The Seattle Film Festival wrapped up its 9th annual event with a five-day celebration of indie cinema, culminating in a spectacular awards show gala. Directed by William Wayne and Michael Rey, the festival expanded its screenings both online and in theaters, showcasing over 450 unique films this year. Running from June 26 to 30, the festival partnered with the Bruce Lee Foundation, Aegis Living, eoFlix, and Motivo Media.
Acclaimed filmmakers from around the globe flocked to Seattle, underscoring the festival’s impressive growth. Among the standout films was The Strangers’ Case, a powerful Middle Eastern drama that won the Grand Jury Award for Best Feature Film. Producer Ryan Busse accepted the award, and director Brandt Andersen and actress Yasmine Al Massri received accolades for their work addressing the Syrian migrant crisis.
Producer Linda Woo receives the Bruce Lee Trailblazer Award for Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story.
Isabella Rossellini won Best Supporting Actress for her role in director Vladislav Kozlov’s Death of the Sheik, which also earned the Grand Jury Award for Best Director. Japanese filmmaker Yukiko Mishima celebrated the US premiere of Shape of Red, receiving the Festival Directors’ Prize, and star Satoshi Tsumabuki, a recent Academy Award winner in Japan, won Best International Actor for the film.
Steve Buscemi took home Best Supporting Actor for his role in Jon Bass’ NYC-set comedy Carole and Grey. Bella Thorne won the Grand Jury Award for Best Director of a Short Film for Paint Her Red. Jessica Lupe (Succession) and Amy Madigan (Field of Dreams) starred in Go For Grandma, which won the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film, with recent high school graduate Lucian Nakazato-Patterson receiving Best Screenplay for the film.
In Fidelity won Best US Feature Film and Best Ensemble, featuring a cast including Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live), Cara Buono (Stranger Things), and Dennis Haysbert, directed by Rob Margolies. Abigail Breslin won Best Actress for a Feature Film in Michelle Danner’s The Italians, which took home two awards. Aimee Graham won the Emerging Filmmaker Award for her directorial debut, The Allnighter, starring David Koechner and James Russo.
Isabella Rossellini is wonderful in Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera and in Abel Ferrara’s The Funeral