The Other Bank awarded Grand Jury prize in Seattle

The Golden Space Needle Awards’ documentary competition special jury prize went to Manhole Children by Japan’s Yoshio Harada.

In the short film category Destin Daniel Cretton’s US entry Short Term 12 won the narrative grand jury prize, Michael Kinirons’ Lowland Fell from Ireland and Denis Villeuneuve’s Next Floor from Canada took special jury prizes, Laurie Hill’s UK entry Photograph Of Jesus won the animation grand jury prize, and Ken Wardrop’s The Herd from Ireland took the documentary grand jury prize.

Winners of the feature film competitions receive $2,500 and short film jury winners receive $1,000. Short film winners in the grand jury prize for best narrative and best animation categories qualify for the Academy Awards without the need for the standard theatrical run.

In the audience awards, Scott Sanders’ Black Dynamite won the Best Film Golden Space Needle Award and Louie Psihoyos’ The Cove took the corresponding documentary honours. Kathryn Bigelow was named best director for The Hurt Locker, Sam Rockwell best actor for Moon, Yolande Moreau best actress for Seraphine.

Nick Park’s Wallace And Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death won for best short film, and the Lena Sharpe Award For Persistence Of Vision presented by Women In Film/Seattle went to Sweet Crude directed by Sandy Cioffi.

“SIFF was filled with individual triumphs this year, and the entire programming line-up was as successful as it’s ever been,” SIFF artistic director Carl Spence said. “Loyal audiences braved tough times and beautiful weather to find the unexpected in the thriving tradition of SIFF. Our flourishing local film-making community especially showed us that they are making the films they want to make - and the films that we want to see.”