Seattle Int’l Film Festival Presents Awards To ‘Seeds,’ ‘The Crowd’

Seeds is planting itself firmly within the hearts of critics across the nation.

Brittany Shyne’s documentary about Black farmers within the South gained the Grand Jury Prize in Competition on the 2025 Seattle International Film Festival, the most recent honor for a movie that has gained awards at Sundance, RiverRun in North Carolina, and the San Francisco International Film Festival.

The jury, comprised of David Ansen, Megan Griffiths, and Garineh Nazarian, saluted the movie for “its lyric and compassionate evocation of an underrepresented community, filmed with great intimacy over 8 years.”

Eight fiction and nonfiction movies contended for the Grand Jury Prize. The jury awarded a Special Mention to The New Year That Never Came, directed by Bogdan Mureșanu, calling the interval drama set in Romania as dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was about to fall “a kaleidoscopic vision of life under authoritarianism that resonates with special urgency in these troubling times.”

SIFF, operating May 15-25, closed its 51^st version Sunday with the presentation of Juried Competition Awards and Golden Space Needle Audience Awards at a ceremony held at Tagney Jones Hall. [Scroll for the full list of winners]

Elsewhere in juried classes, the Grand Jury Prize for New Directors Competition went to The Crowd, directed by Iranian filmmaker Sahand Kabiri (that victory for Kabiri got here the identical weekend as Iranian director Jafar Panahi gained the Palme d’or in Cannes for It Was Just an Accident).

“The jury was captivated by this film from the first frame of cellphone video showing a part of Iranian life that very few have the privilege to witness,” wrote jurors Chris Lane, Jonathan Marlow, and Peter Van Steemburg. “We found the film to be so refreshing and joyous… The story is so bold, the actors deliver top notch performances, and the director sutures you to the screen. We also want to recognize the technical achievements of this film, from the photography, to the sound design, down to the lighting of a pop-rave in a Tehrani warehouse.”

A Special Jury Mention within the New Directors Competition was awarded to DJ Ahmet, directed by Georgi M. Unkovski.

Deaf, directed by Eva Libertad, gained SIFF’s 2025 Ibero-American Competition. The jury, comprised of Florangela Davila, Luis Ortiz, and Claudia Puig, praised the movie “for its authentic and emotionally layered portrayal of deaf motherhood. With rare intimacy and emotional depth, the film offers a powerful new perspective on communication, identity, and belonging within the deaf community.”

In Documentary Competition, 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 Competition Jury was collectively obsessed by this film, which combines luscious visuals, compelling and relevant archival material, and a narrative track and singular protagonist that constantly escapes the viewer’s comprehension – in a good way,” wrote jurors Russel Brewer, Sarah Menzies, and Cara Ogburn. “This film left us thinking about big topics like truth, persuasion, and compulsion, positioning us alongside the filmmaker and leading us to want to talk and think about this film for hours.”

A Special Jury Mention within the doc competitors went to Billy, directed by Lawrence Côté-Collins.

The pageant 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. “Nearly 51% of filmmakers are female or nonbinary-identifying, 37% identify as a BIPOC director, and 20% identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. 60% of the feature films are from first- or second-time filmmakers, and 73% of films don’t currently have US distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States,” the pageant famous.

“When we announced our lineup for this year’s Festival slate, we wanted to make sure our audience knew that SIFF is doubling down on spotlighting independent and international voices, voices that need to be heard right now” SIFF Artistic Director Beth Barrett mentioned in a press release. “This year’s award winners absolutely reflect the intention behind this year’s focal points. It has been an incredible 11 days; and with hundreds of filmmakers and thousands of patrons filling our theaters, it’s clear the need for these voices, these films, is greater than ever.”

In addition to juried awards, SIFF presents viewers prizes – referred to as Golden Space Needle Awards. The Golden Space Needle Award – Best Film went to Tinā, directed by Miki Magasiva, a drama a few lady who loses her daughter within the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.

The Golden Space Needle Award – Best Documentary was earned by Come See Me within the Good Light, directed by Ryan White, the story of poets-lovers Megan Falley and Andrea Gibson.

