The 2010 Seattle International Film Festival, running May 20-June 13, 2010, has announced the lineup for its 36th annual event. The festival boasts 189 narrative features, 54 documentary features, 13 archival films, and 150 short films from 67 countries over the course of its 25-day duration. The festivities kick-off with festival circuit favorite “The Extra Man” as the Opening Night film, and wrap up with another fest circuirt stalwart, Aaron Schneider’s “Get Low.” Here’s the rest of the lineup, from the official press release:
SIFF 2010 FEATURE FILM PREMIERES
World Premiere
“Amplified Seattle,” directed by John Jeffcoat (USA, 2010)
“Chihuly Fire & Light,” directed by Mark McDonnell (USA, 2010)
“I Kissed a Vampire,” directed by Chris Sean Nolan (USA, 2010)
“A Little Help,” directed by Michael J. Weithorn (USA, 2010)
“Miss Nobody,” directed by Tim Cox (USA, 2010)
“Morning,” directed by Joseph Mitacek (USA, 2010)
“Patagonia,” directed by Marc Evans (United Kingdom, 2010)
“Perfect 10,” directed by Lindy Boustedt (USA, 2010)
“REGENERATION,” directed by Phillip Montgomery (USA, 2010)
“Senior Prom,” directed by Nicholas Terry (USA, 2010)
“The Family Tree,” directed by Vivi Friedman (USA, 2010)
“The Untitled Ginny Ruffner Project,” directed by Karen Stanton (USA, 2010)North American Premiere
“Blood Relation,” directed by Noa Ben-Hagai (Israel, 2009)
“Born to Suffer,” directed by Miguel Albaladejo (Spain, 2010)
“Bus Palladium,” directed by Christopher Thompson (France, 2010)
“The Children of Diyarbakir,” directed by Miraz Bezar (Turkey, 2009)
“Come Undone,” directed by Silvio Soldini (Italy, 2010)
“Crossing Hennessy,” directed by Ivy Ho (Hong Kong, 2010)
“Drifting,” directed by Ventura Pons (Spain, 2010)
“Farsan,” directed by Josef Fares (Sweden, 2010)
“Father’s Acre,” directed by Viktor Oszkar Nagy (Hungary, 2009)
“For the Good of Others,” directed by Óskar Santos (Spain, 2010)
“From Beginning to End,” directed by Aluizio Abranches (Brazil, 2010)
“I Am,” directed by Igor Voloshin (Russia, 2009)
“Imani,” directed by Caroline Kamya (Uganda, 2009)
“Little Big Soldier,” directed by Ding Sheng (Hong Kong, 2010)
“Love in a Puff,” directed by Pang Ho-Cheung (Hong Kong, 2010)
“Paris Return,” directed by Yossi Aviram (Israel, 2009)
“Plug & Pray,” directed by Jens Schanze (Germany, 2009)
“The Robber,” directed by Benjamin Heisenberg (Austria, 2009)
“Room in Rome,” directed by Julio Medem (Spain, 2010)
“Run If You Can,” directed by Dietrich Brüggemann (Germany, 2010)
“Turn It Loose,” directed by Alastair Siddons (United Kingdom, 2009)
“Twisted Roots,” directed by Saara Saarela (Finland, 2009)
“The Wedding Cake,” directed by Denys Granier-Deferre (France, 2010)
“White Lion,” directed by Michael Swan (South Africa, 2009)US Premiere
“At the End of Daybreak,” directed by Ho Yuhang (Malaysia, 2009)
“Diamond 13,” directed by Gilles Béat (France, 2009)
“Gravity,” directed by Maximilian Erlenwein (Germany, 2009)
“Henry of Navarre,” directed by Jo Baier (Germany, 2009)
“I Miss You,” directed by Fabián Hofman (Mexico, 2009)
“Leaving,” directed by Catherine Corsini (France, 2009)SIFF Competitions
Winners of each feature film competition receive $2,500. Short Film Competition winners will receive $1,000 in three categories-Live Action, Animation, and Documentary. Winners for Best Narrative short film and Best Animation short film at SIFF may qualify to enter the Short Films category of the Academy Awards®. The WaveMaker Award for Excellence in Youth Filmmaking will be presented to one young filmmaker from the FutureWave program, as chosen by five high school students.New Directors Showcase
“Angel at Sea,” directed by Frédéric Dumont (Belgium, 2009)
“Between Two Worlds,” directed by Vimukthi Jayasundara (Sri Lanka, 2009)
