Sundance 2012 is just about wrapped up in snowy Park City and Saturday evening saw the awards handed out in all the feature categories. The broad critical favorite Beasts of the Southern Wild took home the coveted US Dramatic Grand Prize while Oscar-predicted The Surrogate won the US Dramatic Audience Award. the Best of Next Audience Prize was awarded to Sleepwalk With Me. Check out all the awards below and stay tuned for more coverage as the films begin to roll out to theaters over the next year.
The 2012 Sundance Film
Festival Awards presented this evening were:
The Grand Jury
Prize: Documentary was presented by Charles Ferguson to:
The House I Live In / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki) -- For over
40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America
the world's largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad.
Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we
go wrong and what is the path toward healing?
The Grand Jury
Prize: Dramatic was presented by Justin Lin to:
Beasts of the Southern
Wild / U.S.A.
(Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) -- Waters
gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of
the levee is goin' under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who
lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis,
Dwight Henry.
The World
Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Nick Fraser to:
The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra'anan
Alexandrowicz) -- Israel's 43-year military legal system in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the
system's architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws
upon the Palestinian population.
The World
Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Julia Ormond to:
Violeta Went to Heaven
(Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andrés Wood,
Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderón, Andrés
Wood) -- A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled
with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast:
Francisca Gavilán, Thomas Durand, Luis Machín, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto
Farías.
The Audience
Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike
Birbiglia to:
The Invisible War / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick) -- An
investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of
soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence
and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it.
The Audience
Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia
to:
The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben
Lewin) -- Mark O'Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung,
decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and
the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take
him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H.
Macy.
The World
Cinema Audience Award: Documentary was presented by Edward James Olmos
to:
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR
MAN / Sweden, United
Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) -- Rodriguez was the greatest '70s US rock
icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation
he disappeared into oblivion - rising again from the ashes in a completely different
context many miles away.
The World
Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented by Edward James Olmos
to:
Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and
screenwriter: Musa Syeed) -- Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty
surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young
woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast:
Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid.
The Best of
NEXT <=> Audience Award, Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated, was
presented by Tim Heidecker to:
Sleepwalk With Me / U.S.A. (Director: Mike Birbiglia,
Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) --
Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding
standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast:
Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti.
The U.S. Directing
Award: Documentary was presented by Fenton Bailey to:
The Queen of Versailles / U.S.A. (Director: Lauren Greenfield) --
Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America -
a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles - when their
timeshare empire falters due to the economic crisis. Their story reveals the
innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream.
The U.S. Directing
Award: Dramatic was presented by Lynn Shelton to:
Middle Of Nowhere / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ava
DuVernay) -- When her husband is incarcerated, an African-American woman
struggles to maintain her marriage and her identity. Cast: Emayatzy
Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Touissaint, Edwina Findley.
The World
Cinema Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno
to:
5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors:
Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) -- A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village's
resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the
process captures his young son's lens on the world.
The World Cinema
Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to:
Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen,
Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) -- Dennis, a painfully
shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in
search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee
Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen.
The Waldo Salt
Screenwriting Award was presented by Anthony Mackie to:
Safety Not Guaranteed / U.S.A. (Director: Colin Trevorrow,
Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) -- A trio of magazine employees investigate a
classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings
for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he's really up
to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni.
The World
Cinema Screenwriting Award was presented by Richard Pena to:
Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas,
Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirano, Sebastián
Sepúlveda) -- 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical
family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles
to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodríguez,
Aline Kuppenheim, María Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto.
The U.S. Documentary
Editing Award was presented by Kim Roberts to:
DETROPIA / U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi
Ewing, Rachel Grady) -- The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of
the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its
people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.
The World
Cinema Documentary Editing Award was presented by Clara Kim to:
Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot,
James Swirsky) -- Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they
create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.
The Excellence
in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Tia Lessin
to:
Chasing Ice / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) --
Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait
as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography
of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate
change.
The Excellence
in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Amy Vincent
to:
Beasts of the Southern
Wild / U.S.A.
(Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) -- Waters
gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of
the levee is goin' under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who
lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis,
Dwight Henry.
The World
Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie
Teno to:
Putin's Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen)
-- 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic
Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When
she starts recognizing the organization's flaws, she must take a stand for or
against it.
The World
Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei
Popogrebsky to:
My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and
screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) -- A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get
by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James
Floyd, Saïd Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed.
A U.S.
Documentary Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change was presented by
Heather Croall to:
Love Free or Die / U.S.A. (Director: Macky Alston) -- One man whose two defining
passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the Church or
the man he loves.
A U.S.
Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance was presented by
Heather Croall to:
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry / U.S.A., China (Director: Alison Klayman) --
Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has garnered international
attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations and
increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government.
A U.S.
Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing was
presented by Cliff Martinez to:
Andrea Sperling and
Jonathan Schwartz for Smashed and Nobody
Walks
·
Smashed / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt,
Screenwriters: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt) -- Kate and Charlie are a young
married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of music, laughter and...
drinking. When Kate decides to get sober, her new lifestyle brings troubling
issues to the surface and calls into question her relationship with Charlie. Cast:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan
Mullally.
·
Nobody
Walks / U.S.A.
(Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) --
Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip,
liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family's carefully
maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast:
John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk.
A U.S.
Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting was
presented by Cliff Martinez to:
The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben
Lewin) -- Mark O'Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung,
decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and
the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take
him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H.
Macy.
A World Cinema
Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision was presented by Clara
Kim to:
Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter:
Rasit Celikezer) -- A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their
decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast:
Selen Uçer, Serdar Orçin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci.
A World Cinema
Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit was
presented by Richard Pena to:
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR
MAN / Sweden, United
Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) -- Rodriguez was the greatest '70s US rock
icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation
he disappeared into oblivion - rising again from the ashes in a completely different
context many miles away.
The inaugural Short
Film Audience Award, Presented by Yahoo!, based on online voting for nine
short films that premiered at the Festival and are currently featured on Yahoo! Screen, was
presented to:
The Debutante Hunters (Director: Maria White) -- In the
Lowcountry of South Carolina a group of true Southern belles reveal their more
rugged side, providing a glimpse into what drives them to hunt in the wild.
The following awards
were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:
The Jury Prize in
Short Filmmaking was awarded to: FISHING WITHOUT NETS / U.S.A.
(Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey). The
Jury Prize in Short Film, U.S. Fiction was presented to: The Black
Balloon/ U.S.A. (Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie). The Jury Prize in
Short Film, International Fiction was presented to: The Return (Kthimi) /
Kosovo (Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Screenwriter: Shefqet Gjocaj). The Jury Prize
in Short Film, Non-Fiction was presented to: The Tsunami and the Cherry
Blossom / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker). The Jury Prize in Animated
Short Film was presented to: A Morning Stroll / United Kingdom
(Director: Grant Orchard). A Special Jury Award for Comedic Storytelling was
presented to: The Arm / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters:
Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis). A Special Jury Award for Animation
Direction was presented to: Robots of Brixton / United Kingdom
(Director: Kibwe Tavares).
The winning directors
and projects of the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in
recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the
world, are: Etienne Kallos / Vrystaat (Free State) (South
Africa); Ariel Kleiman / Partisan (Australia); Dominga
Sotomayor / Tarde Para Morir Joven (Late To Die Young) (Chile); and
Shonali Bose / Margarita. With a Straw (India).
The Sundance/NHK
International Filmmaker Award, honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers, was
presented to Jens Assur, director of the upcoming film Close Far Away.
The inaugural Hilton
Worldwide LightStay Sustainability Award for a completed feature film was
presented to The Island President, directed by Jon Shenk. The
in-process feature film award was presented to Solar Mamas,
directed by Jehane Noujaim and Mona Eldaief. Each project received $25,000.
The inaugural Sundance
Institute Indian Paintbrush Producer's Award and $10,000 grant was presented to
Dan Janvey and Josh Penn for Beasts of the Southern Wild.
The Alfred P. Sloan
Feature Film Prizes, presented to outstanding feature films focusing on science
or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer, or mathematician
as a major character, were presented to Robot & Frank, directed
by Jake Schreier and written by Christopher Ford, and Valley of Saints,
directed and written by Musa Syeed. The two films will split the $20,000 cash
award by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The 2012 Sundance Film
Festival Jurors were: U.S. Documentary Competition: Fenton Bailey, Heather
Croall, Charles Ferguson, Tia Lessin, Kim Roberts; U.S. Dramatic Competition:
Justin Lin, Anthony Mackie, Cliff Martinez, Lynn Shelton, Amy Vincent; World
Cinema Documentary Competition: Nick Fraser, Clara Kim, Jean-Marie Teno; World
Cinema Dramatic Competition: Julia Ormond, Richard Pena, Alexei Popogrebsky;
Alfred P. Sloan Award: Tracy Day, Helen Fisher, Dr. Robert J. Full, Gwyn Lurie,
Alex Rivera; Short Film Competition: Mike Judge, Dee Rees, Shane Smith.
The 2012 Sundance Film
Festival presented 117 feature-length films, representing 30 countries by 45
first-time filmmakers, including 24 in competition. These films were selected
from 4,042 feature-length film submissions composed of 2,059 U.S. and 1,983
international feature-length films. 91 films at the Festival were world
premieres. The Short Film Program was comprised of 64 short films selected from
a record 7,675 submissions.