Monday, January 30, 2012

2012 Sundance Film Festival - Award Winners


Last night the Sundance Institute announced the award winners for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival at the Awards Ceremony, hosted by Parker Posey in Park City, Utah.

Every year the Sundance Film Festival brings to light exciting new directions and fresh voices in independent film, and this year is no different,” said John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival. “While these awards further distinguish those that have had the most impact on audiences and our jury, the level of talent showcased across the board at the Festival was really impressive, and all are to be congratulated and thanked for sharing their work with us.

Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “As we close what was a remarkable 10 days of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, we look to the year ahead with incredible optimism for the independent film community. As filmmakers continue to push each other to achieve new heights in storytelling we are excited to see what’s next.

Read on for the list of awards presented at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival:
Grand Jury Prize: Documentary
  • The House I Live In
    USA, directed by Eugene Jarecki
Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild
    USA, directed by Benh Zeitlin
World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary
  • The Law in These Parts
    Israel, directed by Ra'anan Alexandrowicz
World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic
  • Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos)
    Chile Argentina Brazil Spain, directed by Andrés Wood
Audience Award: U.S. Documentary
  • The Invisible War
    USA, directed by Kirby Dick
Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic
  • The Surrogate
    USA, directed by Ben Lewin
World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary
  • Searching for Sugar Man
    Sweden UK, directed by Malik Bendjelloul
World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic
  • Valley of Saints
    India USA, directed by Musa Syeed
Best of NEXT <=> Audience Award
  • Sleepwalk With Me
    USA, directed by Mike Birbiglia
U.S. Directing Award: Documentary
  • The Queen of Versailles
    USA, directed by Lauren Greenfield
U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic
  • Middle of Nowhere
    USA, directed by Ava DuVernay
World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary
  • 5 Broken Cameras
    Palestine Israel France, Directors Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi
World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic
  • Teddy Bear
    Denmark, Director Mads Matthiesen
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award
  • Safety Not Guaranteed
    USA, Screenwriter Derek Connolly
World Cinema Screenwriting Award
  • Young & Wild
    Chile, Screenwriters Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirana, Sebastián Sepúlveda
Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary
  • Chasing Ice
    USA, directed by Jeff Orlowski
Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild
    USA, directed by Benh Zeitlin
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary
  • Putin's Kiss
    Denmark, directed by Lise Birk Pedersen
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic
  • My Brother the Devil
    UK, directed by Sally El Hosaini
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change
  • Love Free or Die
    USA, directed by Macky Alston
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance
  • Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
    USA China, directed by Alison Klayman
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing
  • Andrea Sperling and Jonathan Schwartz for
  • Smashed
    USA, directed by James Ponsoldt
  • Nobody Walks
    USA, directed by Ry Russo-Young
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting
  • The Surrogate
    USA, directed by Ben Lewin
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision
  • Can
    Turkey, directed by Rasit Celikezer
World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit
  • Searching for Sugar Man
    Sweden UK, directed by Malik Bendjelloul
Director Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Congratulations to all of the winners, I look forward to seeing these films in the coming months.
 

10 comments:

G said...

some interesting results

Lisa Thatcher said...

So few of these flicks will make it to Australia - Boo. I'll be very keen to read your take on them. 

365 moviesandsongs365 said...

Thanks for putting this together! Lots of stuff to look forward to, winners and nominees. Not surprised to see Eugene Jarecki winning for documentary, his 2011 doc about Reagan was excellent, and made my top films of 2011.

d_4 said...

A lot of films I look forward to hearing about.

FrontRoomCinema said...

Thanks for the round up matey... some ones to look out for there!!

The Angry Lurker said...

Thanks for this, all the info I needed in one place, although I have seen none of these....

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Usually the major award winners do get added to the various regional festivals. 

Last years Foreign winner was Norway's Happy, Happy and it got submitted to the Oscars, and this year's winner was Chile's entry as well. 

I'm not sure if Valley of Saints will qualify, because last year's Audience Award winner for Rwanda was also a US production and didn't get submitted.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Same here in Canada until they come out on DVD, or get huge buzz at subsequent festivals.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I noticed that film on your list but I haven't seen it yet.  It's on my watch list.

NeverTooEarlyMP said...

Looks like an interesting mix of countries represented here. Wonder whether we'll see any of these pop up at other festivals or make a run for Oscars. Valley of Saints seems like it might have some possibilities, but I'm not sure if that US co-production title will make it either ineligible or unsubmittable from the Indian perspective as focused enough on their own industry.

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