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2025 Seattle International Film Festival

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The 2025 Seattle International Film Festival is a film festival scheduled that was screened in theaters from May 15 to 25, 2025, and streaming May 26 to June 1, 2025.[2] SIFF announced an initial six films on March 26[3] and the full lineup on April 23, 2025.[2] The selections include 83 new and three archival narrative features, 35 documentaries, and 122 short films, for a total of "245 films from 74 different countries and regions."[1] The theme for the 2025 festival is "Escape to the Reel World."[4]

Opening filmFour Mothers[1]
Closing filmSorry, Baby[1]
LocationSeattle, Washington, U.S.
Founded1976
Quick facts Opening film, Closing film ...
2025
Seattle International Film Festival
SIFF logo
Uptown Theater Marquee for SIFF 2025
Opening filmFour Mothers[1]
Closing filmSorry, Baby[1]
LocationSeattle, Washington, U.S.
Founded1976
Hosted bySeattle International Film Festival (SIFF)
Festival date
  • May 15–25 in person
  • May 26–June 1 streaming[2]
LanguageEnglish
WebsiteSeattle International Film Festival 2025
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The festival occurred at various locations, including the SIFF Cinema Uptown (3 screens), the SIFF Cinema Downtown, the SIFF Film Center (a venue at Seattle Center), the AMC Theatres at Pacific Place, and Shoreline Community College Theater.[5] Because of a water leak damaging the SIFF Egyptian Cinema in November 2024,[6][7] SIFF could not schedule festival films in the 520-seat theater.[8][9]

The opening, Four Mothers, was at the Paramount Theatre.[10] The closing was Sorry, Baby at the SIFF Cinema Downtown followed by a gala party at MOHAI.[7] The 2025 SIFF Awards ceremony took place at the Seattle Opera House on May 25, the last day of the in-person festival.[1]

SIFF reported an attendance of 41,675 for the festival.[11]

