Kore, Yonas An Kidane, Delelegne Sharwe, Ethiopia/Germany 2014, 94 min)

The Boda Boda Thieves (d: Donald Mugisha c: Hassan Insingoma, Prossy Rukundo, Saul Mwesigwa, Michael Wawuyo, Peace Birungi, Uganda/Kenya/South Africa/Germany 2015, 85 min, North American Premiere)

Breathe Umphefumlo (d: Mark Dornford-May c: Pauline Malefane, Sifiso Lupuzi, Zebulon Mmusi, Mhlekazi Moseia, Busisiwe Ngejane, South Africa/United Kingdom/Germany 2015, 89 min, North American Premiere)

Challat of Tunis (d: Kaouther Ben Hania c: Jallel Dridi, Moufida Dridi, Mohamed Slim Bouchiba, Narimène Saidane, Tunisia/France, Canada, Qatar, United Arab Emirates 2014, 90 min)

Décor (d: Ahmad Abdalla c: Horeya Farghaly, Khaled Abol Naga, Maged El Kedwany, Egypt 2014, 116 min)

Excuse My French (d: Amr Salama c: Ahmed Dash, Hani Adel, Kinda Allouch, Ahmed Helmy, Egypt 2014, 99 min)

I Am the People (d: Anna Roussillon c: Farraj Abdelwahid, France 2014, 111 min)

The Malagasy Way (d: Lova Nantenaina, Madagascar/France 2014, 84 min)

Morbayassa (d: Cheick Fantamady Camara c: Fatoumata Diawara, Claire Simba, Brigette Masure, Alex Ogou, Guinea 2015, 124 min North American Premiere)

Run (d: Philippe Lacôte c: Abdoul Karim Konaté, Isaach De Bankolé, Rasmane Ouédraogo, Reine Sali Coulibaly, Abdoul Bah, Ivory Coast/France 2014, 97 min)

Sugarcane Shadow (d: David Constantin c: Raj Bumma, Dany Bhowaneedin, Nalini Aubeeluck, Jean-Claude Catheya, Mauritius/France 2014, 88 min, North American Premiere)

'Spy' to Open Seattle Film Fest

Ryan Lattanzio — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 16:52:00 GMT

Now in its 41st year, the Seattle International Film Festival will open on May 14 with "Spy," with Paul Feig expected to attend. The festival, a nice and roomy one, then runs through June 7.

The film played uproariously at SXSW for its world premiere earlier this year. With its broad humor and long and muddled action scenes, this is one of Feig's more ambivalently directed efforts. But as always, he's a daffy and deft writer of female dialogue, giving McCarthy (as dowdy CIA agent Susan Cooper) and Byrne (as a prim, terrorist affiliate of the CIA's arch nemesis) many uproarious moments to chew on. Jason Statham brings comic machismo as a childishly sulky agent gone rogue. The audience ate it all up, with laughs drowning much of the dialogue.

READ MORE: Paul Feig on "Spy," "Ghostbusters," Sexist Backlash and Carving Out Great Roles for Women

Olivia Thirlby and Vincent Kartheiser Take a Chilly Honeymoon in New 'Red Knot' Trailer

Michele Debczak — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 23:41:23 GMT

The new trailer has been released for photographer-turned-director Scott Cohen's relationship drama, "Red Knot." Filmed during a 23-day expedition along the coasts of Antarctica and Argentina, the movie follows a young couple spending their belated honeymoon aboard a research vessel. Olivia Thirlby ("Juno") stars opposite Vincent Kartheiser ("Mad Men") as the New York newlyweds who are eventually driven apart by an act of betrayal.

The latest trailer gives a taste of the remarkable natural scenery the crew was able to capture during the expedition. For a story about isolation, Antarctica serves as a picture-perfect setting.

The film was awarded the FIPRESCI Grand Jury Prize for Best New American Cinema at the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival. It opens in NYC Friday, December 5th at the IFC Center. Check out the trailer below.

READ MORE: 'Boyhood' Seattle International Film Festival Awards include 'Boyhood,' 'Dear White People,' 'Keep on Keepin' on' and More

Watch: Amy Seimetz Does Not Have it Together in '9 Full Moons' Exclusive Clips

Shipra Harbola Gupta — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 18:11:25 GMT

Set against the backdrop of the Hollywood and East Los Angeles music scene, Tomer Almagor's feature directorial debut, "9 Full Moons," chronicles the budding romance between two unlikely people: Frankie, a hard-partying hipster, and Lev, an aspiring musician. Amy Seimetz and Bret Roberts co-star as the two star-crossed lovers.

