New Directors Competition
To qualify for the New Directors Competition, films must be dramatic features, a director’s debut or second feature, and without U.S. 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.
The New Directors Competition jury, comprised of filmmakers, journalists, and industry professionals, selects the winning filmmaker, who will be announced at the Golden Space Needle Awards May 17 and awarded a cash prize of $5,000.
Becoming Human
Cambodia | 2025 | 99 min. | Polen Ly
In this award-winning debut, Polen Ly presents a meditative story about a guardian spirit of an abandoned Battambang cinema who must decide whether to become a homeless spirit after the building’s demolition or become human again.
Cotton Queen
Germany | 2025 | 94 min. | Suzannah Mirghani
In a Sudanese cotton village where the matriarch is rumored to have killed a British general, teenage Nafisa must decide what she owes her grandmother’s legacy and what she’s willing to burn down to claim her own.
Happy Birthday
Egypt | 2025 | 92 min. | Sarah Goher
Eight-year-old Toha has big plans; she wants to throw her friend Nelly a birthday party. But the differences between them will make this a challenge in ways she may not fully understand.
Hijra
Saudi Arabia | 2025 | 114 min. | Shahad Ameen
Sitti is on a pilgrimage to Mecca with her two rebellious granddaughters, Sarah and Janna. But everything changes when one of the granddaughters goes missing.
Shape of Momo
India | 2025 | 115 min. | Tribeny Rai
After quitting her job in Delhi, Bishnu returns to her Himalayan village, only to find the women around her still bound by the same expectations. Change, it turns out, is harder than she thought.
Three of a Kind
Denmark | 2026 | 98 min. | Charlotte Brodthagen
In Charlotte Brodthagen’s tender yet spiky debut feature, a mother and daughter’s cozy Christmas is upended when their estranged grandmother shows up at their cabin.
Trial of Hein
Germany | 2026 | 122 min. | Kai Stänicke
When a man comes ashore on a remote island claiming to be the native son who left long ago, the mistrustful inhabitants of the fishing village hold a formal, three-day trial to determine his identity.