Films

Narrative features

More information English title, Director(s) ...
Narrative feature films screened at SIFF 2025
English title Director(s) Production country Premiere Comp. Ref.
40 Acres R. T. Thorne Canada, United States [12]
April Dea Kulumbegashvili Georgia, France, Italy [13]
Auction  [de; fr] Pascal Bonitzer France [14]
The Balconettes Noémie Merlant France [15]
Beef Ingride Santos Spain, Mexico North American IbA. [16]
Beginnings  [de] Jeanette Nordahl [da; de; fr] Denmark, Sweden, Belgium North American Dir. [17]
Bitter Gold Juan Olea Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Germany IbA. [18]
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions Kahlil Joseph United States Amer. [19]
Blue Sun Palace Constance Tsang United States [20]
Boong Lakshmipriya Devi India, France [21]
The Botanist  [de] Jing Yi China [22]
By Design Amanda Kramer United States [23]
By the Stream Hong Sang-soo South Korea, United States [24]
Cloud Kiyoshi Kurosawa Japan [25]
Color Book David Fortune United States Amer. [26]
Come Closer Tom Nesher [he] Israel, Italy [27]
The Crowd Sahand Kabiri Iran North American Dir. [28]
Dancing Queen in Hollywood Aurora Gossé [no] Norway North American [29]
The Dark Crystal Jim Henson, Frank Oz United States [30]
Dead Lover Grace Glowicki Canada [31]
Deaf Eva Libertad Spain North American IbA. [32]
Diamonds Ferzan Özpetek Italy [33]
Diciannove Giovanni Tortorici [wd] Italy, United Kingdom [34]
DJ Ahmet Georgi M. Unkovski North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia Dir. [35]
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz South Africa [36]
Drowning Dry Laurynas Bareiša Lithuania, Latvia [37]
Evergreens Jared Briley United States [38]
Everybody Loves Touda Nabil Ayouch France, Morocco, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands [39]
Familiar Touch Sarah Friedland United States [40]
Fly Me to the Moon Sasha Chuk [wd] Hong Kong
Four Mothers Darren Thornton [wd] Ireland, United Kingdom [41]
Fucktoys Annapurna Sriram United States Amer. [42]
The Glass Web (in 3-D) Jack Arnold United States [43]
Good Boy Ben Leonberg United States [44]
Hanami Denise Fernandes Switzerland, Portugal, Cape Verde IbA. [45]
Happy Holidays Scandar Copti Palestine, Germany, France, Italy, Qatar [46]
Happyend Neo Sora Japan, United States [47]
Home Sweet Home Frelle Petersen [da; de; no] Denmark North American Off. [48]
I Am Nevenka Icíar Bollaín Spain, Italy [49]
Idyllic Aaron Rookus [wd] Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Estonia North American [50]
Into the Wonderwoods  [fr] Alexis Ducord [wd], Vincent Paronnaud France, Luxembourg [51]
Invention Courtney Stephens [wd] United States Amer. [52]
John Cranko  [it] Joachim A. Lang [de] Germany [53]
Joqtau Aruan Anartay Kazakhstan, China North American [54]
Ka Whawhai Tonu: Struggle Without End Michael Jonathan [wd] Aotearoa New Zealand, Great Britain [55]
The Kingdom Julien Colonna France [56]
Little Red Sweet Vincent Chow Hong Kong [57]
Luz Flora Lau [wd] Hong Kong [58]
Manas Marianna Brennand Brazil, Portugal IbA. [59]
Meeting with Pol Pot Rithy Panh France, Cambodia, Taiwan, Qatar, Turkey [60]
Monarch City Titus Richard United States World [61]
Mongrels Jerome Yoo Canada Dir. [62]
Moon Kurdwin Ayub Austria U.S. [63]
The Nature of Invisible Things  [de] Rafaela Camelo [de] Brazil, Chile North American [64]
New Jack Fury Lanfia Wal United States [65]
The New Year That Never Came Bogdan Mureșanu Romania, Serbia [66]
Odd Fish Snævar Sölvi Sölvason Iceland, Finland, Germany [67]
Paying For It Sook-Yin Lee Canada, United States U.S. [68]
Raptures Jon Blåhed [sv] Sweden, Finland North American Off. [69]
Ready or Not Claire Frances Byrne Ireland North American Dir. [70]
Rebuilding Max Walker-Silverman United States Off. [71]
The Safe House Lionel Baier Switzerland, Luxembourg, France North American Off. [72]
Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass Stephen and Timothy Quay United Kingdom, Poland, Germany U.S. [73]
Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers Robert J. Kaplan United States [74]
She's the He Siobhan McCarthy United States Amer. [75]
Shepherds Sophie Deraspe Canada (Quèbec), France [76]
Slanted Amy Wong United States [77]
Sons Gustav Möller [de; fr; no; sv] Denmark, Sweden [78]
Sorry, Baby Eva Victor United States [79]
Souleymane's Story Boris Lojkine France [80]
Spermageddon Tommy Wirkola, Rasmus A. Sivertsen Norway [81]
Sudden Outbursts of Emotions  [fi] Paula Korva [fi] Finland, Denmark North American [82]
Summer's Camera Divine Sung South Korea North American Off. [83]
Tales From the Magic Garden David Súkup [cs], Patrik Pašš [wd], Leon Vidmar [wd], Jean-Claude Rozec [fr] Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, France North American [84]
The Things You Kill Alireza Khatami Canada, Belgium [85]
Time Travel Is Dangerous Chris Reading United Kingdom [86]
Tinā Miki Magasiva Aotearoa New Zealand [87]
To a Land Unknown Mahdi Fleifel Greece, Denmark, United Kingdom, Netherlands [88]
To Kill a Mongolian Horse Jiang Xiaoxuan Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United States Dir. [89]
Twinless James Sweeney United States [90]
U Are the Universe Pavlo Ostrikov [uk] Ukraine, Belgium [91]
Under the Volcano Damian Kocur Poland [92]
Undercover Arantxa Echevarría Spain IbA. [93]
The Village Next to Paradise Mo Harawe Somalia, Austria, France, Germany Dir. [94]
The Wailing Pedro Martín-Calero [wd] Spain, France, Argentina [95]
Waves Jiří Mádl Czech Republic, Slovakia [96]
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Documentary features

