Seeds is planting itself firmly within the hearts of critics across the nation.
Brittany Shyne’s documentary about Black farmers within the South received the Grand Jury Prize in Competitors on the 2025 Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant, the newest honor for a movie that has received awards at Sundance, RiverRun in North Carolina, and the San Francisco Worldwide Movie Pageant.
The jury, comprised of David Ansen, Megan Griffiths and Garineh Nazarian, saluted the movie for “its lyric and compassionate evocation of an underrepresented neighborhood, filmed with nice intimacy over 8 years.”
Eight fiction and nonfiction movies contended for the Grand Jury Prize. The jury awarded a Particular Point out to The New 12 months That By no means Got here, directed by Bogdan Mureșanu, calling the interval drama set in Romania as dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was about to fall “a kaleidoscopic imaginative and prescient of life beneath authoritarianism that resonates with particular urgency in these troubling instances.”
SIFF, working Could 15-25, closed its 51st version Sunday with the presentation of Juried Competitors Awards and Golden Area Needle Viewers Awards at a ceremony held at Tagney Jones Corridor. See the total listing of winners under.
Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant
Elsewhere in juried classes, the Grand Jury Prize for New Administrators Competitors went to The Crowd, directed by Iranian filmmaker Sahand Kabiri (that victory for Kabiri got here the identical weekend as Iranian director Jafar Panahi received the Palme d’Or in Cannes for It Was Simply an Accident).
“The jury was captivated by this movie from the primary body of cellphone video exhibiting part of Iranian life that only a few have the privilege to witness,” wrote jurors Chris Lane, Jonathan Marlow, and Peter Van Steemburg. “We discovered the movie to be so refreshing and joyous… The story is so daring, the actors ship prime notch performances, and the director sutures you to the display. We additionally wish to acknowledge the technical achievements of this movie, from the images, to the sound design, all the way down to the lighting of a pop-rave in a Tehrani warehouse.”
A Particular Jury Point out within the New Administrators Competitors was awarded to DJ Ahmet, directed by Georgi M. Unkovski.
Deaf, directed by Eva Libertad, received SIFF’s 2025 Ibero-American Competitors. The jury, comprised of Florangela Davila, Luis Ortiz, and Claudia Puig, praised the movie “for its genuine and emotionally layered portrayal of deaf motherhood. With uncommon intimacy and emotional depth, the movie affords a robust new perspective on communication, identification, and belonging inside the deaf neighborhood.”
Sara Jane Moore in ‘Suburban Fury‘
Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant
In Documentary Competitors, Suburban Fury directed by Robinson Devor claimed the Grand Jury Prize. Devor’s movie examines would-be presidential murderer Sara Jane Moore, now 95, who tried to kill Gerald Ford in 1975.
“The Documentary Competitors Jury was collectively obsessed by this movie, which mixes luscious visuals, compelling and related archival materials, and a story observe and singular protagonist that continually escapes the viewer’s comprehension – in a great way,” wrote jurors Russel Brewer, Sarah Menzies, and Cara Ogburn. “This movie left us fascinated about large matters like fact, persuasion, and compulsion, positioning us alongside the filmmaker and main us to wish to discuss and take into consideration this movie for hours.”
A Particular Jury Point out within the doc competitors went to Billy, directed by Lawrence Côté-Collins.
The competition screened 245 movies from 74 nations and areas across the globe — together with 83 options, 122 brief movies, 35 documentaries, three archival options, and two secret movies. The lineup included 19 world premieres, 27 North American premieres, and 13 US premieres. “Practically 51% of filmmakers are feminine or nonbinary-identifying, 37% determine as a BIPOC director, and 20% determine as a part of the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood. 60% of the function movies are from first- or second-time filmmakers, and 73% of movies don’t presently have US distribution and will not display commercially in america,” the competition famous.
“Once we introduced our lineup for this yr’s Pageant slate, we wished to ensure our viewers knew that SIFF is doubling down on spotlighting impartial and worldwide voices, voices that should be heard proper now” SIFF Creative Director Beth Barrett stated in a press release. “This yr’s award winners completely mirror the intention behind this yr’s focal factors. It has been an unimaginable 11 days; and with a whole bunch of filmmakers and 1000’s of patrons filling our theaters, it’s clear the necessity for these voices, these movies, is larger than ever.”
‘Tinā‘
Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant
Along with juried awards, SIFF presents viewers prizes – generally known as Golden Area Needle Awards. The Golden Area Needle Award – Greatest Movie went to Tinā, directed by Miki Magasiva, a drama a couple of girl who loses her daughter within the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.
