Seattle International Film Festival 2026 Archive

Seattle International Film Festival 2026

Relive the 52nd Seattle International Film Festival. Read key details, flip through the full Festival catalog, see photos and other media, and find a full list of feature-length films presented at the 2026 Seattle International Film Festival. You can also see the full lineup in our Letterboxd list.

Dates: May 7–17, 2026
Number of Days: 11
Venues: PACCAR IMAX Theater at Pacific Science Center, Paramount Theatre, Seattle Central Library, SIFF Cinema Downtown, SIFF Film Center, SIFF Cinema Uptown

Opening Night: I Love Boosters at The Paramount Theatre
Closing Night: The Invite at SIFF Cinema Downtown


FESTIVAL CATALOG

TRAILER

PHOTOS

Boots Riley walks the SIFF Opening Night red carpet ahead of screening his film I Love Boosters. | May 7, 2026 | Photo by Elizabeth Crook

Moviegoers lined up for April X outside Pacific Science Center PACCAR IMAX Theater | May 8, 2026 | Photo by Ashlyn Gehrett

Director of Again Again, Mia Moore Marchant signs excited audience members posters. | May 11, 2026 | Photo by Elizabeth Crook

A packed theater listens to an introduction by filmmakers for RADIOHEART: The Drive and Times of DJ Kevin Cole | May 12, 2026 | Photo by Ashlyn Gehrett

"Achieve Optimal Cinelation" reads over the line outside Sound Visions shorts program | May 13, 2026 | Photo by Jesse Sieden

The Invite Director and Star Olivia Wilde interviews with local press inside the SIFF Downtown | May 17, 2026 | Photo by Eric Luck
I Love Boosters
Again Again
The Invite
Powwow People
Edie Arnold is a Loser
Obsession
Silent Friend
Mārama

FULL LINEUP DETAILS

List of Feature-Length Films

100 Sunset - dir. Kunsang Kyirong, 2025, Canada

Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] - dir. Adam Khalil (Ojibway), Zack Khalil (Ojibway), 2026, USA/Denmark

Again Again - dir. Mia Moore, Heather Ballish, 2026, USA

American Doctor - dir. Poh Si Teng, 2026, USA/Palestine/Malaysia/Qatar

Amrum - dir. Fatih Akin, 2025, Germany

Another World - dir. Tommy Ng Kai Chung, 2025, Hong Kong

April X - dir. Michel K. Parandi, 2025, USA/Romania

The Ascent - dir. Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, Francis Cronin, 2026, USA/Tanzania

Assets & Liabilities - dir. Zach Weintraub, 2026, USA

Balandrau, Where the Fierce Wind Blew - dir. Fernando Trullols, 2026, Spain

Barbara Forever - dir. Brydie O’Connor, 2026, USA

Beat the Lotto - dir. Ross Whitaker, 2025, Ireland

Becoming Human - dir. Polen Ly, 2025, Cambodia

The Best Summer - dir. Tamra Davis, 2026, USA/Australia/Indonesia/Philippines/Thailand

The Big Cheese - dir. Sara Joe Wolansky, 2025,  USA/France/Sweden

Birds of War - dir. Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak, 2026,United Kingdom/Syria/Lebanon

Black Burns Fast - dir. Sanduela Asanda, 2026, South Africa

Body Blow - dir. Dean Francis, 2025, Australia/USA

Boorman and the Devil - dir. David Kittredge, 2025, USA

Broken English - dir. Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard, 2025, United Kingdom

Bucks Harbor - dir. Peter Muller, 2026, USA

Burn - dir. Makoto Nagahisa, 2026, Japan

Camp - dir. Avalon Fast, 2025, Canada

Case 137 - dir. Dominik Moll, 2025, France

Chili Finger - dir. Edd Benda, Stephen Helstad, 2026, USA

The Condor Daughter - dir. Alvaro Olmos Torrico (Quechua), 2025, Bolivia

Cookie Queens - dir. Alysa Nahmias, 2026, USA

Cotton Queen - dir. Suzannah Mirghani, 2025, Germany/France/Palestine/Egypt/Qatar/Saudi Arabia/Sudan 

Crystal Cross - dir. Richie James Follin (Cherokee), 2025, USA

Cuba & Alaska - dir. Yegor Troyanovsky, 2025, Ukraine/France/Belgium

Deadline - dir. Kiwi Chow, 2026, Taiwan/Hong Kong/United Kingdom

Drunken Noodles - dir. Lucio Castro, 2025,USA/Argentina

Edie Arnold is a Loser - dir. Kade Atwood, 2026, USA

EIGHT BRIDGES - dir. James Benning, 2026, USA

En Route To - dir. Yoo Jaein, 2025, South Korea

Fifteen - dir. Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha, 2026, Mexico/Argentina

