In 2026, the Seattle International Film Festival will be celebrating 52 years of presenting the best in international and independent films from around the globe. Running in-person May 7–17 at SIFF Cinemas and venues throughout the city, the 2026 Festival will spotlight new voices alongside established directors, films from more than 70 countries, sensational hit independents, and films that have yet to break through to the US audiences.
The Seattle International Film Festival is consistently ranked as one of the top festivals in North America, and is an Academy Award-qualifying festival for short films, presenting more than 250 features, documentaries, and short films to an audience of roughly 90,000 each year.
SIFF started out as an event aimed squarely at Seattle filmgoers, renowned for their strong support for independent cinema and their sophisticated, maverick tastes. Through the years, Seattle audiences have proven themselves to be remarkably astute judges of a film's theatrical strength in the American marketplace. This, in turn, has made SIFF a great testing ground for new films. SIFF’s emphasis on keeping the Festival an event aimed first and foremost at filmgoers, provides the films themselves with the kind of genuine audience response that has attracted the participation of filmmakers and film distributors for 52 years.
Golden Space Needle Awards
Seattle International Film Festival audiences cast their votes in the categories of Best Film, Documentary Feature, Director, Performance, and Short Film. Among past winners of this expression of SIFF filmgoers esteem are films and talents, who went on to win Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards, as well as a large number of critical and theatrical hits.
In addition, we sponsor nine (9) juried awards in the below categories:
Official Competition*
The SIFF Official Competition celebrates some of the year’s most accomplished films, ranging from first-time directors to established masters. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
New Directors Competition*
The New Directors Competition features a selection of directors who are clearly emerging as major talents. SIFF programmers choose films from around the world, a debut or second feature by the selected director, each chosen on the basis of its original conception, striking style and overall excellence. The films must also be without US distribution at the time of selection. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
New American Cinema Competition*
The New American Cinema Competition features a selection of US films which are clearly emerging as showing considerable vision, a unique voice, and promising future. The films must also be without US distribution at the time of selection. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
Ibero-American Cinema Competition*
The Ibero-American Cinema Competition features a selection of films from Ibero-America who are firmly expressing issues, styles, and talent from the area. The films must also be without US distribution at the time of selection. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
Documentary Film Competition*
A selection of exceptional non-fiction films will be judged by an international panel of jurors who will choose the documentary they feel best illuminates and captures the human spirit, pursues the search for truth, and feeds our insatiable hunger to learn. The films must also be without US distribution at the time of selection. A cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of this competition.
FutureWave Features Competition*
A selection of films curated for young adults will be judged by youth aged 13-18.
Short Film Competitions
Approximately 100 shorts are selected to play before features or in one of our SIFF ShortsFest programs. This is a popular and exciting section of SIFF that has launched the careers of many writers and directors. All shorts selected for the Festival are eligible for this prize. Three cash prizes of $2,500 each will be awarded in the categories of Live Action, Animation, and Documentary. SIFF is an Academy Award® qualifier in all three short film categories.
*Films are selected on an invite only basis from eligible entries by the programming committee.
