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Opening Night Film & Party
Four Mothers
Thursday, May 15 - The Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St
VIP Experience Pre-Reception: 5:00pm
Doors Open to Public: 6:00pm
Screening: 7:00pm
Afterparty: 9:30pm (The Paramount Theatre & outside on Ninth Ave)
Opening Night Tickets: $75 Members |$88 Non-Members
Opening Night VIP Tickets: $360
Four Mothers, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, follows Edward, a queer, up-and-coming novelist forced to balance press commitments with caring for his aging mother. But when his three closest friends, desperate to feel young and carefree again, go off on an impromptu Pride holiday, they leave their aging mothers in Edward’s care. Over the chaotic weekend that follows, people-pleaser Edward must juggle his burgeoning career plans with the care of four eccentric, combative, and wildly different ladies—none of whom really get along with any of the others. How could the weekend go wrong? In his follow-up to A Date for Mad Mary (SIFF 2017), Director Darren Thornton formulates a note-perfect comedy about the tender bonds between mothers and their sons, drawing upon delightfully deep reserves of wisdom, poignancy, and heartfelt humor.
(d: Darren Thornton c: James McArdle, Fionnula Flanagan, Dearbhla Molloy, Paddy Glynn, Stella McCusker, Ireland/United Kingdom 2024, 89 min)
Closing Night Film & Party
Sorry, Baby
Film Screening: Saturday, May 24, 6:00pm - SIFF Cinema Downtown - Audience Q&A with Writer/Director Eva Victor to follow screening
Closing Night Party: 8:00pm - Museum of History and Industry, 860 N. Terry Ave
Raffle Drawing: 10:30pm
Closing Night Film & Party Tickets: $78 Members | $88 Non-Members
Closing Night Party-Only Tickets: $47 Members | $52 Non-Members
Eva Victor (“Billions”) writes, directs, and stars in this nonlinear, seriocomic story about a melancholic English professor’s complicated path toward healing in the aftermath of a tragedy. The film spans several nonlinear chapters in the life of Agnes, a people-pleasing English professor, and showcases the ways that trauma ripples through a life and the slow ways it heals (and sometimes doesn’t). Through each hop through time, we follow Agnes as she experiences the unexpectedly transformational powers of the cuddly creatures found along the way, be it dear friends, surprisingly sensitive sandwich vendors, an abandoned kitten, or a sweet neighbor. This aching and tender debut premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Waldo Salt Screening Award.
(d: Eva Victor c: Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, Lucas Hedges, John Carroll Lynch, Louis Cancelmi, Kelly McCormack, USA 2025, 104 min)
Competitions
Our competitions come in two forms. The juried competitions are made up of films selected by our Festival programmers and represent the best in their category from all over the world. A carefully selected jury of industry professionals then determines the winners. These include the Official Competition, the New American Cinema Competition, the New Directors Competition, the Ibero-American Competition, and the Documentary Competition. The other form of competition is the Golden Space Needle Awards, which are selected by SIFF audiences using our new online platform. Categories include Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Performance, and Best Short Film. The winners will be announced on Sunday, May 25 at the Golden Space Needle Awards Ceremony.