READ MORE: Seattle International Film Festival to Honor Quincy Jones with Lifetime Achievement Award

In these newly released clips from the film, which you can view exclusively below, Seimetz's character Frankie appears to have a pretty serious drinking problem that Roberts' character Lev tolerates, but based on his brooding expression and the cigarette he busts out when Frankie makes him pull-over so she can go through Goodwill donations, he is less than thrilled.

"9 Full Moons" premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival earlier this year and opens in select theaters on November 7.

READ MORE: Seattle International Film Festival Awards Include 'Boyhood,' 'Dear White People,' 'Keep On Keepin' On' and More

Seattle Fest Announces Women in Cinema Lineup: Lynn Shelton, Hannah Espia, Jessica Yu, More

Laura Berger — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:00:30 GMT

The Seattle International Film Festival has released the lineup for its Women in Cinema showcase. The showcase will be a four-day event at SIFF 2015, and will include 12 features and documentaries, as well as special guests in the form of directors and producers. Lynn Shelton's Laggies, her most mainstream offering to date, will play opening night.

Said SIFF's Director of Programming, Beth Barrett: "Every year, I've seen the Women in Cinema festival continue to grow in relevance and in astonishing works from incredible filmmakers. Sharing these unique voices and getting these stories heard -- and provoking the conversation about how to continue to keep cinema vibrant and diverse -- is why we do this."

Here's the stellar-looking lineup (descriptions from SIFF).

Thursday, September 18

Laggies

d: Lynn Shelton c: Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell, USA 2014, 95 min

Having spent her twenties comfortably inert, 28-year-old Megan (Keira Knightley) finds herself squarely in an adulthood crisis with no career prospects, no particular motivation to find one, and no one to relate to, including her high-school boyfriend. When he proposes, Megan panics and -- at least temporarily -- hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year-old Annika (Chloë Grace Moritz) and Annika's world-weary single dad (Sam Rockwell).

Director Lynn Shelton and local crew scheduled to attend. Read Women and Hollywood's interview with Lynn Shelton about Laggies.

Friday, September 19

Transit

d: Hannah Espia c: Ping Medina, Irma Adlawan, Jasmine Curtis, Marc Justine Alvarez, Mercedes Cabral, Omer Juran, Philippines 2013, 93 min

This affecting and very timely drama deals with the struggles of an extended Filipino family working in Israel but faced with the prospect of separation when a new law threatens their children with deportation. The Philippines' Oscar Submission.

Inbetween Worlds

d: Feo Aladag c: Ronald Zehrfeld, Abdul Salam Yosofzai, Saida Barmaki, Germany 2014, 102 min

German army commander Jesper forms a bond with his Afghani translator, Tarik, as they try to protect a village from the growing Taliban influence. Gorgeously shot on location in Afghanistan, Inbetween Worlds is fair-handed without becoming overly sentimental or inflammatory.

Read Women and Hollywood's interview with Feo Aladag about Inbetween Worlds.

Rocks in My Pockets

d: Signe Baumane, USA/Latvia 2014, 88 min

Five fantastical animated tales based on the courageous women of Latvian filmmaker Signe Baumane's family and their battles with madness. With boundless imagination, a twisted sense of humor, and a unique, beautifully textured combination of papier-mâché, stop-motion, and classic hand-drawn animation, Baumane has produced a poignant and often hilarious tale of mystery, mental health, redemption, and survival. FIPRESCI Award, Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

Read Women and Hollywood's interview with Signe Baumane about Rocks in My Pockets.

Saturday, September 20

Monk With a Camera

d: Tina Mascara, Guido Santi c: Nicholas Vreeland, Khyongla Rinpoche, Richard Gere, USA 2013, 90 min

In this enthralling documentary portrait, Nicholas Vreeland, grandson of fashion icon Diana Vreeland, is headed for life as a high-powered photographer until he undergoes a personal transformation: next stop, life as a Tibetan Buddhist monk.

Misconception
d: Jessica Yu Narrated by: Kyra Sedgwick, USA 2014, 93 min

For almost 50 years, the world's population has grown at an alarming rate, raising fears about strains on the Earth's resources. But how true are these claims? Taking cues from statistics guru Hans Rosling, Misconception offers a provocative glimpse at how the world -- and women in particular -- are tackling a subject at once personal and global.