The Golden Area Needle Award – Greatest Documentary was earned by Come See Me within the Good Gentle, directed by Ryan White, the story of poets-lovers Megan Falley and Andrea Gibson.
‘The Librarians’
Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant
The Lena Sharpe Award For Persistence Of Imaginative and prescient went to The Librarians, Kim A. Snyder’s movie about unhinged assaults on librarians which have sprung up across the nation in a wave of conservative disinformation and hysteria. “This award is given to the feminine director’s movie that receives essentially the most votes in public balloting on the Pageant,” SIFF defined. “Lena Sharpe was co-founder and managing director of Seattle’s Pageant of Movies by Ladies Administrators and a KCTS-TV affiliate who died in a airplane crash whereas on task. SIFF created this Award as a tribute to her efforts in bringing the work of girls filmmakers to prominence.”
These are the 2025 SIFF prize winners:
GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD WINNERS
GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST FILM
Tinā, directed by Miki Magasiva (Aotearoa New Zealand)
First runner-up: Twinless, directed by James Sweeney (USA)
Second runner-up: Shade E-book, directed by David Fortune (USA)
Third runner-up: DJ Ahmet, directed by Georgi M. Unkovski (North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Serbia/Croatia)
Fourth runner-up: Souleymane’s Story, directed by Boris Lojkine (France)
GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DOCUMENTARY
Come See Me within the Good Gentle, directed by Ryan White (USA)
First runner-up: The Librarians, directed by Kim A. Snyder (USA)
Second runner-up: Remaining Native, directed by Paige Bethmann (USA)
Third runner-up: Paul Anka: His Means, directed by John Maggio (USA)
Fourth runner-up: Sally, directed by Cristina Costantini (USA)
GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DIRECTOR
James Sweeney, Twinless (USA)
First runner-up: Boris Lojkine, Souleymane’s Story (France)
Second runner-up: Annapurna Sriram, F*cktoys (USA)
Third runner-up: Ryan White, Come See Me within the Good Gentle (USA)
Fourth runner-up: Eva Victor, Sorry, Child (USA)
GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST PERFORMANCE
Abou Sangaré, Souleymane’s Story (France)
First runner-up: Carolina Yuste, Undercover (Spain)
Second runner-up: Kathleen Chalfant, Acquainted Contact (USA)
Third runner-up: Sam Riley, John Cranko (Germany)
Fourth runner-up: Lexi Venter, Don’t Let’s Go to the Canines Tonight (South Africa)
Very Particular Point out for Indy the canine in Good Boy (USA)
GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM
5 Star, directed by Kai Hasson (USA)
First runner-up: Retirement Plan, directed by John Kelly (Eire)
Second runner-up: Éiru, directed by Giovanna Ferrari (Eire)
Third runner-up: Expensive Aloha, directed by Cris Romento (USA)
Fourth runner-up: West Shore, directed by Jordan Riber, Jon Carroll (USA)
LENA SHARPE AWARD FOR PERSISTENCE OF VISION
The Librarians, directed by Kim A. Snyder (USA)
This award is given to the feminine director’s movie that receives essentially the most votes in public balloting on the Pageant. Lena Sharpe was co-founder and managing director of Seattle’s Pageant of Movies by Ladies Administrators and a KCTS-TV affiliate who died in a airplane crash whereas on task. SIFF created this Award as a tribute to her efforts in bringing the work of girls filmmakers to prominence.
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SIFF 2025 FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS
SIFF confers 5 juried competitors awards: SIFF Official Competitors, Ibero-American Competitors, New Administrators Competitors, New American Cinema Competitors, and Documentary Competitors. The winners in every juried competitors obtain $5,000 in money.
SIFF 2025 OFFICIAL COMPETITION WINNER
The SIFF Official Competitors Jury members had been David Ansen (Lead Programmer of the Palm Springs Worldwide Movie Pageant, former movie critic for Newsweek, former Creative Director of the Los Angeles Movie Pageant from 2010-2014), Megan Griffiths (movie and tv author/director, board member of Northwest Movie Discussion board), Garineh Nazarian (founder and managing director of Venera Movies).
