SIFF capped off its 50th anniversary celebration by announcing the winners of its Golden Space Needle Audience Awards and juried competition categories. The awards ceremony and brunch were held on May 19th at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Seattle.

This year’s festival saw over 32,000 audience members cast their votes for the Golden Space Needle Awards, while a jury of industry professionals selected the winners of the juried competitions. These competitions, encompassing five feature film categories and three for short films, represent the best in international and independent cinema. The winners will receive cash prizes to support their work.

And the winners are…

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD WINNERS

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST FILM
Sing Sing, directed by Greg Kwedar (USA)
First runner-up: Ghostlight, directed by Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson (USA)
Second runner-up: Bob Trevino Likes It, directed by Tracie Laymon (USA)
Third runner-up: Green Border, directed by Agnieszka Holland (Poland/USA/France/Czech Republic/Belgium/Germany/Turkey)
Fourth runner-up: Red, White & Brass, directed by Damon Fepulea’i (Samoan) (New Zealand)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DOCUMENTARY
Porcelain War, directed by Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev (Ukraine/USA/Australia)
First runner-up: Black Box Diaries, directed by Shiori Ito (Japan/USA/United Kingdom)
Second runner-up: Sono Lino, directed by Jacob Patrick (USA)
Third runner-up: Luther: Never Too Much, directed by Dawn Porter (USA)
Fourth runner-up: The Ride Ahead, directed by Dan Habib, Samuel Habib (USA)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DIRECTOR
Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson, Ghostlight (USA)
First runner-up: Sean Wang, Dìdi (弟弟)(USA)
Second runner-up: Pascal Plante, Red Rooms (Canada (Québec))
Third runner-up: Shiori Ito, Black Box Diaries (Japan/USA/United Kingdom)
Fourth runner-up: Shuchi Galati, Girls Will Be Girls (India/France/USA/Norway)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST PERFORMANCE
Keith Kupferer, Ghostlight (USA)
First runner-up: Barbie Ferreira, Bob Trevino Likes It (USA)
Second runner-up: Brigitte Hobmeier, Woodland (Austria)
Third runner-up: Holden-Mandrial Santos, Moloka’i Bound (USA)
Fourth runner-up: Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Ghostlight (USA)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM
Jellyfish and Lobster, directed by Yasmin Afifi (United Kingdom)
First runner-up: The Queen vs Texas, directed by Emil Lozada, Raemonn James (USA)
Second runner-up: Vakaraitaka, directed by Fenton Lutunatabua (Fijian) (Fiji)
Third runner-up: The Ugandan Quidditch Movement, directed by Ben Garfield (USA)
Fourth runner-up: Magic Candies, directed by Daisuke Nishio (Japan)

LENA SHARPE AWARD FOR PERSISTENCE OF VISION
Black Box Diaries, directed by Shiori Ito (Japan/USA/United Kingdom)

SIFF 2024 FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS

GRAND JURY PRIZE
Gloria! | dir. Margherita Vicario (Italy)

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE for OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
Sugarcane | dir. Julian Brave NoiseCat (Secwepemc Nation), Emily Kassie (USA)

SIFF 2024 IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION

GRAND JURY PRIZE
Through Rocks and Clouds | dir. Franco Garcia Becerra (Peru)

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
The Major Tones | dir. Ingrid Pokropek (Argentina)

SIFF 2024 NEW DIRECTORS COMPETITION

GRAND JURY PRIZE
City of Wind | dir. Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (Mongolia)

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Young Hearts | dir. Anthony Schatteman (Belgium)

SIFF 2024 NEW AMERICAN CINEMA COMPETITION

GRAND JURY PRIZE
We Strangers | dir. Anu Valia (USA)

SIFF 2024 DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

GRAND JURY PRIZE
A New Kind of Wilderness | dir. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen (Norway)

SPECIAL JURY MENTION
The Ride Ahead | dir. Dan Habib, Samuel Habib (USA)

WAVEMAKER AWARD: BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE (Youth Jury Prize)

Empire Waist | dir. Claire Ayoub

SIFF 2024 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS

NARRATIVE SHORT
GRAND JURY PRIZE
The Shell Covered Ox | dir. Daniel Barosa

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Essex Girls | dir. Yero Timi-Biu

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
GRAND JURY PRIZE
The Waiting | dir. Voker Schlecht

ANIMATED SHORT
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Madeleine | dir. Raquel Sancinetti