In the face of an ever-more-fucked economy, SIFF announced today that they're receiving two hefty arts grants:

SIFF is honored to be the recipient of grants from The Wallace Foundation, and The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences. SIFF will receive $750,000 to be used over four years from The Wallace Foundation, and $30,000 for the 2009 calendar year from The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences.

The Wallace Foundation grant will allow SIFF to engage and broaden audiences through interactive technology, community outreach, and programs developed in partnership with leading community arts organizations. Focusing on diversifying specific areas of its targeted audience demographics, SIFF will use this grant to develop programs with the goal to meet or exceed the King County demographic percentages with non-white minorities including African American, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander audiences.

The $30,000 received from The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was granted to SIFF for the purpose of community outreach that specifically targets and provides free ticketing for under-served communities. Through this program, SIFF intends to distribute more than 10,000 free tickets during the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival to populations throughout the Pacific Northwest.