[June 13, 2005] — It's grueling, but we love it! After three and a half weeks, and 348 films later (182 narrative films, a record 55 documentaries and 111 shorts), the Seattle International Film Festival came to a close on Sunday June 12th. The fest had a surprisingly great start, with Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know pick up the Cannes Film Festival’s Camera d’Or Prize just two days after kicking off SIFF 2005. After loads of films and special guests, SIFF wrapped up with the scoop of screening Northwest-boy-made-good Gus Van Sant's highly anticipated, Kurt Cobain-inspired Last Days.

In a ceremony held earlier on the last day of the fest, the Golden Space Needle Award winners were announced. Over 67,000 ballots were cast by SIFF audiences to determine the winner in six different categories—Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Short Film.

A little less ceremoniously, the Fool Serious Awards were also announced. Completely independent from the Golden Space Needle Awards, the Fool Serious voters are a group of full series passholders that have their own voting system and categories. This year, there were 163 ballots turned in, with voters weighing in on Most Liked Films (as well as Least Liked, which they don't like folks to share), as well as Top Documentary, and Top Archival Presentations.

But the coolest thing to come out of these end-of-fest awards was the fact that the short The Raftman's Razor was singled out for not only an audience award, but for the Jury Award for Best Animated Short. Why is this great? Because screenwriter Joel Haskard and director Keith Bearden are old college pals of your very own Moviepie webmistress. Hurrah, boys! Hot diggity dog!

- by Linda

[Be sure to check out Moviepie's reviews from SIFF 2005.]

  SIFF 2005 Golden Space Needle Awards  

BEST PICTURE Innocent Voices (Mexico) directed by Luis Mandoki Runners-up 1st Runner-Up - Howl’s Moving Castle (directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Japan) 2nd Runner-Up - As it is in Heaven (directed by Kay Pollak, Sweden) 3rd Runner-Up - Banlieue 13 (directed by Pierre Morel, France) 4th Runner-Up - Yesterday (directed by Darrell James Roodt, South Africa) BEST DOCUMENTARY Murderball (USA) directed by Henry-Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro Runners-up 1st Runner-Up - The March of the Penguins (directed by Luc Jacquet, France) 2nd Runner-Up - After Innocence (directed by Jessica Sanders, USA) 3rd Runner-Up - Mad Hot Ballroom (directed by Marilyn Agrelo, USA) 4th Runner-Up - Fishermen’s Terminal (directed by B.J. Bullert, USA) BEST SHORT FILM The Raftman’s Razor (directed by Keith Bearden, USA) (winner receives fabulous Power Mac G5 courtesy of IrisInk and Seattle Mac Store) Runners-up 1st Runner-Up - While the Widow is Away (directed by Adam Reid, USA) 2nd Runner-Up - La Vie d'un Chien (directed by John Harden, USA) 3rd Runner-Up - Cashback (directed by Sean Ellis, United Kingdom) 4th Runner-Up - The Mantis Parable (directed by Joshua Staub, USA)

BEST ACTOR Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Mysterious Skin, USA) 1st Runner Up - Peter Sarsgaard (The Dying Gaul, USA) 2nd Runner Up - Mathieu Amalric (King and Queens, France) 3rd Runner Up - Romain Duris (The Beat That My Heart Skipped, France) 4th Runner Up - Parviz Parastui (The Lizard, Iran) BEST ACTRESS Joan Allen (Yes, USA) 1st Runner Up - Maggie Cheung (Clean, France) 2nd Runner Up - Glenn Close (Heights, USA) 3rd Runner Up - Shirley Henderson (Frozen, United Kingdom) 4th Runner Up - Amy Adams (Junebug, USA) BEST DIRECTOR Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin, USA) 1st Runner Up - Sally Potter (Yes, USA) 2nd Runner Up - Susanne Bier (Brothers, Denmark) 3rd Runner Up (3-way tie) - Wong Kar-wai (2046, Hong Kong), Kim Ki-duk (3-Iron, South Korea) and Alice Wu (Saving Face, USA) 4th Runner Up - Drew Emery (Inlaws and Outlaws, USA) LENA SHARPE AWARD Women in Cinema Award for Persistence in Vision After Innocence directed by Jessica Sanders

  SIFF 2005 Jury Awards  

Grand Jury Prize, Best New Director: Ilya Khrzhanovsky, 4 (Russia) Special Jury Prize, Best New Director: Brad McGann, In My Father’s Den (New Zealand) Grand Jury Prize, Best New American Film: Swimmers, directed by Doug Sadler Special Jury Prize, Best New American Film: Ellie Parker, directed by Scott Coffey Grand Jury Prize, Best Documentary: Based on a True Story, directed by Walter Stokman (Netherlands)

Special Jury Prize, Best Documentary: Trudell, directed by Heather Rae (US) Grand Jury Prize, Best Live Action Short: Everything In This Country Must, directed by Gary McKendry (UK) Grand Jury Prize, Best Animated Short: The Raftman’s Razor, directed by Keith Bearden (US) Special Jury Prizes for Best Short: Can’t Stop Breathing, directed by Amy Neil (Scotland) Phantom Limb, directed by Jay Rosenblatt (US) La Vie D’Un Chien, directed by John Harden (US)

  SIFF 2005 Fool Serious Awards  

MOST LIKED Howl's Moving Castle Runners-up Banlieue 13 The Lizard The Ninth Day Yes Forgiveness Our Own 3-Iron Machuca Unconscious

TOP DOCUMENTARIES The Heart of the Game Runners-up Real Dirt on Farmer John Mad Hot Ballroom Touch the Sound TOP ARCHIVAL PRESENTATIONS The Circus Runners-up Gorky Trilogy 2: Apprentice Gorky Trilogy 1: Childhood Peach Girl

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