More information English title, Director(s) ...
Documentary feature films screened at SIFF 2025
English title Director(s) Production country Premiere Comp. Ref.
1-800-ON-HER-OWN Dana Flor [wd] United States [97]
Baby Doe Jessica Earnshaw United States [98]
BAR Don Hardy [wd] United States [99]
Between Goodbyes Jota Mun United States, South Korea Doc. [100]
Billy Lawrence Côté-Collins Canada (Québec), Finland Doc. [101]
Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story Sinéad O'Shea [wd] Ireland, United Kingdom [102]
Cat Town, United States Jonathan Napolitano [wd] United States World [103]
Chain Reactions Alexandre O. Philippe United States [104]
The Chef and the Daruma Mads K. Baekkevold Canada, Japan U.S. [105]
Coexistence, My Ass! Amber Fares United States, France [106]
Come See Me in the Good Light Ryan White United States [107]
Drowned Land Colleen Thurston [wd] United States Doc. [108]
Flamingos: Life After the Meteorite Lorenzo Hagerman [wd] Mexico [109]
Free Leonard Peltier Jesse Short Bull [wd], David France United States [110]
Freeing Juanita Sebastián Lasaosa Rogers United States, Mexico, Guatemala U.S. Doc. [111]
The Gloria of your Imagination Jennifer Reeves United States [112]
Heightened Scrutiny Sam Feder United States [113]
How to Build a Library Maia Lekow, Christopher King Kenya [114]
Jean Cocteau Lisa Immordino Vreeland United States [115]
Khartoum Anas Saeed [wd], Rawia Alhag [wd], Brahim Snoopy, Timeea Mohamed Ahmed [wd], Philip Cox [wd] Sudan, UK, Germany, Qatar [116]
Know Her Name Zainab Muse Canada U.S. [117]
The Librarians Kim A. Snyder United States Doc. [118]
Monk in Pieces Billy Shebar [wd], David Roberts United States, Germany, France North American [119]
Paul Anka: His Way John Maggio United States [120]
Remaining Native Paige Bethmann United States Off. [121]
Riefenstahl Andres Veiel Germany [122]
Sally Cristina Costantini [wd] United States [123]
Salsa Lives Juan Carvajal Colombia [124]
Seeds Brittany Shyne United States Off. [125]
Starman Robert Stone United States [126]
Suburban Fury Robinson Devor United States Doc. [127]
Transfers Nicolás Gil Lavedra [ca; es] Argentina, Uruguay IbA. [128]
Unclickable Babis Makridis [wd] Greece, Cyprus, United States North American Doc. [129]
Viktor Olivier Sarbil Denmark, Ukraine, France, United States Doc. [130]
Wolf Land Sarah Hoffman United States World [131]
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Shorts

