Best of the fest: theirs and mine.

Well, it’s over. After screening something like 269 movies, of which I saw 15, the 40th Seattle International Film Festival has ended. I can get on with my life.

The festival prizes have been dished out, too. Among others, the Golden Space Needle for best documentary went to “Keep on Keeping On,” about jazz legend Clark Terry, which I didn’t see, while the Space Needle for best film, director and actress all went to Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood,” with Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and newcomer Ellar Coltrane, which I did see, and I agree with SIFF's assessment. It was the best of my fest anyway.

Basically I’d divide up what I saw this way:

Go:

• Boyhood (USA)
• Kraftidioten (Norway)

Good:

• The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (Sweden)
• The Trip to Italy (UK)
• Leninland (Russia)

Mixed:

• I Origins (USA)
• Jimi: All Is By My Side (USA)
• They Came Together (USA)
• Ekstra (Philippines)
• Klumpfisken (Denmark)
• Chinese Puzzle (France)
• Dior and I (France)
• Muse of Fire (UK)

No:

• Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (China)
• Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (USA/Japan)

See you around, SIFF membership guy dancing in your seat. In the last month, I probably saw you more than Patricia. I have been returned home safely but pretty tired.