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2024 IMPACT REPORT

from THE BOARD PRESIDENT

Dear SIFF Community,

I’m proud to share the 2024 SIFF Impact Report—a look back at an extraordinary year shaped by supporters like you. This report provides an opportunity for us to share the ways that put your donations to work in our community. In 2024, we celebrated major milestones, including the 50th Seattle International Film Festival and our first full year at SIFF Cinema Downtown, where new films and longtime favorites brought our community together night after night.

Another significant accomplishment in 2024 was SIFF’s creation of a new four-year Strategic Plan, designed to affirm SIFF’s foundational goals and guide our work ahead. This resource will help us clarify our role in making Seattle a destination city for the movie-lovers by reaching more people, and enriching lives through film discovery and arts education. The plan commits us to preserving access to our programs, deepening community partnerships, supporting young storytellers, and keeping racial equity and social justice central to all we do.

None of this progress would be possible without you. Your tickets, memberships, donations, and enthusiasm fuel SIFF’s mission and help keep our cinemas vibrant, welcoming spaces for film lovers of all ages.

On behalf of the Board, thank you for your passion and support. We’re excited for the years ahead and grateful to continue this journey with you.

With appreciation,

Chris Newell Board President

SIFF’S NEW MISSION, VISION, & VALUES

MISSION

SIFF is a Seattle-based arts nonprofit dedicated to the creation of vibrant experiences and spaces that champion film discovery and arts education.

VISION

We envision a thriving arts ecosystem where film discovery encourages a more empathetic, joyful, and connected world.

VALUES

Partnership

We build meaningful relationships with community members and colleagues, working in collaborative ways to create equitable and authentic connections.

Inclusion

We create welcoming spaces that are accessible to all where everyone can feel a shared sense of respect and belonging, no matter your story.

Courage

We act with intention, transparency and accountability in our work. We host films and filmmakers that may not otherwise have a platform.

Curiosity

We approach our work with a desire to learn and explore something new. We encourage audiences to learn more about themselves and more about the world.

Sustainability

We ensure our processes and our outcomes are financially, operationally, and environmentally sustainable in the short and long term. We recognize our impact and that we are part of a greater local and global footprint.

SIFF’S PILLARS

We center our work on our four pillars of service, grounding our mission in these tangible ways of reaching audiences, promoting arts education, and serving our community.

CINEMA

SIFF Cinema delivers year-round programming that encompasses arthouse, independent, and mainstream films, alongside notable international works, distinctive special events, and thoughtfully curated series. Our venues—SIFF Cinema Downtown, SIFF Cinema Uptown, and the SIFF Film Center—stand as cultural landmarks, presenting the diverse and innovative storytelling that defines SIFF.

In 2024, more than 235,000 film lovers experienced SIFF’s theaters. This remarkable engagement reflects SIFF’s leadership in championing film as a powerful cultural force, and, with your support, ensures that the shared cinematic experience continues to inspire, connect, and enrich our community.

FESTIVAL

Each year, the Seattle International Film Festival provides audiences with a remarkable opportunity to encounter new perspectives and underrepresented voices, inviting moviegoers on a cinematic journey around the globe on our screens.

SIFF selects and presents more than 250 films from dozens of countries and regions around the world, and the Festival has become a vibrant platform for cultural exchange and artistic discovery. In 2024, nearly 95,000 attendees joined us in celebrating the Festival’s 50th anniversary—an extraordinary milestone in a story that began in 1976 with a vision few could have imagined. Today, SIFF is recognized as one of the largest and most influential nonprofit film organizations in the United States, having showcased more than 10,000 films over the past five decades, and continuing to inspire, connect, and transform through the power of cinema.

EDUCATION

SIFF Education empowers youth and adults alike through a diverse range of year-round programs, from SIFF Film Camps and workshops to Film Talks and retrospectives. The films we present do more than entertain—they spark dialogue, inspire action, and challenge audiences to think deeply. Programs like SIFF Film Talks create meaningful spaces for exploration and conversation, fostering a lifelong love and appreciation for cinema.

Through our Youth Education initiatives, we place the tools of filmmaking directly into the hands of young people across King County, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and creativity to tell their own stories. By partnering with local organizations—including Girl Scouts of Western Washington, LANGSTON, Red Eagle Soaring, and the Pacific Middle School Film Club—we extend the reach and impact of our work.

Your support helps cultivate the next generation of filmmakers, programmers, and passionate filmgoers. Together, we ensure that the transformative power of cinema continues to inspire creativity, develop media literacy, and shape a culture of cinematic literacy—today and for generations to come.

SIFFsupports

Established in 2016, the SIFFsupports program opens SIFF venues as host spaces, and provides marketing and technical assistance to SIFFsupports partners. SIFF collaborates with Pacific Northwestbased filmmakers, artists, and nonprofit organizations, as well as a diverse group of community-based film festivals, elevating SIFF’s mission of creating experiences that bring people together around film.

Providing benefits such as discounted rental rates, ticketing and box office services, marketing support, co-branding, and cinema technical support, the program partners with nearly 100 individuals and organizations annually, offering $150,000 in rental discounts, and attracts over 28,000 attendees to SIFFsupports programs. These partnerships allow SIFF to strengthen our film community, intentionally growing the space for diverse voices, perspectives, and audiences.