Franz - dir. Agnieszka Holland, 2025, Czech Republic/Poland/Germany/France/Turkey

The Friend’s House is Here - dir. Hossein Keshavarz, Maryam Ataei, 2026, Iran/USA

The Furious - dir. Kenji Tanigaki, 2025, Hong Kong/China

The Garden We Dreamed - dir. Joaquín del Paso, 2026, Mexico

Gaua - dir. Paul Urkijo, 2025, Spain

Ghost in the Machine - dir. Valerie Veatch, 2026, USA

Hanging by a Wire - dir. Mohammed Ali Naqvi, 2026, Pakistan/United Kingdom/USA

Happy Birthday - dir. Sarah Goher, 2025, Egypt

Hen - dir. György Pálfi, 2025, Germany/Greece/Hungary

Hijra - dir. Shahad Ameen, 2025, Saudi Arabia/Iraq/Egypt/UK

Hold Onto Me - dir. Myrsini Aristidou, 2026, Cyprus

Hot Water - dir. Ramzi Bashour, 2026, USA

I Love Boosters - dir. Boots Riley, 2026, USA

I Want Your Sex - dir. Gregg Araki, 2026, USA

If I Go Will They Miss Me - dir. Walter Thompson-Hernández, 2026, USA

The Invite - dir. Olivia Wilde, 2026, USA

It Would Be Night in Caracas - dir. Mariana Rondón, Marité Ugás, 2025, Mexico/Venezuela

Iván & Hadoum - dir. Ian de la Rosa, 2026, Spain/Germany/Belgium

Jaripeo - dir. Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig, 2026, Mexico/USA/France

Kikuyu Land - dir. Andrew H. Brown (Huron-Wyandot), Bea Wangondu (Kikuyu), 2026, Kenya/USA

Lady - dir. Samuel Abrahams, 2025United Kingdom

Late Fame - dir. Kent Jones, 2025, USA

The Life We Leave - dir. JJ Gerber, 2026, USA

Love Chaos Kin - dir. Chithra Jeyaram, 2025, USA/India

Lucky Lu - dir. Lloyd Lee Choi, 2025, USA/Canada

Maintenance Artist - dir. Toby Perl Freilich, 2025, USA

Mārama - dir. Taratoa Stappard (Māori), 2025, New Zealand

Maspalomas - dir. Aitor Arregi, Jose Mari Goenaga, 2025, Spain

Meadowlarks - dir. Tasha Hubbard (Cree), 2025, Canada

Murder in the Building - dir. Rémi Bezançon, 2026, France

Nuisance Bear - dir. Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman, 2026, USA/Canada/United Kingdom

Obsession - dir. Curry Barker, 2025, USA

One of Our Own: A Tribute to Joan Roca - dir. Jorge Fernández Mayoral, Virginia Jönas Urigüen, 2025, Spain

Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero - dir. Bayan Joonam, 2026, USA

Power Ballad - dir. John Carney, 2026, Ireland/USA

Powwow People - dir. Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians), 2025, USA

Primavera - dir. Damiano Michieletto, 2025, Italy/France

Prisoners of the Earth - dir. Mario Soffici, 1939, Argentina

Promised Sky - dir. Erige Sehiri, 2025, Tunisia/France/Qatar

Queen Kelly - dir. Erich von Stroheim, 1929, USA

RADIOHEART: The Drive and Times of DJ Kevin Cole - dir. Peter Hilgendorf, Andrew Franks, 2026, USA

The Red Hangar - dir. Juan Pablo Sallato, 2026, Chile/Argentina/Italy

Renoir - dir. Chie Hayakawa, 2025, Japan/France/Singapore/Philippines/Indonesia/Qatar/USA

Reservation Redemption - dir. Brenda Fisher (Yakama), Blake Pickens (Chickasaw), 2026, USA

The Restoration at Grayson Manor - dir. Glenn McQuaid, 2025, Ireland

Rising Through the Fray - dir. Courtney Montour (Kanien'kehá:ka), 2025, Canada (Quebec)

Roid - dir. Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, 2026, Bangladesh

Salvation - dir. Emin Alper, 2026, Turkey/France/Netherlands/Greece/Sweden/Saudi Arabia

See You When I See You - dir. Jay Duplass, 2026, USA

The Seoul Guardians - dir. Jong-woo Kim, Shin-Wan Kim, Chul-Young Cho, 2026, South Korea