The Lena Sharpe Award For Persistence Of Vision 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 female director’s film that receives the most votes in public balloting at the Festival,” SIFF defined. “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. SIFF created this Award as a tribute to her efforts in bringing the work of women 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: Color 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 Light, 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 Way, 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 Light (USA)

Fourth runner-up: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby (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, Familiar Touch (USA)

Third runner-up: Sam Riley, John Cranko (Germany)

Fourth runner-up: Lexi Venter, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (South Africa)

Very Special Mention for Indy the canine in Good Boy (USA)

GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM

Five Star, directed by Kai Hasson (USA)

First runner-up: Retirement Plan, directed by John Kelly (Ireland)

Second runner-up: Éiru, directed by Giovanna Ferrari (Ireland)

Third runner-up: Dear 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 Festival. Lena Sharpe was co-founder and managing director of Seattle’s Festival of Films by Women Directors and a KCTS-TV affiliate who died in a aircraft crash whereas on task. SIFF created this Award as a tribute to her efforts in bringing the work of ladies filmmakers to prominence.

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SIFF 2025 FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS

SIFF confers 5 juried competitors awards: SIFF Official Competition, Ibero-American Competition, New Directors Competition, New American Cinema Competition, and Documentary Competition. The winners in every juried competitors obtain $5,000 in money.

SIFF 2025 OFFICIAL COMPETITION WINNER

The SIFF Official Competition Jury members had been David Ansen (Lead Programmer of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, former movie critic for Newsweek, former Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Film Festival from 2010-2014), Megan Griffiths (movie and tv author/director, board member of Northwest Film Forum), Garineh Nazarian (founder and managing director of Venera Films).

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Seeds, directed by Brittany Shyne (USA)

JURY STATEMENT: For its lyric and compassionate evocation of an underrepresented group, filmed with nice intimacy over 8 years, we award the Grand Jury Prize to Seeds, by Brittany Shyne.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION

The New Year That Never Came, directed by Bogdan Mureșanu(Romania/Serbia)

JURY STATEMENT: The New Year That Never Came, a kaleidoscopic imaginative and prescient of life beneath authoritarianism that resonates with particular urgency in these troubling occasions.

2025 Entries:

Home Sweet Home (d: Frelle Petersen, Denmark 2025)

The New Year That Never Came (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 Safe House (d: Lionel Baier, Switzerland/Luxembourg/France 2025)

Seeds (d: Brittany Shyne, USA 2025)

Summer’s Camera (d: Divine Sung, South Korea 2025)

SIFF 2025 IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION

The SIFF Ibero-American Competition Jury members had been Florangela Davila (former race and immigration reporter at The Seattle Times, 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 International Film Festival, National Public Radio’s “Film Week” movie critic, lead critic at USA Today, 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 gives a robust new perspective on communication, identification, and belonging throughout the deaf group.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION

Transfers, directed by Nicolás Gil Lavedra (Argentina/Uruguay)

JURY STATEMENT: TRANSFERS/TRANSLADOS is awarded a Special Jury Mention for its highly effective reflection on dictatorship and historic reminiscence—providing a haunting reminder of the hazards of authoritarianism that feels urgently related in at the moment’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 Things (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 Directors Competition Jury members had been Chris Lane (President of Distribution and Audience at Joint Venture), Jonathan Marlow (Executive Director of Scarecrow Video Archive, curator, composer, cinematographer, filmmaker and producer), Peter Van Steemburg (Head of Talent Management at XYZ Films) .

GRAND JURY PRIZE

The Crowd, directed by Sahand Kabiri (Iran)

JURY STATEMENT: We are 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 screen. We additionally wish to acknowledge the technical achievements of this movie, from the images, to the sound design, right 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 stunning. This coming of age story captivated us all the best way down the pink sheep. We thank the DJ AHMET filmmaking group for proving such a novel 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)

Ready or Not (d: Claire Frances Byrne, Ireland 2025)

To Kill a Mongolian Horse (d: Xiaoxuan Jiang, Malaysia/Hong Kong/South Korea/Japan/Saudi Arabia/Thailand/USA 2024)

The Village Next 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 (Features Writer at IndieWire), Bill 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 marketplace” by means of the demise industrial advanced to ship a subtly ferocious reflection on that truth. Sensitive, unusual, hopeful, and harrowing, director Courtney Stephens and star Callie Hernandez break the mould on this diaphanous meta dramedy — intuitively capturing the sensation of at the moment with timeless imaginative and prescient.

2025 Entries:

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (d: Kahlil Joseph, USA 2025)

Color 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 Film’s Sie FilmHeart and the Denver Film Festival), Sarah Menzies (Director of Original Productions at Cascade PBS), Cara Ogburn (Artistic Director at Milwaukee Film, earlier president of the Board of Directors of the nationwide Film Festival Alliance).

