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| Cumming and 'Any Day Now' win Top Honors |
SEATTLE - The 38th Seattle International Film Festival, the largest and most highly-attended event of its kind in the United States concluded today with the announcement of the SIFF 2012 Competition Awards and Golden Space Needle Audience Awards. The 25-day Festival, which began May 17, featured over 460 films from more than 70 countries, including 65 feature premieres (24 World, 25 North American, 16 U.S.) and over 700 screenings. Additionally, SIFF brought in more than 300 directors, actors and industry professionals.
"A festival's success is dependent on two basic principles: providing a platform for filmmakers to be celebrated and connecting them to audience members that would not otherwise be aware of their remarkable stories," said SIFF Artistic Director Carl Spence. "This year a record number of filmmakers participated in person and online with virtual Q&A's successfully expanding the conversation around the best in cinema with passionate audiences, illuminating guests and distinguished industry in attendance."
SIFF Managing Director Deborah Person said, "It's so exciting for us to finally be settled into our permanent home at the SIFF Film Center and premiering films at the SIFF Cinema Uptown. These venues brought a new energy to the Festival that is sure to continue with an exciting program of year-round cinema at both locations."
Festival highlights included appearances by Academy Award®-winning actress Sissy Spacek and director William Friedkin during SIFF's annual Tribute Awards. Both received recognition for their outstanding career accomplishments, which were celebrated with intimate Q&A screenings of their most critically acclaimed works, including Spacek's BADLANDS and Friedkin's horror classic THE EXORCIST. The Festival also screened the West Coast premiere of his latest film, KILLER JOE, starring Emile Hirsch, who also attended.
Additional celebrities at SIFF this year included Chris Pine for the U.S. Premiere of his latest film, PEOPLE LIKE US, Dennis Haysbert (THE DETAILS), Eric Mabius (PRICE CHECK), Elliot Gould (IRA FINKELSTEIN'S CHRISTMAS), Melanie Lynskey (HELLO I MUST BE GOING), and Jason Biggs for the World Premiere of his Seattle-based film, GRASSROOTS, directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, which closed out the festival.
SIFF 2012 Competition Awards
SIFF 2012 Best New Director
Grand Jury Prize
Nicolas Provost, THE INVADER (Belgium, 2011)
SIFF 2012 Best Documentary
Grand Jury Prize
FIVE STAR EXISTENCE, directed by Sonja Lindén (Finland, 2011)
SIFF 2012 FIPRESCI Prize for Best New American Film
SIFF is one of three festivals in the United States to host a FIPRESCI jury, the international federation of film critics, which selected the award for Best New American Film from the New American Cinema program.
WELCOME TO PINE HILL, directed by Keith Miller (USA, 2012)
SIFF 2012 Golden Space Needle Audience Awards
Best Film Golden Space Needle Award
ANY DAY NOW, directed by Travis Fine (USA, 2012)
First runner-up: EDEN, directed by Megan Griffiths (USA, 2012)
Second runner-up: STARBUCK, directed by Ken Scott (Canada (Québec), 2011)
Third runner-up: SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED, directed by Colin Trevorrow (USA, 2012)
Fourth runner-up: THE CHEF, directed by Daniel Cohen (France, 2012)
Rounding out the top ten: THE INTOUCHABLES (directed by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, France, 2011); FAT KID RULES THE WORLD (directed by Matthew Lillard, USA, 2012); MOONRISE KINGDOM (directed by Wes Anderson, USA, 2012); IRA FINKELSTEIN'S CHRISTMAS (directed by Sue Corcoran, USA, 2012); RECALLED (directed by Michael Connors, USA 2012)
Best Documentary Golden Space Needle Award
THE INVISIBLE WAR, directed by Kirby Dick (USA, 2012)
First runner-up: THE OTHER DREAM TEAM, directed by Marius Markevicius (Lithuania, 2012)
Second runner-up: CHASING ICE, directed by Jeff Orlowski (USA, 2012)
Third runner-up: ETHEL, directed by Rory Kennedy (USA, 2012)
Fourth runner-up: THE LONG RIDE HOME, directed by Thomas Wright (USA, 2012)
Best Director Golden Space Needle Award
Benh Zeitlin, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (USA, 2012)
First runner-up: Wes Anderson, MOONRISE KINGDOM (USA, 2012)
Second runner-up: Megan Griffiths, EDEN (USA, 2012)
Third runner-up: Rasit Çelikezer, ÇAN (Turkey, 2011)
Fourth runner-up: Mohammad Rasoulof, GOODBYE (Iran, 2011)
Rounding out the top ten: Colin Trevorrow, SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED (USA, 2012); Travis Fine, ANY DAY NOW (USA, 2012); Nacho Vigalondo, EXTRATERRESTRIAL (Spain, 2011); Lisa Ohlin, SIMON AND THE OAKS (Sweden, 2011); Michael Conners, RECALLED (USA, 2012)
Best Actor Golden Space Needle Award
Alan Cumming, ANY DAY NOW (USA, 2012)
First runner-up: Matt O'Leary, EDEN (USA, 2012)
Second runner-up: Omar Sy, THE INTOUCHABLES (France, 2011)
Third runner-up: Berkan Demirbag, ÇAN (Turkey, 2011)
Fourth runner-up: Mark Duplass, SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED (USA, 2012)
Best Actress Golden Space Needle Award
Jamie Chung, EDEN (USA, 2012)
First runner-up: Olympia Dukakis, CLOUDBURST (Canada, 2011)
Second runner-up: Quvenzhané Wallis, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (USA, 2012)
Third runner-up: Gaite Jansen, 170HZ (Netherlands, 2011)
Fourth runner-up: Selen Uçer, CAN (Turkey, 2011)
Reel NW Award
EDEN, directed by Megan Griffiths (USA, 2012)
Academy Award®-winning actress Sissy Spacek received the Festival's 2012 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting, and participated in a live Q&A moderated by TIME Magazine film critic Richard Corliss at SIFF Cinema Uptown. As part of the Tribute event, SIFF screened early Spacek films including BADLANDS, COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER and CARRIE.
Academy Award®-winning director William Friedkin was presented with the Festival's 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award. As a part of the Tribute event, moderated David Poland from MOVIE CITY NEWS, SIFF screened two of Mr. Friedkin's most critically acclaimed films, THE FRENCH CONNECTION and THE EXORCIST as well as the Seattle premiere of his new film, KILLER JOE, featuring Emile Hirsch and Matthew McConaughey.
MK will have more coverage and his highlights in the coming days.
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