More information English title, Director(s) ...
Short films screened at SIFF 2024
English title Director(s) Production country Premiere Ref.
5 Cousins & the Creek Yen-Shi Chen Taiwan North American [132]
A is for Ant Jack Davison United Kingdom [133]
Above The Clouds Alani Sanders United States [134]
Abuela's Cookbook Isabel Kembel-Rodriguez United States [135]
Acting Out Mellony Ledo Australia, United States North American [136]
Ada Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik [ca; tr] Turkey World [137]
Ajar Atefeh Jalali Iran, Spain [138]
Arman Farzad Kiyafar United States [139]
As You Are'' Daria Strachan United States [140]
The Blue Diamond Sam Fox United States [141]
Bozo Over Roses Matty Sidle United States, Hungary [142]
Buscando Alma Melissa Fisher United States [143]
The Call Kelly Sears United States World [144]
Civilized Marc Fussing Rosbach [de] Norway, Greenland U.S. [145]
Counterweight Austin Wilson, Christian Sorensen Hansen United States World [146]
Dancing in Tomorrowland Jakob Roston United States North American [147]
Detours Ahead Esther Cheung Canada [148]
Did you take the chicken out of the freezer? Mayra Elize Estrada United States [149]
The Distance Tommy Heffernan, Sean Nguyen United States [150]
Dormilón Olivia Marie Valdez United States [151]
Dragfox Lisa Ott United Kingdom [152]
Dynasty and Destiny Travis Lee Ratcliff United States [153]
The Eating of an Orange May Kindred-Boothby United Kingdom [154]
Éiru Giovanna Ferrari Ireland [155]
Eras Anna Samuels United States [156]
Fantas Halima Elkhatabi Canada (Québec) [157]
Far Away Emily Murnane United States World [158]
Favours Agnes Skonare Sweden [159]
Felina María Lorenzo Spain [160]
Field Recording Quinne Larsen United States [161]
The First Susan Ruth United States [162]
Five Star Kai Hasson United States [163]
The Garden Sees Fire Kiera Faber United States [164]
Glass Quest Georgia Krause United States World [165]
Goodnight Lucy! Alex Batchelor United States [166]
The Great Cherokee Grandmother Anthony Sneed United States [167]
Grizzy and the Lemmings World Tour (Season 4) - Iced Grizzy Camille Scarella France U.S. [168]
Handwoven Mason Cazalet, Dasha Levin, Mihika Das, Matthew Wisdom United States [169]
Harbor Samantha Jackson United States [170]
Heaven is Nobody's Hector Prats Spain [171]
Humantis Paris Baillie United States [172]
Hydraulic Nicole Hutton-Lewis Australia U.S. [173]
I Could Dom Madison Hatfield United States [174]
In My Hand Liselotte Wajstedt [sv], Marja Helander Norway, Sweden, Finland U.S. [175]
In the Shallows Arash Akhgari Canada [176]
Inkwo for When the Starving Return Amanda Strong Canada [177]
ISAAC Trip Breslin United States [178]
Jesus 2 Jesse Moynihan United States [179]
Kisses and Bullets Faranak Sahafian United States, Iran [180]
Last Night Oliver Zel United States [181]
Late For The Orgy Nesib C.B. Shamah United States World [182]
LEES WAXUL Yoro Mbaye Senegal, France [183]
Little Haiti, Miami, United States X.F. Serrano United States [184]
The Little Prince Aaron Russell, Colton McMurray United States World [185]
Little Shrew (Snowflake) Kate Bush United Kingdom [186]
The Lonely Life of Lint Sarah Sklar United States [187]
Majonezë Giulia Grandinetti Italy North American [188]
Masks Andre LeBlanc United States [189]
THE MECHANIZATION OF MAN Eion Nunez United States [190]
Medusa Sarah Meyohas United States, France [191]
Mine! Lou Morton [wd] United States [192]
Mother's Child Naomi Noir Netherlands [193]
Mr. Static Mike Williamson United States U.S. [194]
Munkha Alexander Moruo, Markel Martynov Russia, Kazakhstan [195]
My Boo Stephanie J. Röst United States [196]
My Dad Asked Me What Acid Felt Like Aric Allen United States [197]
My Teenage Blackout Basile Khatir France [198]
Nervous Energy Eve Liu United States [199]
On the high seas. Part 1: The burgeoning decision to go on a journey willy-nilly Ralf Petersen Austria U.S. [200]
On Weary Wings Go By Anu-Laura Tuttelberg [ca] Estonia [201]
One Day This Kid Alexander Farah Canada [202]
The One Who Knows Egle Davidavice Lithuania, France [203]
The Orange at the Seder Jacob Combs United States [204]
Overcast Amy Cheng United States U.S. [205]
Paradise Man (ii) Jordan Michael Blake United States [206]
Patterns Alex Glawion Germany [207]
Peppermint Diesel 20% Mariangela Pluchino [wd] Finland North American [208]
Percebes Alexandra Ramires [pt], Laura Gonçalves [pt] Portugal, France [209]
Pow! Joey Clift [wd] United States [210]
Quota Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw Netherlands [211]
Ragamuffin Kaitlyn Mikayla United States [212]
RAT! Neal Suresh Mulani United States [213]
Rat Rod Jared Jakins, Carly Jakins United States [214]
Red Peter Joo-Hyun Woo South Korea [215]
Red-Shaded Green Johannes Vang Norway North American [216]
Retirement Plan John Kelly Ireland [217]
The Sacred Society Benny Zelkowicz United States [218]
Saturn Risin9 Tiare Ribeaux, Jody Stillwater United States [219]
Seventh Heaven Syrus Gupta, Davis Knocke United States World [220]
She Dolls with Dollies Karin Fisslthaler [de] Austria [221]
Shelly’s Leg Wes Hurley United States World [222]
Sins of a Father Nuekellar Hardy United States [223]
Sirènes Sarah Malléon Martinique [224]
Slush Ashley George United States [225]
Something Blue Samantha Nisenboim United States [226]
Speak with the Dead Stephanie Paris United States [227]
Speed Queen 51 Sarah Nocquet France [228]
The Spells That Bind Us Ellie Nishino United States World [229]
STARGAZER Justin Robert Vinall United States World [230]
STOMACH BUG Matty Crawford United Kingdom [231]
Style: A Seattle Basketball Story Bryan Tucker United States World [232]
Sublime Marie Heribel, Candice Yernaux, Juliette Buysschaert, Camille Leroy, Joséphine Vendeville, Martin Laurent, Lucas Foutrier France [233]
This is a Story About Salmon Princess Daazhraii Johnson United States North American [234]
Threaded Naaman Azhari United Kingdom [235]
Tiger Loren Water United States [236]
To The Max Sundiata Enuke United States [237]
Two Black Boys in Paradise Baz Sells United Kingdom [238]
Two Dreams Salise Hughes United States World [239]
Two People Exchanging Saliva Alexandre Singh [fr], Natalie Musteata France, United States [240]
Unibrow Nedda Sarshar Canada [241]
View From the Floor Megan Griffiths, Mindie Lind [wd] United States [242]
Vox Humana Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan [wd] Philippines, United States, Singapore [243]
Waska: The Forest Is My Family Nina Gualinga, Eli Virkina, Boloh Miranda [es] Ecuador [244]
We Were the Scenery Christopher Radcliff United States [245]
The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess Anna-Ester Volozh United Kingdom [246]
West Shore Jordan Riber, Jon Carroll United States [247]
Where Ziquan Wang China [248]
The Wish Francesca Varese Mexico, United States [249]
Xiaonan and the Hatching Chicken Factory Cheng-Jun Liu, Zi-Ching Yen, Ching-Sheng Chang, Yung-Chih Chang Taiwan [250]
Your Own Flavor Alisha Ketry United States World [251]
Yours and Mine Quinn Yurasek United States World [252]
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Film competitions and programs