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Seeds, directed by Brittany Shyne (USA)
JURY STATEMENT: For its lyric and compassionate evocation of an underrepresented neighborhood, filmed with nice intimacy over 8 years, we award the Grand Jury Prize to Seeds, by Brittany Shyne.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
The New 12 months That By no means Got here, directed by Bogdan Mureșanu(Romania/Serbia)
JURY STATEMENT: The New 12 months That By no means Got here, a kaleidoscopic imaginative and prescient of life beneath authoritarianism that resonates with particular urgency in these troubling instances.
2025 Entries:
House Candy House (d: Frelle Petersen, Denmark 2025)
The New 12 months That By no means Got here (d: Bogdan Mureşanu, Romania/Serbia 2024)
Raptures (d: Jon Blåhed, Sweden/Finland 2025)
Rebuilding (d: Max Walker-Silverman, USA 2025)
Remaining Native (d: Paige Bethmann (Haudenosaunee), USA 2025)
The Protected Home (d: Lionel Baier, Switzerland/Luxembourg/France 2025)
Seeds (d: Brittany Shyne, USA 2025)
Summer time’s Digicam (d: Divine Sung, South Korea 2025)
SIFF 2025 IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION
The SIFF Ibero-American Competitors Jury members had been Florangela Davila (former race and immigration reporter at The Seattle Occasions, former managing editor and Crosscut Now host at Cascade PBS, former KNKX information director), Luis Ortiz (Managing Director at PBS), Claudia Puig (Director of Programming for the Santa Barbara Worldwide Movie Pageant, Nationwide Public Radio’s “Movie Week” movie critic, lead critic at USA Immediately, host of The Screening Room.)
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Deaf, directed by Eva Libertad (Spain)
JURY STATEMENT: DEAF/SORDA is awarded the Grand Jury Prize for its genuine and emotionally layered portrayal of deaf motherhood. With uncommon intimacy and emotional depth, the movie affords a robust new perspective on communication, identification, and belonging inside the deaf neighborhood.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Transfers, directed by Nicolás Gil Lavedra (Argentina/Uruguay)
JURY STATEMENT: TRANSFERS/TRANSLADOS is awarded a Particular Jury Point out for its highly effective reflection on dictatorship and historic reminiscence—providing a haunting reminder of the risks of authoritarianism that feels urgently related in in the present day’s America.
2025 entries:
Beef (d: Ingride Santos, Spain/Mexico 2025)
Bitter Gold (d: Juan Olea, Chile/Mexico/Uruguay/Germany 2024)
Deaf (d: Eva Libertad, Spain 2025)
Hanami (d: Denise Fernandes, Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde 2024)
Manas (d: Marianna Brennand, Brazil/Portugal 2024)
The Nature of Invisible Issues (d: Rafaela Camelo, Brazil/Chile 2025)
Transfers (d: Nicolás Gil Lavedra, Argentina/Uruguay 2024)
Undercover (d: Arantxa Echevarría, Spain 2024)
SIFF 2025 NEW DIRECTORS COMPETITION
The SIFF New Administrators Competitors Jury members had been Chris Lane (President of Distribution and Viewers at Joint Enterprise), Jonathan Marlow (Government Director of Scarecrow Video Archive, curator, composer, cinematographer, filmmaker and producer), Peter Van Steemburg (Head of Expertise Administration at XYZ Movies) .
GRAND JURY PRIZE
The Crowd, directed by Sahand Kabiri (Iran)
JURY STATEMENT: We’re thrilled to award the SIFF New Director’s Grand Jury Prize to THE CROWD directed by Sahand Kabiri from Iran! The jury was captivated by this movie from the primary body of cellphone video exhibiting part of Iranian life that only a few have the privilege to witness. We discovered the movie to be so refreshing and joyous and wish to applaud the filmmakers for sharing this story with us. The story is so daring, the actors ship prime notch performances, and the director sutures you to the display. We additionally wish to acknowledge the technical achievements of this movie, from the images, to the sound design, all the way down to the lighting of a pop-rave in a Tehrani warehouse. We applaud the filmmaking group of THE CROWD and thank them for sharing their story with us.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
DJ Ahmet, directed by Georgi M. Unkovski (North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Serbia/Croatia)
JURY STATEMENT: We additionally want to present particular recognition to DJ AHMET directed by Georgi M. Unkovski from North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Serbia, and Croatia. We equally discovered DJ AHMET to be so joyous, refreshing, and shocking. This coming of age story captivated us all the way in which down the pink sheep. We thank the DJ AHMET filmmaking group for proving such a singular window into part of the world only a few get to see.
