New American Cinema Competition
None of these films have a distributor (yet), but they all have a champion on SIFF’s programming team. New American Cinema fields the largest number of submissions out of any of SIFF’s competitions by far. With so many entries, only a fraction can make it to the finals, and this stiff competition means that each of the finalist films has the potential to change the landscape of American cinema—they’re that good.
The New American Cinema Competition jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects the winning film, which will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards May 17 and awarded a cash prize of $5,000.
April X
USA | 2025 | 93 min. | Michel K. Parandi
A black-market body-parts hustler (Connor Storrie) desperately searches for his missing twin sister who can digitally record her dreams. As he digs deeper, a sinister conspiracy threatens to consume them both in this sci-fi noir thriller.
Crystal Cross
USA | 2025 | 88 min. | Richie James Follin (Cherokee)
A quirky Christian singer and a suicidal loner road trip across America, forging an unlikely bond. Crystal Cross is a tender, offbeat meditation on faith, fracture, and unexpected connection, enveloped in an excellent soundtrack.
Edie Arnold is a Loser
USA | 2026 | 73 min. | Megan Rico, Kade Atwood
Lace up your combat boots and whip out that black eyeliner for Edie Arnold is a Loser, an infectiously charming coming-of-age flick about a self-proclaimed loser starting a punk band at her Catholic high school.
Hot Water
USA | 2026 | 97 min. | Ramzi Bashour
A Lebanese-born mother drives her troublesome son across the U.S. after he is expelled for fighting at school. Along the way, the bickering duo find common ground in this charming debut-feature dramedy from Ramzi Bashour.
Lucky Lu
USA | 2025 | 103 min. | Lloyd Lee Choi
A NYC delivery rider’s world is turned upside down when he loses his only source of income. With his family on their way from Asia, Lu is forced to navigate the unforgiving city and fight to protect the fragile life he’s spent years building.
Valentina
USA | 2025 | 84 min. | Tatti Ribeiro
In this humorous docu-comedy, Keyla Monterrose Mejia shines as the titular character Valentina, a beleaguered El Paso resident confronting city council in her campaign for local economic justice.