There are several juried competitions for prequalified films:[253]

  • Official Competition
  • Documentary Competition
  • Ibero-American Competition
  • New American Cinema Competition
  • New Directors Competition

There is a juried competition for short films that has three categories, Live Action, Animation, and Documentary.[254][255] All three categories qualify these films for the corresponding categories for the Academy Awards.[253][256][255]

There are also the Golden Space Needle Awards, which are audience choices for "Best Film, Documentary Feature, Director, Performance, and Short Film."[257][255]

Juried Competition Awards

Jurors served several different juries. For feature films, there were juries for the official competition, new directors, new American cinema, Ibero-American, and documentaries. There were two short film juries, one for narrative films and another for documentary and animated films.[258]

Feature films

More information Award, Film title ...
Juried Competition Award winners for feature films
Award Film title Director(s) Country
Official Competition Grand Jury Prize Seeds Brittany Shyne United States
Official Competition Special Jury Mention The New Year That Never Came Bogdan Mureșanu Romania/Serbia
Ibero-American Competition Grand Jury Prize Deaf Eva Libertad Spain
Ibero-American Special Jury Mention Transfers Nicolás Gil Lavedra [ca; es] Argentina/Uruguay
New Directors Competition Grand Jury Prize The Crowd Sahand Kabiri Iran
New Directors Competition Special Jury Mention DJ Ahmet Georgi M. Unkovski North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Serbia/Croatia
New American Cinema Competition Grand Jury Prize Invention Courtney Stephens [wd] United States
Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize Suburban Fury Robinson Devor United States
Documentary Competition Special Jury Mention Billy Lawrence Côté-Collins Canada (Québec)/Finland
Wavemaker Award: Best Futurewave Feature Summer's Camera Divine Sung South Korea
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Short films

More information Award, Film title ...
Juried Competition Award winners for short films
Award Film title Director(s) Country
Live Action Short Grand Jury Prize Medusa Sarah Meyohas United States
Live Action Short Special Jury Mention Majonezë Giulia Grandinetti Italy
Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize Rat Rod Jared Jakins, Carly Jakins United States
Documentary Short Grand Jury Mention Style: A Seattle Basketball Story Bryan Tucker United States
Animated Short Grand Jury Prize The Eating of an Orange May Kindred-Boothby United Kingdom
Animated Short Grand Jury Mention View From the Floor Megan Griffiths, Mindie Lind [wd] United States
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Golden Space Needle Awards

The Golden Space Needle Awards are voted by the audience.

More information Award, Film title ...
Golden Space Needle Awards winners
Award Film title Director(s) Country
Best Film Tinā Miki Magasiva New Zealand
Best Documentary Come See Me in the Good Light Ryan White United States
Best Director Twinless James Sweeney United States
Best Performance Souleymane's Story Abou Sangaré France
Best Short Five Star Kai Hasson United States
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There was also a "Very Special Mention for Indy the dog" who appeared in Good Boy.[255] (Ben Leonberg, director; United States)[44]

Additional awards

More information Award, Film title ...
Additional award winners
Award Film title Director(s) Country
2025 Seattle Film Critics Society Feature Film Award[259] Sorry, Baby Eva Victor United States
Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision[260] The Librarians Kim A. Snyder United States
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FOOL Serious, an "officially unofficial un-organization of the Seattle International Film Festival‘s passholders" also had their own awards for the 2025 festival.[261]

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References

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