2025 entries:
Beginnings (d: Jeanette Nordahl, Denmark/Sweden/Belgium 2025)
The Crowd (d: Sahand Kabiri, Iran 2025)
DJ Ahmet (d: Georgi M. Unkovski, North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Serbia/Croatia 2025)
Mongrels (d: Jerome Yoo, Canada 2024)
Prepared or Not (d: Claire Frances Byrne, Eire 2025)
To Kill a Mongolian Horse (d: Xiaoxuan Jiang, Malaysia/Hong Kong/South Korea/Japan/Saudi Arabia/Thailand/USA 2024)
The Village Subsequent to Paradise (d: Mo Harawe, Somalia/Austria/France/Germany 2024)
SIFF 2025 NEW AMERICAN CINEMA COMPETITION
The SIFF New American Cinema Jury members had been Alison Foreman (Options Author at IndieWire), Invoice Guentzler (former Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Operations for Gravitas Ventures), Zia Mohajerjasbi (filmmaker, author, director).
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Invention, directed by Courtney Stephens (USA)
JURY STATEMENT: For too many, American life is an infinite supply of grief. “Invention” navigates the so-called “free market” by the use of the dying industrial complicated to ship a subtly ferocious reflection on that reality. Delicate, unusual, hopeful, and harrowing, director Courtney Stephens and star Callie Hernandez break the mildew on this diaphanous meta dramedy — intuitively capturing the sensation of in the present day with timeless imaginative and prescient.
2025 Entries:
BLKNWS: Phrases & Situations (d: Kahlil Joseph, USA 2025)
Shade E-book (d: David Fortune, USA 2024)
F*cktoys (d: Annapurna Sriram, USA 2025)
Invention (d: Courtney Stephens, USA 2024)
She’s The He (d: Siobhan McCarthy, USA 2025)
Slanted (d: Amy Wang, USA 2025)
SIFF 2025 DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The SIFF Documentary Jury members had been Russel Brewer (Operations Director for Denver Movie’s Sie FilmCenter and the Denver Movie Pageant), Sarah Menzies (Director of Unique Productions at Cascade PBS), Cara Ogburn (Creative Director at Milwaukee Movie, earlier president of the Board of Administrators of the nationwide Movie Pageant Alliance).
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Suburban Fury, directed by Robinson Devor (USA)
JURY STATEMENT: The Documentary Competitors Jury was collectively obsessed by this movie, which mixes luscious visuals, compelling and related archival materials, and a story observe and singular protagonist that continually escapes the viewer’s comprehension – in a great way. This movie left us fascinated about large matters like fact, persuasion, and compulsion, positioning us alongside the filmmaker and main us to wish to discuss and take into consideration this movie for hours. The Documentary Jury Grand Prize winner is… SUBURBAN FURY, directed by Robinson Devor.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Billy, directed by Lawrence Côté-Collins (Canada (Québec)/Finland)
JURY STATEMENT: For a deeply private movie which blends kinds, serves as a automobile for introspection, and places the viewer within the place of understanding and experiencing psychological well being episodes on a visceral and empathetic stage.
2025 Entries:
Between Goodbyes (d: Jota Mun, USA 2024)
Billy (d: Lawrence Côté-Collins, Canada (Québec)/Finland 2024)
Drowned Land (d: Colleen Thurston (Choctaw Nation), USA 2025)
Liberating Juanita (d: Sebastián Lasaosa Rogers, Guatemala/Mexico/USA 2024)
The Librarians (d: Kim A. Snyder, USA 2025)
Suburban Fury (d: Robinson Devor, USA 2024)
Unclickable (d: Babis Makridis, Greece/Cyprus/USA 2024)
Viktor (d: Olivier Sarbil, Ukraine/USA 2024)
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2025 SEATTLE FILM CRITICS SOCIETY FEATURE FILM AWARD
Sorry, Child, directed by Eva Victor (USA)
The Seattle Movie Critics Society polled all accredited media for his or her favourite new launch function movies that performed the 51st Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant. 80 totally different movies appeared on member ballots as favorites, however there was widespread consensus on the prime of the listing. We’re thrilled to current the 2025 SIFF Seattle Critics Award to Eva Victor’s Sorry, Child.
About SFCS: With a membership of space critics, the Seattle Movie Critics Society is devoted to supporting native productions and festivals, enhancing public schooling, consciousness, and appreciation of cinema, and strengthening the bonds of essential dialogue because it pertains to the cinematic arts. SFCS seeks to spotlight one of the best movies produced every year–each by the most important studios and impartial filmmakers–and share our love of cinema with Seattle-area residents.
