Richard Linklater‘s adventurous and unconventional “Boyhood,” which was filmed over a period of 12 years as a young boy aged from preschool to high school graduation, won three top awards at the Seattle International Film Festival’s Golden Space Needle Awards, SIFF organizers announced on Sunday during a ceremony at Seattle’s Space Needle.
“Boyhood” was named the best film of the marathon 25-day, 452-film festival, while Linklater was named best director and Patricia Arquette was named best actress. Arquette and Ethan Hawke star as the parents of newcomer Ellar Coltrane; the cast and crew reconvened for a few weeks each year to shoot new scenes, which were then assembled into a casual but singular portrait of a life.
See video: Ethan Hawke Watches Son Grow Up in First Trailer for Richard Linklater’s ‘Boyhood’ (Video)
Runners-up for the best-film prize included Maciej Pieprzyca’s “Life Feels Good,” Dean Deblois‘ “How To Train Your Dragon 2,” Josh Boone’s “The Fault in Our Stars” and John Jeffcoat’s “Big in Japan.”
The documentary award went to “Keep On Keepin’ On,” Alan Hicks’ chronicle of jazz trumpeter Clark Terry.
Dawid Ogrodnik was named best actor for the Polish film “Life Feels Good.”
Jury awards went to “10,000KM” by Carlos Marques-Marcet, which won the top prize unanimously, and Mark Grieco’s documentary “Marmato.” The jury prize in the 2014 Best New American Cinema category went to Scott Cohen’s “Red Knot,” with Olivia Thirlby.
The festival began on May 15 with a screening of John Ridley’s Jimi Hendrix story “Jimi: All Is By My Side” and concluded on Sunday with Charlie McDowell’s “The One I Love,” with Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss.
Also read: ‘Boyhood’ Review From Sundance: In Richard Linklater’s Latest, the Child is the Father of the Man
The awards:
SIFF 2014 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARDS
Best Film: “Boyhood,” directed by Richard Linklater
First runner-up: “Life Feels Good,” directed by Maciej Pieprzyca
Second runner-up: “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” directed by Dean DeBlois
Third runner-up: “The Fault in Our Stars,” directed by Josh Boone
Fourth runner-up: “Big in Japan,” directed by John Jeffcoat
Best Documentary: “Keep On Keepin’ On,” directed by Alan Hicks
First runner-up: “Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory,” directed by Michael Rossato-Bennett
Second runner-up: I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, directed by Dave LaMattina, Chad Walker (USA
Third runner-up: Strictly Sacred: The Story of Girl Trouble, directed by Isaac Olsen
Fourth runner-up: The Case Against 8, directed by Ben Cotner, Ryan White
Best Director: Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
First runner-up: Maciej Pieprzyca, “Life Feels Good”
Second runner-up: Zaza Urushadze, “Tangerines”
Third runner-up: Pawel Pawlikowski, “Ida”
Fourth runner-up: Sara Colangelo, “Little Accidents”
Best Actor: Dawid Ogrodnik, “Life Feels Good”
First runner-up: Guillaume Gallienne, “Me, Myself and Mum”
Second runner-up: Matt Smith, “My Last Year With the Nuns”
Third runner-up: Felix Bossuet, “Belle & Sebastien”
Fourth runner-up: Igor Samobor, “Class Enemy”
Best Actress: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
First runner-up: Juliette Binoche, “1,000 Times Good Night”
Second runner-up: Agata Kulesza, “Ida”
Third runner-up: Jenny Slate, “Obvious Child”
Fourth runner-up: Jördis Triebel, “West”
Best Short Film: “Fool’s Day,” directed by Cody Blue Snider
First runner-up: “The Hero Pose,” directed by Mischa Jakupcak
Second runner-up: “Strings,” directed by Pedro Solis
Third runner-up: “Mr. Invisible,” directed by Greg Ash
Fourth runner-up: “Aban + Khorshid,” directed by Darwin Serink
Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision: “Bound: Africans Versus African Americans,” directed by Peres Owino
SIFF 2014 COMPETITION AWARDS
SIFF 2014 Best New Director
Grand Jury Prize: “10,000KM,” directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet
Special Jury Mention: “B For Boy,” directed by Chika Anadu
SIFF 2014 Best Documentary
Grand Jury Prize: “Marmato,” directed by Mark Grieco
Special Jury Mentions: “Dior and I,” directed by Frédéric Tcheng and “Garden Lovers,” directed by Virpi Suutari
SIFF 2014 Best New American Cinema
Grand Jury Prize: “Red Knot,” directed by Scott Cohen
SIFF 2014 FUTUREWAVE AND YOUTH JURY AWARDS
Youth Jury Award for Best Futurewave Feature: “Dear White People,” directed by Justin Simien
Youth Jury Award for Best Films4Families Feature: “Belle & Sebastien,” directed by Nicolas Vanier
Special Jury Prize: “Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang,” directed by Ôskar Santos
Futurewave Wavemaker Award for Excellence in Youth Filmmaking: “Malone Lumarda,” Black Rock Creek
Futurewave Shorts Audience Award: “While We’re Asleep,” directed by Summer Matthews
Futurewave Prodigy Camp Scholarship: Khidr Joseph, “Clapping for the Wrong Reasons”
SIFF 2014 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS
Live Action
Grand Jury Prize: “Twaaga,” directed by Cédric Ido
Special Jury Mention: “Aban + Khorshid,” directed by Darwin Serink
Documentary
Grand Jury Prize: “Maikaru,” directed by Amanda Harryman
Special Jury Mention: “The Queen (La Reina),” directed by Manuel Abramovich
Animation
Grand Jury Prize: “Rhino Full Throttle,” directed by Erik Schmitt