Read Women and Hollywood's interview with Jessica Yu about Misconception.

The Last Season

d: Sara Dosa, USA 2014, 78 min

Amid the bustling world of Central Oregon's wild mushroom-hunting camps, two former soldiers discover the means to gradually heal their wounds of war, bonding over the search of the elusive and lucrative matsutake mushroom.

Read Women and Hollywood's interview with Sara Dosa about The Last Season.

Kelly & Cal

d: Jen McGowan c: Juliette Lewis, Jonny Weston, Josh Hopkins, Cybil Shepherd, USA 2014, 107 min

Punk-rocker turned suburban housewife Kelly (Juliette Lewis) is nostalgic for a life she can no longer have and intimidated by a future she is not sure she wants. The initially unwanted attention from her 17-year-old wheelchair-bound neighbor, Cal, is the perfect spark to thrust her back to life.

Read Women and Hollywood's interview with Jen McGowan about Kelly & Cal.

Someone You Love

d: Pernille Fischer Christensen c: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Sofus Rønnov, Denmark 2014, 100 min

Thomas Jacob, a famous singer-songwriter, returns to Denmark after having lived abroad for years. After a confrontation with his estranged daughter, he is forced to look after his young grandson, and come to terms with his troubled past. Audience Award, LA Film Festival.

Sunday, September 21

Panel: Going Above and Beyond to Make Groundbreaking Film
Presented by Women in Film Seattle

Join us for a panel discussion on how female filmmakers are breaking the conventional methodology to make their movies and how they add excellence and a different perspective to a male-dominated landscape. The film industry should evolve like every other industry, and the contributions these groundbreaking storytellers are making is inspirational.

Shorts: Femme Future

These creative young women and their films were the toast of the 2014 National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY). Back by popular demand are hilarious comedies, creative music videos, involving dramas, and eye-opening documentaries told by exceptional storytellers who herald a bright future for women who will take the industry by storm.

Stray Dog

d: Debra Granik f: Ron 'Stray Dog' Hall, Alicia Soriano Hall, Felipe Angel Padilla Soriano, Felipe de Jesús Padilla Soriano, USA 2014, 105 min

From the team behind SIFF favorite Winter's Bone comes this stunning portrait of Ron 'Stray Dog' Hall: A soulful warrior in the US heartland, balancing his struggles to stay afloat with his commitments to his fellow combat veterans, family, and neighbors. Best Documentary, LA Film Festival 2014.

Read Women and Hollywood's interview with Debra Granik about Stray Dog.

Lock Charmer

d: Natalia Smirnoff c: Esteban Lamothe, Erica Rivas, Yosiria Huaripata, Argentina 2014, 77 min

Upon learning that his girlfriend is pregnant, 33-year-old locksmith Sebastian begins to have strange visions about his clients. With the help of an unlikely assistant, he sets out to use his newfound talent for his own good.

I Am Yours

d: Iram Haq c: Amrita Acharia, Ola Rapace, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Tobias Santelmann, Norway 2013, 96 min

A twentysomething single mother in Norway's expatriate Pakistani community struggles with her dysfunctional relationships with her perpetually disapproving mother, her increasingly neglected child, and her not-committed-to-her boyfriend in this startlingly assured feature debut by Norwegian actor, singer and filmmaker Iram Haq. Norway's Oscar Submission.

Read Women and Hollywood's interview with Iram Haq about I Am Yours.

'B For Boy,' 'Bound,' 'Dear White People' Take Awards at Seattle International Film Festival

Jai Tiggett — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 00:58:00 GMT

Celebrating its 40th year, the Seattle International Film Festival wrapped up this past weekend with a ceremony announcing the winners of its 2014 Golden Space Needle and Competition Awards. The winners were chosen from among 452 films representing 83 countries, including 44 world premieres.

Kenyan-born filmmaker and actress Peres Owino received the Lena Sharpe Award For Persistence of Vision for her feature documentary "Bound: Africans vs. African Americans," a project we originally profiled on this site nearly three years ago, then titled "Africans vs. African Americans: Healing The Sibling Rivalry." Since then, actor-producer Isaiah Washington joined the project as producer, along with Owino and co-producer Tene Carter. The film had its world premiere at SIFF.