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WAVEMAKER AWARD: BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE (Youth Jury Prize)
Summer time’s Digicam, directed by Divine Sung (South Korea 2025)
As college students of Edmonds Woodway Excessive Faculty we’re extremely honored to be part of the
FutureWave movie choice course of. That is an incredible alternative and has helped our college
garner a bigger curiosity in every part associated to movie. This yr’s winner used silence in a robust approach to make their pacing dynamic.The varied shot kinds made this movie partaking to observe and added onto the highly effective imagery. We loved how the characters developed in a pure and satisfying manner, particularly via their relationships. Their discovery of themselves unfolded fantastically on display. This verdict was extraordinarily onerous for us to make, however after numerous hours of watching and deliberating, the profitable movie for the 2025 Golden Area Needle WaveMaker is… Summer time’s Digicam! Congratulations to all of the movies.
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SIFF 2025 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS
Each brief movie within the Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant is eligible for each the Golden Area Needle Viewers Award and the Grand Jury Prize. Our Shorts Competitors jurors will select winners within the Dwell Motion, Animation, and Documentary classes. Every Grand Jury Prize winner will obtain $2,500; winners might also qualify to enter their respective movies within the Brief Movie class of the Academy Awards® for the concurrent season with out a theatrical run.
The SIFF Brief Movie Juries had been:
Dwell Motion: Carlos A.F. Lopez (filmmaker), Chelsea Lupkin (Senior Programmer at In need of the Week), Gabe Van Amburgh (Senior Movie Programmer and Supervisor for the SXSW Movie & TV Pageant)
Documentary / Animation: Michael Huang (founder and managing director of Milli, founding Seattle Movie Commissioner), Missy Laney (Director of Improvement at Grownup Swim), Anderson Le (Creative Director for the Hawai’i Worldwide Movie Pageant, programming advisor for the far East Movie Pageant, former Head of Programming for the inaugural Ho Chi Minh Metropolis Worldwide Movie Pageant)
LIVE ACTION SHORT
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Medusa, directed by Sarah Meyohas (USA)
JURY STATEMENT: An erotic exploration of scent and sexuality, a Swedish perfumer stung by a jellyfish off the South of France has a titillating encounter with a wierd man who may simply desire the identical aroma as she does. If we may bottle this movie up for ourselves, we’d. Congratulations Sarah Meyohas on her Grand Jury prize win for Medusa.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Majonezë, directed by Giulia Grandinetti (Italy)
JURY STATEMENT: A younger girl defies all the lads in her life in a rebellious act of revolution towards the patriarchy with a bit of further mayo on the aspect. Congratulations to our Particular Point out Giulia Grandinetti on her movie Majonezë for its unimaginable path and poignant perspective.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Rat Rod, directed by Jared Jakins, Carly Jakins (USA)
JURY STATEMENT: A visually arresting movie a couple of haunted mechanic, who muses on his experiences as an immigrant in rural America. As he displays on identification, life, dying, and the origins of resurrecting previous automobiles, discovering that means within the machines he brings again to life–we see his uncooked ardour and rebel via the roaring soul of steel and equipment. On behalf of the jury, congratulations to the filmmaking group behind Rat Rod.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Fashion: A Seattle Basketball Story, directed by Bryan Tucker (USA)
JURY STATEMENT: This movie rigorously captures the legacy and affect of Seattle’s vibrant and storied basketball neighborhood and tradition via the lens of each towering legends and the technology of subsequent. No fouls dedicated on this slam dunk. Congratulations to the group behind STYLE: A BASKETBALL STORY on a SPECIAL JURY MENTION.
ANIMATION SHORT
GRAND JURY PRIZE
The Consuming of an Orange, directed by Could Kindred-Boothby (United Kingdom)
JURY STATEMENT: The Consuming of an Orange captivates with its minimalist and surrealist class, remodeling a easy act right into a profound journey full of Lynchian dream logic and sensuous fluidity. On behalf of the jury, congratulations to the filmmaking group behind The Consuming of an Orange.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
View From the Flooring, directed by Megan Griffiths & Mindie Lind (USA)
JURY STATEMENT: This movie courageously illuminates the uncooked fact of navigating an able-centric world, the place on a regular basis realities are too usually ignored. By means of its unflinching honesty and highly effective storytelling, this movie calls for visibility, empathy, and true inclusion. On behalf of the esteemed jury, congratulations to the filmmaking group behind VIEW FROM THE FLOOR for a SPECIAL JURY MENTION.
