Facing Window won 30th Seattle International Film Festival

Dear PTAA Members and Friends,

We proudly share with you a great news from the 30th Seattle International Film Festival. The director of films "Steam: Turkish Bath/Hamam" and "Harem Suare", Mr. Ferhan Ozpetek's recent film "Facing Window/Karsi Pencere" was awarded the Best Film in Seattle among 248 films after tallying around 70,000 public audience ballots.

Ferzan Ozpetek was also one of the top three runner-ups for the 2004 Golden Space Needle Best Director Award but barely missed the best director award and became the 2nd best director. He also collected USA to collect his previously announced Emerging Master Award. Congratulations!

With elements of mystery, love story and historical rumination, FACING WINDOW weaves an elegantly complex narrative. A young couple tries to help an elderly man overcome his amnesia, while the wife develops an obsession with a man she sees daily through her kitchen window. From the director of STEAM: THE TURKISH BATH.

Below is excerpts from the press brief. You can access to the full article here.

Concluding its 25-day run, the 30th Annual Seattle International Film Festival closes this evening with the North American premiere of Patrice Leconte’s “Intimate Strangers,” followed by the Festival’s Closing Night Gala reception.

Under the new leadership of Festival Director Helen Loveridge and Director of Programming Carl Spence the festival had record box-office – up 20% over last year’s ticket sales. Loveridge said today, “The exceptional dedication of our year round and festival staff and their attention to detail contributed greatly to our most successful year yet.”

In a ceremony held earlier today, the Golden Space Needle Award winners were announced. Determined by popular audience vote, of over 70,000 ballots, awards are given in six different categories—including the Stellar Artois Best Film, Stellar Artois Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Short Film—were selected from over 200 feature films from 50 countries. Also presented were the 30th Annual Seattle International Film Festival’s juried awards: The New American Cinema Award, The New Director’s Showcase Award The Refracting Reality Documentary Award, The Best Live Action Short and The Best Animated Short.

2004 Golden Space Needle Awards:

Stellar Artois Best Film:

Facing Windows (Italy)
directed by Ferzan Ozpetek
Runners-up
1st Runner-Up - The Best of Youth (directed by Marco Tullio Giordana)
2nd Runner-Up - Bonjour Monsieur Shalomi (directed by Shemi Zarhin)
3rd Runner-Up - Twilight Samurai (directed by Yoji Yamada)

Stellar Artois Best Documentary:

Born Into Brothels (India)
directed by Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman
Runners-up
1st Runner-Up - The Corporation (directed by Jennifer Abbott, Mark Achbar)
2nd Runner-Up - Big City Dick (directed by Scott Milam, Ken Harder, Todd Pottinger)
3rd Runner-Up - Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (directed by Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky)

Best Short Film:

Consent (USA)
directed by Jason Reitman
Runners-up
1st Runner-Up - Day Off the Dead (directed by Jeffery Dates, Lee Lanier)
2nd Runner-Up - Oedipus (directed by Jason Wishnow
3rd Runner-Up - Tackle Box (directed by Matthew Mebane)

Lena Sharpe Award
Women in Cinema Award for
Persistence of Vision:

Dear Frankie (Scotland)
directed by Shona Auerbach

Best Actor:
Luis Tosar (Take My Eyes)
1st Runner Up - Zack Braff (Garden State)
2nd Runner Up - Hiroyuki Sanada (Twilight Samurai)
3rd Runner Up - Gerard Depardieu (Ruby & Quentin)

Best Actress:
Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace)
1st Runner Up - Laia Marull (Take My Eyes)
2nd Runner Up - Maggie Cheung (Hero)
3rd Runner Up - Natalie Portman (Garden State)