The Seattle Film Festival, an IMDb.com qualifying awards event, is about the independent filmmaker. We are small enough so that your film does not get lost in our submissions or schedule. But we are large enough to offer a beautiful screening venue to display and showcase your films and get media coverage.
The festival was co-founded by George Williams and Jason Anderson in 2013 with a focus on short films and documentaries. 2020 was our most successful year date as we had twice as many submissions than in 2019. In his second year as Executive Director, David Harrington opened up more categories to submit to at the Seattle Film Festival to fit the growing number of submissions. Therefore the filmmaker with a limited budget has a better chance to receive real prestige and win meaningful awards. This is a legitimate festival, not just an awards show; we actually display and premier your films in a historic Seattle movie theater in front of a live audience and jury. We had 12 jurors in 2020 which consisted of veteran filmmakers, screenwriters, producers and actors.
The Seattle Film Festival also offers Q & A sessions, real networking opportunities with other independent filmmakers as well as press coverage.
We are part of a solid network of other film festivals so submitting your movies to us will open up many more opportunities for you.
Numerous indie film critics, reviewers and industry insiders have been attending and contributing to our festival.
In 2021 and beyond we are looking to expand our festival with exciting new categories and awards.
***Due to the global 2020 pandemic all movie theaters in Seattle are currently closed until further notice.
Therefore a selection of 2020 Winners will be added to our schedule in 2021, making this year's film festival twice as large. ***
E-certificates and with some awards physical trophies are awarded free. Physical trophies may also be ordered in all categories.
Our award categories are:
Grand Jury Award Best Feature Film
Best Documentary Feature Film
Best Short Film
Best Documentary Short Film
Best Student Film
Best Director Short Film
Best Director Documentary Feature Film
Best Director Feature Film
Best Actress in a Feature Film
Best Actor in a Feature Film
Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film
Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film
Seattle Film Festival Outstanding Performance Award
Best Cinematography Short Film
Best Cinematography Feature Film
Best Original Song
Seattle Film Festival Filmmaker Award
In addition, we have also added new awards to keep up with our growing number of submissions.