SIFF ANNOUNCES 2013 SHORTSFEST AWARD WINNERS

SEATTLE - The 39^th Seattle International Film Festival, the largest and most-highly attended festival in the United States, today announced this year's ShortsFest Jury Award winners. This year's Festival (May 16 - June 9) features 175 short films, including 31 World, 10 North American, and 8 U.S. premieres.

All ShortsFest films shown at the Festival are eligible for the Golden Space Needle Audience Award. ShortsFest Competition Jurors choose winners in the Live Action, Animation, and Documentary categories   Each ShortsFest Grand Jury winner will receive $1,000 and winners in the three categories are also qualified for the Academy Awards® in their respective Short Film category (Live Action, Animated, or Documentary).   SIFF ShortsFest is sponsored by The Mac Store and Classical KING FM 98.1.  

SIFF 2013 SHORTSFEST AWARD WINNERS

LIVE ACTION
GRAND JURY PRIZE
My Right Eye (The Apple of My Eye), directed by Josecho de Linares (Spain)   
JURY STATEMENT: For its beautifully crafted and profound exploration of love and loss told through touching performances that depict a young man's authentic journey of rediscovery, the jury awards Best Narrative Short to The Apple of My Eye, written and directed by Josecho de Linares. 


SPECIAL JURY PRIZES
Penny Dreadful, directed by Shane Atkinson (USA)
Mobile Homes, directed by Vladimir de Fontenay (USA/France)
Decimation, directed by Wade Jackson (USA)     

JURY STATEMENT: For its stylish direction and a terrific performance by Oona Laurence as a young kidnap victim who turns the tables on her abductors, the jury would like to give a Special Jury Mention to the short film Penny Dreadful.   The jury would also like to award a Special Jury Mention to Mobile Homes, a suspenseful, moving narrative with where the main characters stumble upon a most unexpected means of escape.

The jury awards a Special Jury Mention for outstanding ensemble filmmaking supported by the Northwest filmmaking community to the cast and crew of Decimation, written and directed by Wade Jackson.

DOCUMENTARY 
GRAND JURY PRIZE 
Keep a Modest Head, directed by Deco Dawson (Canada) 

JURY STATEMENT: Although there were many great films to discuss and debate, ultimately there was one film that the jury unanimously felt was particularly worthy of receiving the Best Documentary Short award. For its brilliantly surrealistic imagining of the life of the last of the surrealists, the jury gives its award to

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

Today, directed by Philip Montgomery (USA)  
JURY STATEMENT: For its touching and inspiring story about a man who learns to find meaning in his life's work even after a tragic accident, the jury awards a Special Jury Mention to Today, directed by Phillip Montgomery.    

ANIMATION
GRAND JURY PRIZE

Woody, directed by Stuart Bowen (Australia)     
JURY STATEMENT: For the award for Best Animated Short, the jury has unanimously decided upon a film that told a lovely story about a guy who was just like everyone else, but wanted deeply to be something different than what he was. The filmmakers took the art of film as a visual medium to heart - with no dialogue and without facial expressions, they crafted a complete story that evoked compassion for the character. The jury awards Best Animated Short to Woody, directed by Stuart Bowen.  

SPECIAL JURY PRIZES 

Malaria, directed by Edson Oda (Brazil)
The Hunter, directed by Marieka Walsh (Australia)  
JURY STATEMENT: For its intriguing and original visual storytelling, combined with the tautness of an old-school Western, the jury awards a Special Jury Mention to Malaria, directed by Edson Shundl Oda.   We had a very difficult time making a final decision between two films. After much discussion, the jury has decided to award a Special Jury Mention to The Hunter, directed by Marieka Walsh, for its beautifully simple, yet deeply emotional illustrations integrated into a folk-tale of a story.   

FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AWARDS
WAVEMAKER AWARD (GRAND PRIZE)

The Painted Girl, directed by Ben Kadie (USA)  

THEFILMSCHOOL PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS

A Quest for Peace: Nonviolence Among Religions, directed by Matthew Evans (USA)
Runner up: Laser Rabbit, directed by Matt Wells (USA)

SIFF 2013 SHORTSFEST JURY
JANNAT GARGI 

Jannat Gargi has spent the past 19 years working in the film industry. Her broad experience ranges from production, marketing, acquisitions, and post-production for everything from feature films and documentaries, to short films and new media. For the past 11 years, Jannat served as Vice President of Alpha Cine Labs where she revolutionized the face of the company and was responsible for all areas of new business development strategy, branding, outreach, marketing, advertising and sponsorship. Prior to joining Alpha Cine, Jannat was Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for AtomFilms, where she was responsible for the acquisitions and development department with a library of over 2,000 titles.



LELA MEADOW-CONNER

In 2003, lured by the thought of living in "fly-over country", and by her best friend, festival founder Timothy Gruver, Lela Meadow-Conner traveled to Wichita, Kansas to produce the first Tallgrass Film Festival. She returned to produce the 2004 festival, and from 2005-2010 took on the role of Festival Director. In 2011 she was named Executive Director of the Tallgrass Film Association where she currently oversees festival programming, special events, marketing, social media, budgets, education, community partnerships, and fundraising. In 2012, the 10th annual Tallgrass Film Festival screened over 190 films from 30 countries around the world and hosted more than 40 visiting filmmakers.

KIM VOYNAR 

Kim Voynar is a producer and director for Hostile Work Environment, LLC, a Seattle film production company owned by former Wizards of the Coast owner Peter Adkison. After nine years as a film critic for Movie City News and Cinematical, Voynar transitioned into film production in 2011 with her short film, Bunker, which premiered at the 2012 Seattle International Film Festival. She is currently living the dream, producing and directing a full slate of film projects aimed at the fantasy/gamer market.      

ABOUT THE SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Founded in 1976, SIFF creates experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world with the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and SIFF Education. Recognized as one of the top film festivals in North America, the Seattle International Film Festival (May 16 - June 9, 2013) is the largest, most highly attended film festival in the United States reaching more than 150,000 annually. The 25-day festival is renowned for its wide-ranging and eclectic programming, presenting over 250 features and 150 short films from over 70 countries each year. SIFF Cinema exhibits premiere theatrical engagements, repertory, classic, and revival film showings 365 days a year on four screens at the SIFF Film Center and the historic SIFF Cinema Uptown, reaching more than 100,000 attendees annually. SIFF Education offers educational programs for all audiences serving more than 11,000 students and youth in the community with free programs each year.