Sundance Winners

Nathaniel's on the road so I don't think he has the time to post the winners from this year's Sundance film festival. I hope y'all have been following Nathaniel's Sundance writings and you'll recognise some of the names from the winners list. Debra Granik took home top honours for her film Winter's Bone, which has people crying "Frozen River!" Frozen River was my #1 film from 2008 so if Bone gets anywhere close to being as good as that one then I will be happy.

For me, however, the bigger news was that David Michôd's Melbourne-set crime saga Animal Kingdom took home the World Cinema Jury Prize. Last year that very prize was won by The Maid, so hopefully you'll see Animal Kingdom pop up at more festivals and maybe even at your local cinema (NY/LA only, natch) some time over the next year. Kingdom has big buzz down here at the moment within film-watching circles with it's big ensemble cast and zeitgeist-y plot.

Grand Jury Prize (U.S. Dramatic): “Winter’s Bone”
Grand Jury Prize (U.S. Documentary): “Restrepo”
World Cinema Jury Prize (Dramatic): “Animal Kingdom”
World Cinema Jury Prize (Documentary): “The Red Chapel”
Audience Award (Dramatic): “happythankyoumoreplease”
Audience Award (Documentary): “Waiting for Superman”
World Cinema Audience Award (Dramatic): “Undertow”
World Cinema Audience Award (Documentary): “Wasteland”
Directing Award (Dramatic): Eric Mendelsohn, “3 Backyards”
Directing Award (Documentary): Leon Gast, “Smash His Camera”
World Cinema Directing Award (Dramatic): Juan Carlos Valdivia, “Southern District”
World Cinema Directing Award (Documentary): Christian Frei, “Space Tourists”

Read the rest of the winners at InContention and IndieWire.