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Suburban Fury, directed by Robinson Devor (USA)

JURY STATEMENT: The Documentary Competition Jury was collectively obsessed by this movie, which mixes luscious visuals, compelling and related archival materials, and a story observe and singular protagonist that always escapes the viewer’s comprehension – in a great way. This movie left us fascinated about huge subjects like reality, 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 car for introspection, and places the viewer within the place of understanding and experiencing psychological well being episodes on a visceral and empathetic degree.

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)

Freeing 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, Baby, directed by Eva Victor (USA)

The Seattle Film Critics Society polled all accredited media for his or her favourite new launch function movies that performed the 51st Seattle International Film Festival. 80 completely different movies appeared on member ballots as favorites, however there was widespread consensus on the prime of the checklist. We are thrilled to current the 2025 SIFF Seattle Critics Award to Eva Victor’s Sorry, Baby.

About SFCS: With a membership of space critics, the Seattle Film Critics Society is devoted to supporting native productions and festivals, enhancing public training, consciousness, and appreciation of cinema, and strengthening the bonds of crucial dialogue because it pertains to the cinematic arts. SFCS seeks to spotlight one of the best movies produced every year–each by the main studios and unbiased filmmakers–and share our love of cinema with Seattle-area residents.

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WAVEMAKER AWARD: BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE (Youth Jury Prize)

Summer’s Camera, directed by  Divine Sung (South Korea 2025)

As college students of Edmonds Woodway High School we’re extremely honored to be part of the

FutureWave movie choice course of. This is a tremendous alternative and has helped our college

garner a bigger curiosity in every thing associated to movie. This yr’s winner used silence in a robust technique to make their pacing dynamic.The numerous shot kinds made this movie participating to look at and added onto the highly effective imagery. We loved how the characters developed in a pure and satisfying method, particularly by means of their relationships. Their discovery of themselves unfolded superbly on display screen. This verdict was extraordinarily laborious for us to make, however after numerous hours of watching and deliberating, the profitable movie for the 2025 Golden Space Needle WaveMaker is… Summer’s Camera! Congratulations to all of the movies.

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SIFF 2025 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS

Every brief movie within the Seattle International Film Festival is eligible for each the Golden Space Needle Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize. Our Shorts Competition jurors will select winners within the Live Action, Animation, and Documentary classes. Each Grand Jury Prize winner will obtain $2,500; winners can also qualify to enter their respective movies within the Short Film class of the Academy Awards® for the concurrent season with out a theatrical run.

The SIFF Short Film Juries had been:

Live Action: Carlos A.F. Lopez (filmmaker), Chelsea Lupkin (Senior Programmer at Short of the Week), Gabe Van Amburgh (Senior Film Programmer and Manager for the SXSW Film & TV Festival)

Documentary / Animation: Michael Huang (founder and managing director of Milli, founding Seattle Film Commissioner), Missy Laney (Director of Development at Adult Swim), Anderson Le (Artistic Director for the Hawai’i International Film Festival, programming marketing consultant for the far East Film Festival, former Head of Programming for the inaugural Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival)

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 choose 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 lady defies all the lads in her life in a rebellious act of revolution in opposition to the patriarchy with slightly further mayo on the aspect. Congratulations to our Special Mention Giulia Grandinetti on her movie Majonezë for its unimaginable route and poignant perspective.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

GRAND JURY PRIZE

Rat Rod, directed by Jared Jakins, Carly Jakins (USA)

JURY STATEMENT: A visually arresting movie a few haunted mechanic, who muses on his experiences as an immigrant in rural America. As he displays on identification, life, demise, and the origins of resurrecting previous vehicles, discovering which means within the machines he brings again to life–we see his uncooked ardour and rise up by means of the roaring soul of metallic and equipment. On behalf of the jury, congratulations to the filmmaking group behind Rat Rod.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION

Style: 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 group and tradition by means of the lens of each towering legends and the era 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 Eating of an Orange, directed by May Kindred-Boothby (United Kingdom)

JURY STATEMENT: The Eating of an Orange captivates with its minimalist and surrealist magnificence, reworking a easy act right into a profound journey crammed with Lynchian dream logic and sensuous fluidity. On behalf of the jury, congratulations to the filmmaking group behind The Eating of an Orange.

SPECIAL JURY MENTION

View From the Floor, directed by Megan Griffiths & Mindie Lind (USA)

JURY STATEMENT: This movie courageously illuminates the uncooked reality of navigating an able-centric world, the place on a regular basis realities are too usually missed. Through 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.