50th Seattle International Film Festival: Tributes for June Squibb, Jean Smart
261 films with 18 World, 26 North American, and 14 U.S. Premieres make up the lineup for the Festival’s 50th anniversary, screening at venues across Seattle, including SIFF’s newly opened SIFF Cinema Downtown
SIFF announced today the lineup of films included in the 50th Seattle International Film Festival, to be held May 9–19 at venues across Seattle and followed by a week of select virtual screenings on the SIFF Channel May 20–27. The Festival will screen 261 films representing 84 countries/regions, including 92 features, 47 documentaries, five archival features, two special tributes, two secret screenings, and 115 short films.
The Festival will open with Josh Margolin’s action comedy Thelma from Magnolia Pictures, which will screen at The Paramount Theatre during the Festival’s Opening Night on May 9. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Writer & Director Josh Margolin, lead actress June Squibb, and producers Zoë Worth and Chris Kaye. Following the Q&A, there will be an after-party onstage and outside on Ninth Ave.
Thelma, will be presented the award at a special Tribute Event on May 11 at SIFF Cinema Downtown with a conversation moderated by Variety’s Jenelle Riley. Prior to the event, there will be an Honoree Brunch with Squibb at Palace Kitchen.
SIFF will honor June Squibb with the 2024 Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema for the unforgettable work she’s presented throughout the span of her career. The Oscar-nominated actress and lead of the Festival’s Opening Night film,
Closing the Festival is Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing from A24, which will screen on May 18 at SIFF Cinema Downtown. Director and co-writer Greg Kwedar will be in attendance and participate in a Q&A after the screening along with members of the film’s ensemble cast, who will receive a Golden Space Needle Award for excellence in Ensemble Acting. A Closing Night party will follow at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI).
In addition to the full lineup, SIFF announced today that Seattle native and Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG Award, and Critics Choice Award-winning actress Jean Smart will be awarded The Hollywood Reporter’s Trailblazer Award for her contributions to storytelling on film, television, and the stage. The event will feature a screening of an episode from the new season of the Max Original comedy series Hacks, followed by the Trailblazer trophy presentation and a conversation between Smart and THR Contributing Editor Stacey Wilson Hunt.
Additional highlights showing throughout the Festival include Focus Features’ Sundance award-winner Dìdi (弟弟), a directorial debut from Oscar nominee Sean Wang (SIFF 2023 Grand Jury winner for Live Action short); Neon’s Babes written by and starring Ilana Glazer and directed by debut helmer Pamela Adlon; IFC’s stirring and emotional Ghostlight which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; Harmony Korine’s latest boundary-pushing work AGGRO DR1FT; a new 4K restoration of Wim Wenders’ iconic Wings of Desire, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of German Films; and an exciting new slate of cINeDIGENOUS films, including the world premiere of Molokaʻi Bound, directed by Alika Tengan (Kanaka Maoli).
For information on all event and screening packages and tickets, please visit siff.net/fest.
Opening Night Gala
Thelma
Thursday, May 9, 7:00pm – Party to follow screening Film and Party: The Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine Street
Writer and director Josh Margolin makes his feature directorial debut with this action comedy exploring aging, family, and autonomy as 93-year-old Thelma Post sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her after being duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson. Director/Writer/Editor Josh Margolin, Actress June Squibb, Actor Fred Hechinger, and Producers Zoë Worth and Chris Kaye will be in attendance for a Q&A.
(d: Josh Margolin, c: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Richard Roundtree, USA 2024, 97 min)
Closing Night Gala
SING SING
Saturday, May 18, 6:00pm – Party to follow screening
Film: SIFF Cinema Downtown, 2100 4th Ave
Party: Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), 860 N. Terry Ave.
Oscar nominees Colman Domingo (RUSTIN) and Paul Raci (SOUND OF METAL) lead this powerful ensemble, many of whom play themselves, in this inspirational true story about a troupe of incarcerated people who find healing through the redemptive power of theatre. Director/Writer/Producer Greg Kwedar and ensemble cast including Clarence Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield, Sean San José, Sean ‘Dino’ Johnson, Jon Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez will be in attendance for a Q&A.
(d: Greg Kwedar c: Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Paul Raci, Sean San José, Jon Adrian Velazquez, Sean Johnson, USA 2024, 107 min)
A Conversation with June Squibb
Seattle International Film Festival Tribute Recipient of 2024 Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema – moderated by Variety’s Jenelle Riley
Saturday, May 11, 2024
SIFF Cinema Downtown & Palace Kitchen
10:00am – Honoree Brunch with June Squibb at Palace Kitchen
12:30pm – Tribute event at SIFF Cinema Downtown
A Conversation with Jean Smart and The Hollywood Reporter Contributing Editor Stacey Wilson Hunt Hacks Screening & The Hollywood Reporter Trailblazer Award Presentation
Saturday, May 18 @ 2:30pm
SIFF Cinema Downtown
OFFICIAL COMPETITION
Films in the Official Competition demonstrate some of the finest filmmaking this year from around the world. Spanning a variety of genres, these films advance themes of worldwide resonance, like friendship, coming of age in times of political turmoil, and the challenges inherent to romantic and familial relationships. The Official Competition jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects the winning film, which will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards May 19 and awarded a cash prize of $5,000.
