34th Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) Award Winners

After 25 days last Sunday the fest had the closing ceremony and announced the award winners.

New American Cinema Competition
Grand Jury Prize: Em, Tony Barbieri, USA, 2007
Jury Statement: “In Em, writer-director Tony Barbieri tackles the timely and original subject of love and mental illness, with the help of his two excellent leads, Stef Willen and Nathan Wetherington. It’s a sweet, sad, scary movie that feels completely contemporary.”
Special Jury Prize: The Bluetooth Virgin, Russell Brown, USA, 2008

New Directors Showcase Competition
Grand Jury Prize: Tout est Parfait (Everthing is Fine), Yves-Christian Fournier, Canada, 2007
Special Jury Prize: Rusalka (Mermaid), Anna Melikyan, Russia, 2007

Golden Space Needle Audience Awards
Best Film: Kirschblüten - Hanami (Cherry Blossoms – Hanami), Doris Dörrie, Germany
Best Director: Amin Matalqa for Captain Abu Raed, Jordan

To check all the award winners including documentaries and shorts go here and I suggest you browse the site to check all the films screened in the fest.