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 in fresh ways. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
2025 Entries:
Home Sweet Home (d: Frelle Petersen, Denmark 2025, 112 min)
The New Year That Never Came (d: Bogdan Mureşanu, Romania/Serbia 2024, 138 min)
Raptures (d: Jon Blåhed, Sweden/Finland 2025, 108 min)
Rebuilding (d: Max Walker-Silverman, USA 2025, 95 min)
Remaining Native (d: Paige Bethmann (Haudenosaunee), USA 2025, 87 min)
The Safe House (d: Lionel Baier, Switzerland/Luxembourg/France 2025, 90 min)
Seeds (d: Brittany Shyne, USA 2025, 122 min)
Summer’s Camera (d: Divine Sung, South Korea 2025, 82 min)
NEW AMERICAN CINEMA COMPETITION
The New American Cinema Competition features a selection of remarkable independent films from US filmmakers to watch. To be eligible, the films must be without US distribution at the time of the selection. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
2025 Entries:
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (d: Kahlil Joseph, USA 2025, 113 min)
Color Book (d: David Fortune, USA 2024, 98 min)
F*cktoys (d: Annapurna Sriram, USA 2025, 107 min)
Invention (d: Courtney Stephens, USA 2024, 72 min)
She’s The He (d: Siobhan McCarthy, USA 2025, 81 min)
Slanted (d: Amy Wang, USA 2025, 104 min)
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. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
2025 entries:
Beginnings (d: Jeanette Nordahl, Denmark/Sweden/Belgium 2025, 96 min)
The Crowd (d: Sahand Kabiri, Iran 2025, 70 min)
DJ Ahmet (d: Georgi M. Unkovski, North Macedonia/Czech Republic/Serbia/Croatia 2025, 97 min)
Mongrels (d: Jerome Yoo, Canada 2024, 110 min)
Ready or Not (d: Claire Frances Byrne, Ireland 2025, 84 min)
To Kill a Mongolian Horse (d: Xiaoxuan Jiang, Malaysia/Hong Kong/South Korea/Japan/Saudi Arabia/Thailand/USA 2024, 97 min)
The Village Next to Paradise (d: Mo Harawe, Somalia/Austria/France/Germany 2024, 133 min)
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. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
2025 entries:
Beef (d: Ingride Santos, Spain/Mexico 2025, 85 min)
Bitter Gold (d: Juan Olea, Chile/Mexico/Uruguay/Germany 2024, 83 min)
Deaf (d: Eva Libertad, Spain 2025, 99 min)
Hanami (d: Denise Fernandes, Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde 2024, 96 min)
Manas (d: Marianna Brennand, Brazil/Portugal 2024, 101 min)
The Nature of Invisible Things (d: Rafaela Camelo, Brazil/Chile 2025, 90 min)
Transfers (d: Nicolás Gil Lavedra, Argentina/Uruguay 2024, 90 min)
Undercover (d: Arantxa Echevarría, Spain 2024, 118 min)
DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION
Films competing in this competition broaden our horizons and invigorate our understanding of the world and its inhabitants through careful research, deft argumentation, and stunning cinematography. To be considered, the films also be without US distribution at the time of selection. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
2025 Entries:
Between Goodbyes (d: Jota Mun, USA 2024, 96 min)
Billy (d: Lawrence Côté-Collins, Canada (Québec)/Finland 2024, 107 min)
Drowned Land (d: Colleen Thurston (Choctaw Nation), USA 2025, 86 min)
Freeing Juanita (d: Sebastián Lasaosa Rogers, Guatemala/Mexico/USA 2024, 74 min)
The Librarians (d: Kim A. Snyder, USA 2025, 88 min)
Suburban Fury (d: Robinson Devor, USA 2024, 118 min)
Unclickable (d: Babis Makridis, Greece/Cyprus/USA 2024, 74 min)
Viktor (d: Olivier Sarbil, Ukraine/USA 2024, 89 min)
Short Films Competition
Approximately 100 shorts were selected this year to play before features or in one of SIFF’s short film packages, all of which are eligible for the Short Films Competition. The Short Films Competition is divided into three categories: Live Action, Animation, and Documentary, with a cash prize of $2,500 awarded to one winner for each. SIFF is an Academy Award® qualifier in all three categories.
FutureWave Features Competition
Films competing in the FutureWave Features Competition are geared toward viewers aged 13 through 21 and will be judged by a panel of youth filmmakers. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
Golden Space Needle Awards
For the past 31 years, SIFF has celebrated its most popular films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Awards, decided by SIFF audiences, who cast their votes through post-screening ballots. Categories include Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Performance, and Best Short Film.
The awards ceremony will take place at Tagney Jones Hall in the Seattle Opera House on Sunday, May 25, 4:30pm –6:30pm. Select press seats are available; please email press@siff.net to RSVP.
Programs
African Pictures
Bringing the best filmmaking happening in and about Africa today to American audiences. Don’t miss this opportunity to delight in these innovative and inspiring works spanning diverse regions and cultures.
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (d: Kahlil Joseph, USA 2025, 113 min)
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (d: Embeth Davidtz, South Africa 2024, 98 min)
Everybody Loves Touda (d: Nabil Ayouch, France/Morocco/Belgium/Denmark/Netherlands 2024, 101 min)
Hanami (d: Denise Fernandes, Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde 2024, 96 min)
How to Build a Library (d: Maia Lekow, Christopher King, Kenya 2025, 100 min)
Khartoum (d: Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Brahim Snoopy, Timeea Mohamed Ahmed, Phil Cox, Sudan/UK/Germany/Qatar 2025, 80 min)
The Village Next to Paradise (d: Mo Harawe, Somalia/Austria/France/Germany 2024, 133 min)
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.