2024 Entries:
All Shall Be Well Critical Zone
Dìdi (弟弟)
Evil Does Not Exist Gloria!
Love Machina
NEW AMERICAN CINEMA COMPETITION
None of these films have a distributor (yet), but they all have a champion on SIFF’s programming team. New American Cinema fields the largest number of submissions out of any of SIFF’s competitions by far. With so many entries, only a fraction can make it to the finals, and this stiff competition means that each of the finalist films has the potential to change the landscape of American cinema–they’re that good. The New American Cinema Competition jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects the winning film, which will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards May 19 and awarded a cash prize of $5,000.
2024 Entries:
The Black Sea
Bob Trevino Likes It Moloka’i Bound Mountains
RATS!
We Strangers
NEW DIRECTORS COMPETITION
To qualify for the New Directors Competition, films must be dramatic features, a director’s debut or second feature, and without US distribution at the time of SIFF selection. This competition celebrates new directors whose films have original scripts, employ innovative cinematography, and offer unique insights on people and places. The New Directors Competition jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects the winning filmmaker, who will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards May 19 and awarded a cash prize of $5,000.
2024 Entries:
Àma Gloria
The Burdened
City of Wind Excursion
A Journey in Spring Solitude
Young Hearts
IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION
The Ibero-American Competition assesses outstanding films from Latin America and Spain for the strength of their storytelling and creativity of their cinematography. To be eligible, films must be without US distribution at the time of their selection. The Ibero-American Competition jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects the winning film, which will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards May 19 and awarded a cash prize of $5,000.
2024 Entries:
Holy Mother
Igualada
The Major Tones
Memories of a Burning Body The Quiet Maid
Saturn Return
Sujo
Through Rocks and Clouds Valentina or the Serenity
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Films competing in this competition broaden our horizons and invigorate our understanding of the planet and its inhabitants through careful research, deft argumentation, and stunning cinematography. Documentary art is fundamentally about audience persuasion: What is the Truth? Why should we care? How should we act? The best documentarians convince audiences that their argument is unequivocally the Truth, that it is worthy of widespread concern, and that their recommendations are the best suited to address the issue at hand.The Documentary Competition jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects the winning filmmaker, who will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards May 19 and awarded a cash prize of $5,000.
2024 Entries:
Fragments of a Life Loved Grasshopper Republic Hollywoodgate
A New Kind of Wilderness Porcelain War
The Ride Ahead
So This Is Christmas So Unreal
Shorts Competition
SIFF’s Short Films Competition is divided into three categories: Live Action, Animation, and Documentary. Shorts are all about fitting a profound statement into a concise and beautiful package, and the films in each category of this competition earn their spot in the finals by telling a well developed, compelling story in 40 minutes or less. The Short Films Competition jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects the winning films for each category, which will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards May 19 and awarded a cash prize of $2,500 each.
Golden Space Needle Awards
For the past 32 years, SIFF has celebrated its most popular films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Audience Award. Each year, SIFF audiences cast their votes through post-screening ballots in the categories of Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Performance, and Best Short Film.
The awards ceremony will take place at the Grand Hyatt Seattle on Sunday, May 19, 11:00am to 2:00pm. Select press seats are available; email press@siff.net to RSVP.
Programs
African Pictures
SIFF’s African Pictures program showcases the best filmmaking happening in and about Africa today, bringing shorts, features, documentaries, and fiction films to American audiences. Don’t miss this opportunity to delight in these innovative and inspiring works spanning Africa’s diverse regions and cultures.
Banel & Adama
The Battle for Laikipia
Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story Grasshopper Republic
The Mother of All Lies
Rising Up at Night
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat Voy! Voy! Voy!
Archival Films
Are you a history buff? A lover of pre-CGI practical effects or Old Hollywood glamor’s stacked lashes and Marcel waves? Well, we’ve got a stellar lineup of stunningly restored films from decades past that will transport you back to the time when films were actually shot on film and trailers were still at the end of the movie.
Hitchcock’s Pro-Nazi Film
July Rhapsody
The Lavender Hill Mob
SIFF & CFC Event – The NeverEnding Story Wings of Desire
Alternate Cinema
Forward-thinking, pattern-disrupting independent films for viewers with a passion for experimentation. Our Alternate Cinema program promises to open your mind with unconventional cinematography and fresh narratives.
Aggro Dr1ft
ALT Shorts: See and Be Seen (short film program) The Box Man
Asian Crossroads
Discover the most exciting films to come from Earth’s largest continent this year with SIFF’s Asian Crossroads program. Selected films represent a diverse collection of genres from across the regions and cultures of Central, East, and South Asia.
Agent of Happiness Agra
All Shall Be Well Black Box Diaries The Box Man
City of Wind Dragon Superman Evil Does Not Exist Girls Will Be Girls In Flames
In Our Day
Iron Mask
A Journey in Spring July Rhapsody Killing Romance The Missing
Pigsy
Tenement
Tiger Stripes
cINeDIGENOUS
SIFF acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. This program centers the works of Indigenous filmmakers from across the globe, amplifying these oft-silenced voices whose words are essential to the wellbeing of our planet and all its peoples. cINeDIGENOUS is curated in partnership with Indigenous peoples and organizations that support Indigenous creatives, cultures, rights and activism globally.
