The King County Library System (KCLS) is pleased to present the KCLS Reel Fest winners! On September 28, KCLS premiered the top 10 films and announced the winners at the virtual KCLS Reel Fest Film Premiere and Awards Show. Visit kcls.org/reelfest to watch the production and see the films.
KCLS Executive Director Lisa Rosenblum stated, “Congratulations to all the KCLS Reel Fest winners and finalists! Thank you for sharing your love of the library with us. Your stories were truly inspirational, and we wish you the best in all your future creative efforts.”
Youth Category Winners (ages 17 and younger):
- 1st Place ($1,000): Safir Azam, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Doodles” (Lake Hills Library)
- 2nd Place ($700): Aidan Springer, “Treehouse” (Newport Way Library)
- 3rd Place ($500): Matthew Perry and Andrew Schmidt, “The Chronicles of KCLS” (Newport Way Library)
Runners-Up:
- Janet Chang, “My Library Story” (Newport Way Library)
- Carmina Cruz, “Libraries Don’t Just Equal Books” (Covington Library)
Adult Category Winners (ages 18 and older)
- 1st Place ($1,000): Amye Bronson-Doherty, “KCLS on the Road” (Federal Way Library)
- 2nd Place ($700): Alexander Tsway, “Ozzy in Space” (Bellevue Library)
- 3rd Place ($500): Arthur Klepchukov, “Aisles of Ideas” (Shoreline Library)
Runners-Up:
- Whitney King, “First Stop the Library” (Renton Highlands Library)
- Alicia Wengreen, “Blue, Grey, Kaleidoscope Play” (Auburn Library)
In October 2019, KCLS launched KCLS Reel Fest, a short-film contest and festival that asked patrons of all ages and filmmaking abilities, “What does the library mean to you?” Residents in the KCLS service area were invited to share their library stories in a two-minute film for the chance to win up to $1,000 and a slot in the KCLS Reel Fest film lineup.
KCLS received an impressive outpouring of heartfelt library stories, and were poised to host the KCLS Reel Fest Film Premiere and Awards Show on March 20, 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck King County. Following state and county public-health guidelines, KCLS postponed Reel Fest to help slow the spread of COVID-19, and eventually moved the event online.
KCLS Reel Fest and cash awards were made possible with support from the KCLS Foundation.