Shape of Momo - dir. Tribeny Rai, 2025, India/South Korea

Silent Friend - dir. Ildikó Enyedi, 2025, Germany/Hungary

The Songbirds' Secret - dir. Antoine Lanciaux, 2025, France

Sons of the Neon Night - dir. Juno Mak, 2025, Hong Kong/China

Soul Patrol - dir. J.M. Harper, 2026, USA

Strange River - dir. Jaume Claret Muxart, 2025, Spain/Germany

Sundays - dir. Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, 2025, Spain

Tell Everyone - dir. Alli Haapasalo, 2026, Finland/Denmark

Three Goodbyes - dir. Isabel Coixet, 2025, Italy/Spain

Three of a Kind - dir. Charlotte Brodthagen, 2026, Denmark

To Hold a Mountain - dir. Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić, 2026, Serbia/France/Montenegro/Slovenia

Trial of Hein - dir. Kai Stänicke, 2026, Germany

Under a Million Stars - dir. Chezik Tsunoda, 2026, USA

Valentina - dir. Tatti Ribeiro, 2025, USA

When A Witness Recants - dir. Dawn Porter, 2026, USA

Awards

Best Film - Edie Arnold is a Loser | dir. Megan Rico, Kade Atwood (USA)

Best Documentary - The Life We Leave | dir. JJ Gerber (USA)

Best Director - Ildikó Enyedi, Silent Friend (Germany/Hungary)

Best Performance - Inde Navarrette, Obsession (USA)

Best Short Film - The Gnawer of Rocks | dir. Louise Flaherty (Inuktitut) (Canada)

Lena Sharpe Award For Persistence Of Vision, presented By Women In Film Seattle - The Big Cheese | dir. Sara Joe Wolansky (USA)

Juried Competition Awards – Features

The Jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects a winning film for each category. Winning features are awarded a cash prize of $5,000 each.

Official Competition Grand Jury Prize – Mārama | dir. Taratoa Stappard (Māori) (New Zealand 2025)

Official Competition Special Jury Mention – Burn | dir. Makoto Nagahisa (Japan 2026), recognized as "Feel Bad Film of the Year"

Ibero-American Competition Grand Jury Prize – The Garden We Dreamed | dir.  Joaquín del Paso (Mexico 2026)

Ibero-American Competition Special Jury Mention – The Red Hangar | dir. Juan Pablo Sallato (Chile/Argentina/Italy 2026) - Recognized for Best Direction

New Directors Competition Grand Jury Prize – Shape of Momo | dir. Tribeny Rai (India/South Korea 2025)

New American Cinema Competition Grand Jury Prize –  Lucky Lu | dir. Lloyd Lee Choi (USA/Canada 2025)

Dan Ireland Prize - Hot Water | dir. Ramzi Bashour (USA 2026)

Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize – Birds of War | dir. Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak (United Kingdom/Syria/Lebanon 2026)

Documentary Competition Special Jury Mention – The Seoul Guardians | dir. Jong-woo Kim, Shin-Wan Kim, Chul-Young Cho (South Korea 2026) - Recognized for "Courage and Democracy"

Juried Competition Awards – Shorts

The Jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects a winning film for each category. Winning shorts are awarded a cash prize of $2,500 each.

Live Action Short Grand Jury Prize – Scout's Honor | dir. Isabel Pask (USA)

Live Action Short Special Jury Mention – Nobody Knows the World | dir. Roddy Dextre (Peru)

Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize – Still Standing | dirs. Victor Tadashi Suarez, Livia Albeck-Ripka (USA)

Documentary Short Special Jury Mention  The Baker’s Hotline | dirs. Emily Schuman, Dave Schuman (USA), recognized as "Standout Heartwarming Tale” 

Documentary Short Special Jury Mention – Dick’s-A-Thon | dir. Dylan Young (USA), recognized as "Spirit of Seattle”

Animated Short Grand Jury Prize  With Tapes and Toasts in the Car | dir. Kiana Naghshineh (Germany/France)

Animated Short Special Jury Mention  Gnawer of Rocks | dir. Louise Flaherty (Inuktitut) (Canada), recognized as “Best Traditional Legend” 

Animated Short Special Jury Mention – Acid City | dirs. Jack Wedge, Will Freudenheim (USA), recognized as “Most Visionary World-Building” 

Animated Short Special Jury Mention – Paper Trail | dir. Don Hertzfeldt (USA), recognized as “Standout Experimental Storytelling” 

Special Programs & Events

4th World Media Lab

Free screening at Seattle Central Library: Reservation Redemption

Golden Space Needle Awards

Midnight Screenings at SIFF Cinema Downtown: Obsession, The Restoration at Grayson Manor, Fifteen, The Furious

SIFF & CFC Present Nightmare on Elm Street with DJ NicFit

Secret Fest - 2 screenings at SIFF Cinema Downtown