The Battle for Laikipia
Bring Them Home
Fish War
Moloka’i Bound
Moving Poetry: Indigenous Stories (short film program) The New Boy
Red, White & Brass
Standing Above the Clouds Sugarcane
Through Rocks and Clouds The Tundra Within Me Valentina or the Serenity
Face the Music
Nine out of 10 SIFF programmers agree that regular exposure to music and film is essential to maintaining your personal equilibrium. (The remaining one was too busy streaming The Sound of Music to respond to our query.) So, we’ve developed Face the Music, our scientifically proven regimen of movies that revolve around music, to help you achieve the pinnacle of audio-visual health.
Gloria!
Grandpa Guru
Luther: Never Too Much
Música!
Resynator
Saturn Return
SIFF & CFC Event – The NeverEnding Story
Ibero-American Cinema
Ibero-American cinema is nurtured by diversity, unique histories, and a rich tradition of storytelling. Allow the powerful documentaries and works of fiction in this program to ignite your emotions and expand your imagination.
Close Your Eyes The Extortion Holy Mother Igualada
The Major Tones
Memories of a Burning Body
My Sextortion Diary
The Quiet Maid
Rioja: The Land of a Thousand Wines Saturn Return
Sujo
Through Rocks and Clouds
Un Amor
Valentina or the Serenity
New American Cinema
Going to the movies has been a favorite American pastime for over a century, and these American filmmakers are determined to keep their works at the cutting edge of film’s future. Each of these selected films represents a unique American voice, and together they reflect the diversity of the American experience.
Aggro Dr1ft
Babes
The Black Sea
Bob Trevino Likes It
Dìdi (弟弟)
Empire Waist Ghostlight
Good One
I Saw the TV Glow Janet Planet Moloka’i Bound Mountains
The Primevals RATS!
Sing Sing Stress Positions Thelma
Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox The Uncertain Detective
We Strangers
Northwest Connections
To say that residents of Washington have a distinct culture from the rest of the US would be an understatement, and the films in this program highlight all that makes us unique. Grab your raincoat–skip the umbrella–and head on over to SIFF for these movies filmed or set in the PNW.
All We Carry
Fish War
Grandpa Guru
Rainier: A Beer Odyssey
Sono Lino
Sound Visions (short film program)
Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox Ultimate Citizens
The Uncertain Detective
Wild, Terrifying, Fantastic
All aboard this ultimate WTF cruise to the strangest, most disconcerting, and silliest parts of this spooky, slimy planet we call Earth—and maybe even beyond.
Aggro Dr1ft
Dragon Superman
Eat Your Heart Out (WTF) (short film program) In A Violent Nature
I Saw the TV Glow
Killing Romance
Oddity
Once Upon a Nightmare… (short film program) The Primevals
RATS!
Red Rooms
Scala!!!
So Unreal
Tenement
D a.
Films4Families
This program of family-friendly films is for kids, their chaperones, and anyone with a sense of child-like wonder. Enjoy the bright colors, quirky sound effects, and sweet narratives of these fabulous children’s features and shorts from around the world. Perfect for starting your future film critic on their lifelong journey of film appreciation.
The Family Picture Show (short film program) Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds
Tony, Shelly and The Magic Light
WHY DINOSAURS?
FutureWave
Ride the wave of the future with these films curated for viewers ages 13 through 21 years old. Each flick in this program speaks in some way to the experiences unique to coming-of-age viewers as they burst from the controlled shelter of childhood to move independently through the exciting novelty and grit of the real world.
Bob Trevino Likes It
Dìdi (弟弟)
Empire Waist
FUTUREWAVE: Teenaged Terror (short film program) Pigsy
We Can Be Heroes Where Is Anne Frank WHY DINOSAURS? Young Hearts
4th World Media Lab
The 4th World Media Lab provides Indigenous media creators a progressive immersion into film learning and film exploration ranging from storytelling basics and pitching, to presentation and marketing, to distribution and industry networking via a cultural lens and collective care. The lab includes residencies at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Camden International Film Festival, and Seattle International Film Festival. The Seattle experience, in partnership with global indigenous organizations and industry experts, offers master classes, hands-on training, community gatherings, and global networking in the SIFF urban festival atmosphere.
4th World Media Lab 2024 Fellows
Victoria Cheyenne – Aymara, El Alto Bolivia / Tsétsêhéstâhese, Northern Cheyenne | Montana Keisha Erwin – Woodland Cree, Lac La Ronge Indian Band | Saskatchewan
Cass Gardiner – Anishinaabe Algonquin, Kebaowek First Nation | New Jersey
Nicolle L. Gonzales (Arthun) – Diné, Navajo Nation | New Mexico
Bruce Thomas Miller – Anishinaabe, Matachewan First Nation | Alberta
Sisa Quispe – Quechua Aymara | New York
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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