“Cargo,” directed by Ivan Engler (Switzerland, 2009)
“Crossing Hennessy,” directed by Ivy Ho (Hong Kong, 2010) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
“Every Day is a Holiday,” directed by Dima El Horr (Lebanon, 2009)
“Father’s Acre,” directed by Viktor Oszkar Nagy (Hungary, 2009) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
“Gravity,” directed by Maximilian Erlenwein (Germany, 2009) US PREMIERE
“I Am,” directed by Igor Voloshin (Russia, 2009) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
“The Reverse,” directed by Borys Lankosz (Poland, 2009)
“The Sentimental Engine Slayer,” directed by Omar Rodriguez Lopez (USA, 2010)
“Three Days With the Family,” directed by Mar Coll (Spain, 2009)
“Turistas,” directed by Alicia Scherson (Chile, 2009)Documentary Competition
“American: The Bill Hicks Story,” directed by Matt Harlock (United Kingdom, 2009)
“Blood Relation,” directed by Noa Ben Hagai (Israel, 2009) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
“Garbo: The Spy,” directed by Edmon Roch (Spain, 2009)
“Marwencol,” directed by Jeff Malmberg (USA, 2010)
“Paris Return,” directed by Yossi Aviram (Israel, 2009) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
“Plug & Pray,” directed by Jens Schanze (Germany, 2009) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
“Queen of the Sun,” directed by Taggart Siegel (USA, 2010)
“Rouge Ciel,” directed by Bruno Decharme (France, 2009)
“This Way of Life,” directed by Tom Burstyn (New Zealand, 2009)Short Film Competition
In addition to titles paired with feature films, the short film competition will present 14 themed programs that will be screened as part of the SIFF ShortsFest Weekend, May 21-23. Juried awards will be given to short films in the categories of narrative, animation, and documentary.FIPRESCI Jury Award
SIFF is very pleased to continue to partner with FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics, to jury the New American Cinema competition. SIFF is one of three festivals in the United States to host a FIPRESCI jury and award a FIPRESCI prize as part of our New American Cinema program. FIPRESCI, in existence for more than 65 years, with members in over 60 countries, supports cinema as an art and as an outstanding and autonomous means of expression.New American Cinema
“Bilal’s Stand,” directed by Sultan Sharrief (USA, 2009)
“Cherry,” directed by Jeffrey Fine (USA, 2010)
“The Dry Land,” directed by Ryan Piers Williams (USA, 2009)
“Every Day,” directed by Richard Levine (USA, 2010)
“The Family Tree,” directed by Vivi Friedman (USA, 2010) WORLD PREMIERE
“The Freebie,” directed by Katie Aselton (USA, 2009)
“I Kissed a Vampire,” directed by Chris Sean Nolan (USA, 2010) WORLD PREMIERE
“A Little Help,” directed by Michael J. Weithorn (USA, 2009) WORLD PREMIERE
“Meet Monica Velour,” directed by Keith Bearden (USA, 2010)
“Miss Nobody,” directed by Tim Cox (USA, 2010) WORLD PREMIERE
“Monogamy,” directed by Dana Adam Shapiro (USA, 2010)
“Night Catches Us,” directed by Tanya Hamilton (USA, 2010)
“Skateland,” directed by Anthony Burns (USA, 2009)
“Some Days Are Better Than Others,” directed by Matt McCormick (USA, 2010)
Blood Relations is a courageous film. It forces the viewer to ponder difficult questions: what is family, what is national identity, what is religious identity. The answers (audiences will soon discover) are not always clear-cut. For instance, the movie-goer learns that Grandma Pnina had been raised as a Jew, but converted to Islam. Yet, she began every letter to her Jewish-Israeli family with the Hebrew (or Jewish) month and day, rather than the civil calendar date. Thus, even though she left her birth religion, she in some sense continued to maintain it. The movie has succeeded in haunting me, days after seeing it.