Local Sightings Film Festival 2018
About
21st Annual Local Sightings Film Festival
September 22-29, 2018
The 2018 edition of Local Sightings featured 75 shorts, features, web series, music videos, and VR projects, incorporating a wide range of stories, perspectives, and approaches to filmmaking, as well as achieving gender parity. Past festival successes have included animated GIF storytelling, interactive site-specific video installations, virtual reality dance films, and educational offerings, including the region’s first-ever Sundance Institute Artist Services Workshop.
Every year, Local Sightings awards one feature and one short film with a cash prize. Festival programmers select outstanding films for the festival’s competition, and guest jurors view the competing films during the festival to decide final awards. The winning feature filmmaker receives $500 in cash and additional screenings at Northwest Film Forum. The winning short filmmaker receives $250 in cash, $250 of studio time and equipment rental.
This year we are also expanding our awards structure to also include: Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, Emerging Filmmaker (first-time director of a feature or short), and an Impact Award (best film for social change). Winners will receive industry giveaways from Northwest Film Forum, Northwest Camera Company, Clatter & Din, SIFF, Glazers, and Naked City Brewery.
Composition Prize
The Seattle Composers Alliance again will present awards for best original score, for features and shorts. Judges include Landon Ashby, Amy Denio, Soren Laulainen, Masha Lepire, and Susan Maughlin Wood. The winning feature composer receives $200 and the short composer $100.
Audience Awards
Naked City Brewery announces the sixth year of its Local Sightings audience award, featuring the people’s choice for best feature and short films. The winners will receive an encore at The Screening Room at the Brewery Taphouse in Greenwood. Look for voting boxes in the Film Forum lobby following each festival screening.