ALT Shorts: Dead Reckoning (short film package)
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (d: Kahlil Joseph, USA 2025, 113 min)
The Gloria of your Imagination (d: Jennifer Reeves, USA 2024, 98 min)
Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass (d: Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay, United Kingdom/Poland/Germany 2024, 76 min)
Asian Crossroads
Discover the most exciting films to come from Earth’s largest continent with our Asian Crossroads program. Selected films represent a diverse collection of genres from across the regions and cultures of Central, East, and South Asia.
Between Goodbyes (d: Jota Mun, USA 2024, 96 min)
Blue Sun Palace (d: Constance Tsang, USA 2024, 116 min)
Boong (d: Lakshmipriya Devi, India/France 2024, 93 min)
The Botanist (d: Jing Yi, China 2025, 96 min)
By the Stream (d: Hong Sang-soo, South Korea/United States 2024, 111 min)
Cloud (d: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan 2024, 124 min)
Fly Me to the Moon (d: Sasha Chuk, Hong Kong 2023, 112 min)
Happyend (d: Neo Sora, Japan/USA 2024, 113 min)
Little Red Sweet (d: Vincent Chow, Hong Kong 2024, 92 min)
Luz (d: Flora Lau, Hong Kong 2025, 102 min)
Meeting with Pol Pot (d: Rithy Panh, France/Cambodia/Taiwan/Qatar/Turkey 2024, 113 min)
Summer’s Camera (d: Divine Sung, South Korea 2025, 82 min)
To Kill a Mongolian Horse (d: Xiaoxuan Jiang, Malaysia/Hong Kong/South Korea/Japan/Saudi Arabia/Thailand/USA 2024, 97 min)
cINeDIGENOUS
SIFF acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. This program amplifies Indigenous filmmakers worldwide, sharing vital voices for our planet and its people.
Drowned Land (d: Colleen Thurston (Choctaw Nation), USA 2025, 86 min)
Free Leonard Peltier (d: Jesse Short Bull (Oglala Sioux), David France, USA 2025, 110 min)
Ka Whawhai Tonu: Struggle Without End (d: Michael Jonathan, Aotearoa New Zealand/Great Britain 2024, 115 min)
Medicine Circle: Indigenous Stories of Return (short film package)
Remaining Native (d: Paige Bethmann (Haudenosaunee), USA 2025, 87 min)
Tinā (d: Miki Magasiva (Maori), Aotearoa New Zealand 2024, 125 min)
Face the Music
Regular exposure to music and film is essential to maintaining your personal equilibrium. That’s why we created Face the Music, a scientifically proven regimen of music-centered movies for your peak audio-visual health.
1-800-ON-HER-OWN (d: Dana Flor, USA 2024, 78 min)
Monk in Pieces (d: Billy Shebar, David Roberts, USA 2025, 95 min)
Paul Anka: His Way (d: John Maggio, USA 2024, 99 min)
Salsa Lives (d: Juan Carvajal, Colombia 2025, 101 min)
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.
Beef (d: Ingride Santos, Spain/Mexico 2025, 85 min)
Bitter Gold (d: Juan Olea, Chile/Mexico/Uruguay/Germany 2024, 83 min)
Deaf (d: Eva Libertad, Spain 2025, 99 min)
Flamingos: Life After the Meteorite (d: Lorenzo Hagerman, Mexico 2024, 83 min)
Freeing Juanita (d: Sebastián Lasaosa Rogers, Guatemala/Mexico/USA 2024, 74 min)
Hanami (d: Denise Fernandes, Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde 2024, 96 min)
I Am Nevenka (d: Icíar Bollaín, Spain/Italy 2024, 112 min)
Manas (d: Marianna Brennand, Brazil/Portugal 2024, 101 min)
The Nature of Invisible Things (d: Rafaela Camelo, Brazil/Chile 2025, 90 min)
Salsa Lives (d: Juan Carvajal, Colombia 2025, 101 min)
Transfers (d: Nicolás Gil Lavedra, Argentina/Uruguay 2024, 90 min)
Undercover (d: Arantxa Echevarría, Spain 2024, 118 min)
The Wailing (d: Pedro Martín-Calero, Spain/France/Argentina 2024, 107 min)
New American Cinema
Going to the movies has long been a favorite American pastime, and these filmmakers are determined to keep it that way. Each of these films represents a unique voice, and together they reflect the diversity of the American experience.