Framed around a panel discussion in which Africans and African Americans hash out their issues, "Bound" traces the historical tensions between the two groups, from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade to persisting stereotypes of today.

Two other films S&A readers will be familiar with, Chika Anadu's realist drama "B For Boy" and Justin Simien's racial satire "Dear White People," received a Special Jury Mention for Best New Director and the Youth Jury Award For Best Futurewave Feature, respectively.

On Saturday, all three films were represented on a panel entitled Filmmaking Across the African Diaspora, moderated by yours truly and organized by the SIFF Education Program.

With three very different films representing regions across the Diaspora, the panel resulted in a conversation on identity and representation in the movies, as well as the challenges involved in making each of the films.

Regarding the burden of representation that some black filmmakers feel from their community, Simien offered, "I think my movie is really about that kind of pressure, because there are very specific social cues for what it means to be black and I often find myself in situations where someone has a presumption about me - maybe it’s benign, maybe it's or funny or disgusting - just because I'm a black guy. In a lot of ways, the movie's a commentary on what that pressure feels like."

Anadu offered, "I think it's perhaps an African American thing to be conscious of that. But where I come from, we're all black. So with ["B For Boy"] it's more important for me to talk about my culture, not trying to show us as 'nice' or 'good,' but just trying to tell the truth about my ethnic group in Nigeria."

Overall the group seemed to agree that social responsibility and a willingness to confront issues on film – whether surrounding identity, ethnicity, gender or respectability – was key.

"I think what I felt was a sense of responsibility to the past," said Owino. "I felt that a lot, to be responsible to those who came before us in Africa, and I felt responsible to those who were on the project with me."

The Seattle International Film Festival concluded Sunday. Find the full list of award winners below.

SIFF 2014 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARDS

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)

SIFF 2014 COMPETITION AWARDS

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)

SIFF 2014 BEST DOCUMENTARY

GRAND JURY PRIZE

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

SPECIAL JURY MENTIONS

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

SIFF 2014 BEST NEW AMERICAN CINEMA

GRAND JURY PRIZE

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

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)

YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FILMS4FAMILIES FEATURE

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Belle & Sebastien, directed by Nicolas Vanier (France)

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

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

FUTUREWAVE WAVEMAKER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN YOUTH FILMMAKING

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Malone Lumarda, Black Rock Creek (USA)

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)

Review: Marijuana Legalization is No Easy Task. 'Evergreen' Explains Why.

Eric Kohn — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 15:00:44 GMT

In November 2012, the passage of I-502 -- the ballot initiative that legalized recreational marijuana usage in Washington state -- attracted national attention. "Evergreen: The Road to Legalization," a documentary directed by Riley Morton that follows the successful campaign in detail, provides a competent overview of the debates involved in pushing the initiative to the finish line. Despite a fairly straightforward tone, the movie received what will likely go down as its greatest reception during the world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival last year: Massive applause and cheers greeted virtually every emphatic statement in favor of the measure. A curious herbal scent was detectable in the aisles. For the moment, "Evergreen" was a victory lap.

But the reality is that the documentary provides something of a prologue to the next chapters in marijuana legislation. "Will Obama tear down this wall?" asks one advocate in the concluding moments, setting the stage for the discussion of federal legalization as well as the implementation of Washington's new laws. For that reason, "Evergreen" captures a crucial moment in the history of marijuana activism: the moment when plenty of people agree on the general idea of legalization but differ wildly on its specifics.

As a result, the significant dissenting voices in the movie come not from those opposed to the legalization of marijuana but rather the terms of regulation that the initiative set forth. A substantial number of activists argued that the measure, which legalized small quantities of marijuana, would encourage greater persecution of marijuana users -- including those using it for medicinal purposes. Sifting through the mixture of voices at various rallies, media appearances and interviews, "Evergreen" provides a case study of what has gradually turned into a national issue through the prism of local tensions.

Through its host of Seattle-based characters, the documentary provides a sober perspective on a debate only gradually adopted as a serious conversation by the mainstream media. Rather than viewing the cause exclusively through the stoned proclamations of the movement's base, most of the people featured in "Evergreen" are levelheaded advocates of fair policies. These include ACLU policy director Alison Holcomb, whose support of the initiative stems not from personal desire so much as the conviction that it would improve multiple facets of society virtually overnight. Travel writer and marijuana activist Rick Steves, whose mere presence on the screen led to waves of cheers at the premiere, makes a cogent argument against the persecution of marijuana users without sounding aggressively dogmatic. Even Hempfest director Vivian McPeak, perhaps the one person viewers might expect to step on a soapbox, simply addresses the historical progress of marijuana's place in American culture and the inevitability of the conversations at the center of the movie to fundamentally change the perception of the drug.

