SOME SHOE-INS AND SOME SURPRISES AMONG SUNDANCE: 2011 FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

January 30, 2011

Drake Doremus

Drake Doremus' LIKE CRAZY was awarded the grand jury prize for U.S. dramatic film last night at the Sundance 2011 Festival Awards hosted by Tim Blake Nelson.  In a bidding war that “went on for eight hours, and all through the night,” Doremus divulged at the 'Sundance Church' this morning, Paramount and Indian Paintbrush paid $4 million to release the film worldwide.  Doremus co-wrote the script with Ben York Jones, the THANK YOU FOR SMOKING writer-director.  The young British sensation Felicity Jones also received a special jury award for her performance which "crackled," according to UGLY BETTY star and jury member America Ferrera, who handed out the award.

The grand jury prize for U.S. documentary film was awarded to Peter D. Richardson's HOW TO DIE IN OREGON, a film about the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia is a hot topic at the moment; Al Pacino (starring in SON OF NO ONE at Sundance 2011) took home the 2011 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Mini-Series for his portrayal of Jack Kevorkian in HBO's YOU DON'T KNOW JACK, just two weeks ago.

The world cinema dramatic grand jury prize was awarded to the Norwegian film HAPPY, HAPPY, from director Anne Sewitsky and screenwriter Ragnhild Tronvoll.  The directing award in the world cinema dramatic category went to Paddy Considine for TYRANNOSAUR, who also received a special jury prize along with his co-star Olivia Colman.

The grand jury prize for world cinema documentary went to HELL AND BACK AGAIN director Danfung Dennis, whose picture about the 2009 U.S. Marines helicopter assault on a Taliban stronghold also won the world cinematography award. In a very touching moment for all, in his acceptance speech, Dennis said:  "This [film] is for the ones who didn't come back.”

Ray Liotta, who starred in two 2011 Sundance entries THE DETAILS and SON OF NO ONE, presented the U.S. audience awards: for documentary to Cindy Meehl's BUCK—a resounding crowd favorite about the man who was the inspiration for Robert Redford's THE HORSE WHISPERER, and for dramatic to writer-director Maryam Keshavarz for her hugely courage effort, CIRCUMSTANCE, a contemporary look at the underground life of young women in Iran today. A special bravo goes out to Keshavarz who is both affable and brilliant. CIRCUMSTANCE is my personal pick of Sundance 2011.

The world cinema documentary audience award was awarded to SENNA from director Asif Kapadia, while the world cinema dramatic audience award went to Alrick Brown's KINYARWANDA, the first dramatic feature film conceived and produced by Rwandans about the 1994 genocide.

Vera Farmiga, the director and star of HIGHER GROUND, presented the Best of NEXT audience award to director-screenwriter Erica Dunton's TO.GET.HER.  And, the Alfred P. Sloan award went to ANOTHER EARTH director-screenwriter Mike Cahill and his screenwriting partner, Brit Marling.

The U.S. dramatic directing award went to Sean Durkin for MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, which Fox Searchlight bought earlier this week; and the directing award for U.S. documentary was awarded to Jon Foy, who made RESURRECT DEAD: THE MYSTERY OF THE TOYNBEE TILES, about the cryptic message found embedded in the asphalt of city streets as far apart as New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Santiago, and Buenos Aires.

Sam Levinson, the writer and director of the U.S. dramatic competition film ANOTHER HAPPY DAY, was awarded the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, while the world cinema dramatic screenwriting award went to Erez Kav-El of RESTORATION.

Editors Matthew Hamachek and Marshall Curry were awarded the U.S. documentary editing prize for IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT (ELF) about Oregon-based activist Daniel McGowan and the political action and environmental beliefs at loggerheads in the ELF movement.

The world editing award was awarded to Goran Hugo Olsson and Hanna Lejonqvist from THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975, co-produced by Danny Glover; and the world cinema directing award went to James Marsh for his PROJECT NIM, about one chimpanzee's extraordinary journey through human society.

The excellence in cinematography award for U.S. documentary was given to Eric Strauss, Ryan Hill and Peter Hutchens of THE REDEMPTION OF GENERAL BUTT NAKED, and for U.S. dramatic to Bradford Young, who shot Dee Rees' PARIAH. Rees, in a crowd-pleasing move, called Young from the stage to convey the good news of his win.

A special world cinema jury prize for documentary was awarded to the Netherlands documentary POSITION AMONG THE STARS directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich, who co-wrote the movie with Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich. 

Jury member Jess Search presented a special jury prize "for creating a documentary for all ages," to BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY from Constance Marks and co-director Philip Shane.