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (d: Kahlil Joseph, USA 2025, 113 min)
Blue Sun Palace (d: Constance Tsang, USA 2024, 116 min)
By Design (d: Amanda Kramer, USA 2025, 90 min)
Color Book (d: David Fortune, USA 2024, 98 min)
Evergreens (d: Jared Briley, USA 2025, 120 min)
Familiar Touch (d: Sarah Friedland, USA 2024, 91 min)
F*cktoys (d: Annapurna Sriram, USA 2025, 107 min)
Good Boy (d: Ben Leonberg, USA 2025, 73 min)
Invention (d: Courtney Stephens, USA 2024, 72 min)
Monarch City (d: Titus Richard, USA 2025, 70 min)
New Jack Fury (d: Lanfia Wal, USA 2025, 89 min)
Rebuilding (d: Max Walker-Silverman, USA 2025, 95 min)
She’s The He (d: Siobhan McCarthy, USA 2025, 81 min)
Slanted (d: Amy Wang, USA 2025, 104 min)
Sorry, Baby (d: Eva Victor, USA 2025, 104 min)
Twinless (d: James Sweeney, USA 2025, 100 min)
Northwest Connections
Washingtonians have a distinct culture, 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.
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (d: Kahlil Joseph, USA 2025, 113 min)
Evergreens (d: Jared Briley, USA 2025, 120 min)
Monarch City (d: Titus Richard, USA 2025, 70 min)
Sound Visions (short film package)
Suburban Fury (d: Robinson Devor, USA 2024, 118 min)
Wolf Land (d: Sarah Hoffman, USA 2025, 71 min)
WTF: 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.
The Balconettes (d: Noémie Merlant, France 2024, 104 min)
Chain Reactions (d: Alexandre O. Philippe, USA 2024, 101 min)
Dead Lover (d: Grace Glowicki, Canada 2025, 82 min)
F*cktoys (d: Annapurna Sriram, USA 2025, 107 min)
Good Boy (d: Ben Leonberg, USA 2025, 73 min)
Head Trip Shorts (short film package)
New Jack Fury (d: Lanfia Wal, USA 2025, 89 min)
SIFF & CFC Present The Dark Crystal with DJ NicFit (d: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, USA 1982, 93 min)
Spermageddon (d: Tommy Wirkola, Rasmus A. Sivertsen, Norway 2024, 80 min)
The Spirit Cabinet (short film package)
Time Travel is Dangerous (d: Chris Reading, United Kingdom 2024, 100 min)
The Wailing (d: Pedro Martín-Calero, Spain/France/Argentina 2024, 107 min)
Films4Families
Family-friendly films for kids, their chaperones, and anyone with a sense of childlike wonder. Enjoy the bright colors, quirky sound effects, and sweet narratives of these fabulous children’s features and shorts from around the world.
The Family Picture Show (short film package)
Into the Wonderwoods (d: Alexis Ducord, Vincent Paronnaud, France/Luxembourg 2024, 84 min)
Tales from the Magic Garden (d: David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar, Jean-Claude Rozec, Czech Republic/Slovakia/Slovenia/France 2025, 71 min)
FutureWave
Ride the wave of the future with these films curated for viewers aged 13 through 21. Each flick in this program speaks to the experiences unique to coming-of-age viewers as they explore the exciting novelty and grit of the world around them.
Dancing Queen in Hollywood (d: Aurora Gossé, Norway 2025, 87 min)
FutureWave: Teenage Hearts (short film package)
Happyend (d: Neo Sora, Japan/USA 2024, 113 min)
Slanted (d: Amy Wang, USA 2025, 104 min)
Summer’s Camera (d: Divine Sung, South Korea 2025, 82 min)
Unclickable (d: Babis Makridis, Greece/Cyprus/USA 2024, 74 min)
4th World Media Lab
The 4th World Media Lab–celebrating its 10th anniversary this year–is a year-long fellowship for emerging and mid-career Indigenous filmmakers, providing opportunities to develop filmmaking skills and networks through festival participation, hands-on training, masterclasses, workshopping projects in development, pitching activities, and meetings with funders and other industry decision-makers. 4th World Media Lab is a collaborative partnership between festivals, funders, and film industry leaders to mentor, train, and sustain Indigenous filmmakers and their careers. Fellowship activities take place at three international festivals: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival, and Camden International Film Festival. The lab presents and funds six Indigenous..
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