MILESTONES

50TH SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

SIFF was thrilled to celebrate our milestone ‘golden anniversary’ with the community. During the 50th Seattle International Film Festival 261 films from 84 countries were screened, including 92 features and 47 documentaries. Numerous world, North American, and U.S. premieres were held across a network of Seattle theaters including the newly opened SIFF Cinema Downtown; and were also shown virtually for a week on the SIFF Channel. The festival featured a dynamic lineup of films spanning diverse genres and showcasing a strong commitment to emerging filmmakers, underrepresented voices, and innovative programming such as the cINeDIGENOUS series and 4th World Media Lab. Audiences also gathered to celebrate tributes that honored Seattle-born Jean Smart with The Hollywood Reporter Trailblazer Award, and June Squibb with the Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema.

Opening with Josh Margolin’s action-comedy THELMA and closing with Greg Kwedar’s SING SING, the festival included industry engagement, audience awards, and celebrations across multiple Seattle venues and online platforms, solidifying SIFF’s role as a vibrant hub for international film culture and community for another 50 years.

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ARCHIVES

Launched in conjunction with the 50th Festival, the newly completed SIFF Archives represent the efforts of nearly two years of dedicated work compiling, digitizing, and organizing historical SIFF materials. Thanks to a generous grant from 4Culture’s Heritage Collections Care program, the archives offer interactive flipbooks of festival catalogs, photo and video assets, complete lists of feature films from each year, and other highlights. Researchers and casual fans alike can explore the digital treasures and learn about the city’s vibrant film scene, with almost fifty years of entertaining physical and digital media.

SIFF GRANT FOR COURAGEOUS DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING

Through generous support from the Satterberg Foundation, in May 2024 we announced the SIFF Grant for Courageous Documentary Filmmaking, which provided $400,000 in grants to six documentary filmmakers based in Washington State. The grants recognized filmmakers whose projects demonstrate moral courage by addressing challenging subjects despite risks. The six recipients were chosen from 89 entries by a panel of distinguished judges, with the selected projects being: BRING THEM HOME, DEAR ALOHA , LIFE AFTER LIFE, SEATTLE BLACK PANTHERS: FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AND FREEDOM , SHELLY’S LEG , and VIEW FROM THE FLOOR . Excitingly, the program has continued into 2025 and beyond, to award nearly $2M over the next five years.

“I AM A HUGE FAN OF SIFF— I CONSIDER MY MEMBERSHIP A DONATION BUT WILL ALSO CONSIDER DONATING OUTSIDE OF THAT. THANK YOU

FOR BRINGING

AMAZING FILM TO SEATTLE YEAR ROUND AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE FESTIVAL!”

2024 SIFF CINEMA DOWNTOWN YEAR IN REVIEW

When SIFF Cinema Downtown opened its doors in December 2023, it became a new favorite home for film lovers— welcoming nearly 95,000 guests in its very first year. Thanks to your support, audiences gathered with chocolate popcorn in hand to share in the magic of movies together.

From WONKA to WICKED, DUNE: PART TWO to DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, our screens lit up with blockbusters that wowed audiences with breathtaking visuals and sound. We also revisited classics and cult favorites with show-stopping retrospectives, including Peter Jackson’s epic LORD OF THE RINGS and HOBBIT sagas, the whimsical worlds of Studio Ghibli, and every irreverent SHREK adventure. Add to that unforgettable repertory re-releases like THE SHINING and THE FALL, and SIFF Cinema Downtown proved to be a place where the magic of movies—old and new— came alive.

Your generosity also made it possible for SIFF Cinema Downtown to shine during the 50th Seattle International Film Festival. In May 2024, the theater became a Festival centerpiece, hosting more than 30 films for nearly 6,000 attendees. From thoughtprovoking documentaries to groundbreaking features, SIFF Cinema Downtown’s technical excellence and welcoming atmosphere created unforgettable Festival experiences.

Because of donors like you, our first year was filled with milestones:

• 46,930 popcorns served

• 21,295 sodas poured

• 19,142 cinema workers/hours

• 1,934 volunteer hours

Every number tells a story of community, connection, and discovery—stories that would not be possible without you. With your continued support, we’re making improvements at the theater, sharing even more dynamic programming, and preparing for a second year of film experiences that will inspire and delight.

Thank you for making SIFF Cinema Downtown’s first year extraordinary. Together, we’re keeping the future of film strong in Seattle.

INCOME and EXPENSES

$802,500

$9,495,517

$559,380

$6,347,132

$537,861

$1,768,212

$9,993,094

“MY FAVORITE SIFF MEMORY WAS SEEING MY SISTER HAVE FUN [AT SIFF FILMMAKING CAMP]... BACK THEN, SHE WAS A VERY QUIET PERSON AND WASN’T VERY SOCIAL. BUT WHEN I STARTED SEEING HER SMILE AND LAUGH IT MADE ME FEEL GOOD.”

“I ALWAYS DISCOVER SOMETHING I WOULD NEVER HAVE FOUND OTHERWISE.”

“SIFF BRINGS THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER—DON’T LOSE THAT.”

“BEING A PART OF SIFF HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE. THE PAST THREE YEARS I’VE REALLY GROWN INTO MYSELF.”

“ THANKS SO MUCH! YOU MAKE SEATTLE EXTRA SPECIAL FOR ME AND THE FILM COMMUNITY AND I’M GRATEFUL.”

“LOTS OF FILMS FROM COUNTRIES I WOULDN’T OTHERWISE GET TO SEE.”

“SIFF IS A CULTURAL GEM IN SEATTLE.”

“ THANK YOU SO MUCH; I AM SO GRATEFUL TO LIVE SOMEWHERE WITH SUCH AN INCREDIBLE INDEPENDENT FESTIVAL AND CONSISTENTLY HIGH-QUALITY YEARROUND PROGRAMMING!”

SIFF BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers

SIFF

$5,000–$14,999