Even so, there's plenty of liveliness to this assemblage, including an energetic discourse of the racial implications of the war on drugs by Reverent Leslie Braxton, who appears on a panel with another advocate bearing a marijuana plant and points out that "if he was black, he'd be arrested."

"Evergreen" never offers much space for voters completely opposed to any sort of marijuana legalization, but that would be a difference movie for a different time. Morton tracks a new age of issues by collecting fragments of conversations in the countdown to election night and its fallout. And it even offers a sneak peek at the future: Concluding scenes hint at the emerging businesses soon to dominate the marketplace ("cannabis is bigger than corn," says one suit).

Perhaps because the outcome of the election is so well known, "Evergreen" noticeably lacks tension as it builds to its climax. The absence of suspense results in something like a one-sided pat on the back for everyone involved, though it effectively puts forth a whole new set of challenges. What movies will be made about this issue in the next few years -- and will they give weed-friendly viewers more reasons to cheer? The future is yet to be filmed.

Grade: B

A version of this review was published during the 2013 Seattle International Film Festival. "Evergreen: The Road to Legalization in Washington State" opens in New York this Friday ahead of several other cities.

Linklater's 'Boyhood' Sweeps Seattle International Film Festival Audience Awards

Anne Thompson — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 11:39:00 GMT

Every spring for 40 years now Seattle plays host to a sprawling marathon festival. This year's 25-day iteration (May 15 to June 8) boasted 452 films from 83 countries, the usual eclectic mix of world premieres (20 features), festival favorites from other festivals (John Ridley's opening gala film "Jimi: All Is By My Side" and closer "The One I Love," starring Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass), original music performances (jazzman Justin Kauflin), tributes (Laura Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Quincy Jones), local filmmakers (Lynn Shelton, John Jeffcoat) and panels (I participated in lively discussions of film criticism and indie distribution). Marking a festival record, SIFF imported more than 350 filmmakers, actors, and industry folks to the city.

Nearly 90,000 audience ballots were submitted for the Golden Space Needle audience awards in five categories, which were swept handily by Richard Linklater's epic "Boyhood." It won Best Film, Director, and Actress (Patricia Arquette)--on the long road to more awards to come.

Young Australian filmmaker Alan Hicks' moving documentary "Keep On Keepin' On," about the last years of acclaimed jazz trumpeter Clark Terry, won Best Documentary; it was accompanied by a concert from his young protege, blind pianist Justin Kauflin, who has also been mentored by tributee Quincy Jones, who supported the documentary.

Actor Dawid Ogrodnik from Polish crowdpleaser "Life Feels Good" and Short Film "Fool's Day" also took home audience awards.

Among the competition jury prizes, Spanish filmmaker Carlos Marques-Marcet's feature "10,000KM," Colombian documentary "Marmato," and feature "Red Knot" earned the top awards.

Full list of awards below:

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.
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).
SIFF 2014 BEST DOCUMENTARY (jury: Brian Brooks of FilmLinc.com, Claudia Puig of USA Today, and Pat Saperstein of Variety)
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)
SIFF 2014 BEST NEW AMERICAN CINEMA (jury: three members of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI), Juan Manuel Dominguez, Gerald Peary, and Amber Wilkinson.)
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.
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)

Seattle International Film Festival Awards Include 'Boyhood,' 'Dear White People,' 'Keep On Keepin' On' and More

Taylor Lindsay — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:14:26 GMT

At the close of the 40th Seattle Film Festival on Sunday, June 8th, the winners of the Golden Space Needle and Competition Awards were announced. This year's 25-day festival presented 452 films from 83 countries. The festival's Artistic Director Carl Spence said, "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."

The Golden Space Needle Awards were determined by festival audiences, who cast nearly 90,000 ballots. Results included Richard Linklater's "Boyhood," Alan Hicks' documentary "Keep On Keepin' On," and Peres Owino's "Bound: Africans Versus African Americans." Check out the full list of Golden Space Needle and Competition Awards below.

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.
SIFF 2014 COMPETITION AWARDS
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)

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)

SIFF 2014 SHORT FILM JURY 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).