The Winners at SIFF

The 35th edition of the Seattle International Film Festival concluded on Sunday with two sets of awards. First are the popular awards, the tally of torn-up cards left at the end of each screening by some 60,000 SIFF goers. The Golden Space Needle went to Black Dynamite, a fairly deadpan, consistently funny blaxploitation comedy made in the style of the '70s originals. Starring former action star Michael Jai White (pictured), the film is set for Sept. 4 release. It has midnight movie written all over it; but, even more than Grindhouse (which had some recognizable stars), the audience may be limited to video store clerks and genre aficionados.

Best documentary, no surprise, went to the Dirty Dozen-style eco doc The Cove (expected Aug. 7), about crusading environmentalists determined to expose dolphin slaughter in a secretive Japanese village. Best director: Kathryn Bigelow, for her excellent The Hurt Locker (July 10), about bomb disposal experts in the early Iraq War. Best actor: Sam Rockwell for his multiple roles in the sci-fi psych job Moon (July 3). Best actress: Yolande Moreau in the biopic about a pioneering French painter, Seraphine (July 24).

Most of these titles will receive encore screenings this coming weekend, June 19-21, at SIFF Cinema. Awards continue after the jump...

Then there are the jury awards, bestowed by SIFF judges among the fest's various categories. From the SIFF press release:

New Directors Showcase Competition
Grand Jury Prize
The Other Bank, directed by George Ovashvili

Documentary Competition
Grand Jury Prize
talhotblond, directed by Barbara Schroeder

Special Jury Prize
Manhole Children, directed by Yoshio Harada

Short Film Jury Awards
Narrative Grand Jury Prize
Short Term 12, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

Youth Jury Award for Best FutureWave Feature
Best FutureWave Feature
My Suicide, directed by David Lee Miller

Special Jury Award
Sounds Like Teen Spirit, directed by Jamie J. Johnson