Top Prizes Go To
The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Kailash, Of Fathers and Sons, and
Butterflies
Search, Burden, The Sentence and
The Guilty Win Audience Awards
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
, Credit: Jeong Park
Park City, Utah — After 10 days and 123 feature films, the 2018 Sundance Film Festival’s Awards Ceremony
took place tonight, with host
Jason Mantzoukas emceeing and jurors presenting 28 prizes for feature filmmaking in Park City, Utah. Honorees,
named in total below, represent new achievements in global independent storytelling. Bold, intimate, and humanizing stories
prevailed across categories, with Grand Jury Prizes awarded to
The Miseducation of Cameron Post (U.S. Dramatic),
Kailash (U.S. Documentary),
Of Fathers and Sons (World Cinema Documentary) and
Butterflies (World Cinema Dramatic).
“From the beginning, the purpose of the Sundance Film Festival has been to support artists and their stories,”
said Sundance Institute President and Founder
Robert Redford, “and this year, our mission seemed especially relevant. Supporting independent voices, and
listening to the stories they tell, has never been more necessary.”
“The scope and scale of this year’s Festival — films, events, conversations — were invigorating,” said
Keri Putnam, the Institute’s Executive Director. “I can’t wait to see how our incredible community will leverage
these ten days of connection and inspiration to make art and change in the coming year.”
“This Festival has been extraordinary,” said
John Cooper, Sundance Film Festival Director. “It’s been a pleasure to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with
these artists, and to see their work charm, challenge and galvanize its first audiences.”
The awards ceremony marked the culmination of the 2018 Festival, where 123 feature-length and 69 short films — selected from
13,468 submissions — were showcased in Park City, Salt Lake City and Sundance, Utah, alongside work in the new Indie Episodic
category, panels, music and New Frontier. The ceremony was live-streamed; video is available at
youtube.com/sff.
This year’s jurors, invited in recognition of their accomplishments in the arts, technical craft and visionary storytelling,
deliberated extensively before presenting awards from the stage; this year’s jurors were Barbara Chai, Simon Chinn,
Chaz Ebert, Ezra Edelman, Matt Holzman, Rachel Morrison, Jada Pinkett Smith, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Joe Swanberg,
Hanaa Issa, Ruben Östlund, Michael J. Werner, Joslyn Barnes, Billy Luther, Paulina Suarez, and Ru Paul Charles. A new award
voted on by audiences, Festival Favorite, will be announced in the coming days.
Feature film award winners in previous years include:
I don’t feel at home in this world anymore., Weiner,
Whiplash, Fruitvale Station, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Twenty Feet from Stardom, Searching for Sugarman, The Square,
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Cartel Land, The Wolf Pack, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Dope, Dear White People, The
Cove
and
Man on Wire.
2018 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL FEATURE FILM AWARDS
The
U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Simon Chin to:
Kailash
/ U.S.A. (Director: Derek Doneen, Producers: Davis Guggenheim, Sarah Anthony) — As a young man, Kailash Satyarthi promised
himself that he would end child slavery in his lifetime. In the decades since, he has rescued more than eighty thousand
children and built a global movement. This intimate and suspenseful film follows one man’s journey to do what many
believed was impossible.
The
U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to:
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
/ U.S.A. (Director: Desiree Akhavan, Screenwriters: Desiree Akhavan, Cecilia Frugiuele, Producers: Cecilia Frugiuele, Jonathan
Montepare, Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtletaub) — 1993: after being caught having sex with the prom queen, a girl is forced
into a gay conversion therapy center. Based on Emily Danforth’s acclaimed and controversial coming-of-age novel.
Cast:
Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, John Gallagher Jr., Jennifer Ehle.
The
World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Joselyn Barnes to:
Of Fathers and Sons
/ Germany, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar (Director: Talal Derki, Producers: Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme, Tobias N. Siebert, Hans
Robert Eisenhauer) — Talal Derki returns to his homeland where he gains the trust of a radical Islamist family, sharing
their daily life for over two years. His camera focuses on Osama and his younger brother Ayman, providing an extremely
rare insight into what it means to grow up in an Islamic Caliphate.
The
World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Ruben Ostlund to:
Butterflies
/ Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik, Producers: Tolga Karaçelik, Diloy Gülün, Metin Anter) — In
the Turkish village of Hasanlar, three siblings who neither know each other nor anything about their late father, wait
to bury his body. As they start to find out more about their father and about each other, they also start to know more
about themselves.
The
Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was presented to:
The Sentence
/U.S.A. (Director: Rudy Valdez, Producers: Sam Bisbee, Jackie Kelman Bisbee) — Cindy Shank, mother of three, is serving
a 15-year sentence in federal prison for her tangential involvement with a Michigan drug ring years earlier. This intimate
portrait of mandatory minimum drug sentencing’s devastating consequences, captured by Cindy’s brother, follows her and
her family over the course of ten years.
The
Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was presented to:
Burden
/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Heckler, Producers: Robbie Brenner, Jincheng, Bill Kenwright) — After opening
a KKK shop, Klansman Michael Burden falls in love with a single mom who forces him to confront his senseless hatred. After
leaving the Klan and with nowhere to turn, Burden is taken in by an African-American reverend, and learns tolerance through
their combined love and faith.
Cast:
Garrett Hedlund, Forest Whitaker, Andrea Riseborough, Tom Wilkinson, Usher Raymond.
The
Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to:
This Is Home
/ U.S.A., Jordan (Director: Alexandra Shiva, Producers: Lindsey Megrue, Alexandra Shiva) — This is an intimate portrait
of four Syrian families arriving in Baltimore, Maryland and struggling to find their footing. With eight months to become
self-sufficient, they must forge ahead to rebuild their lives. When the travel ban adds further complications, their strength
and resilience are put to the test.
The
Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to:
The Guilty
/ Denmark (Director: Gustav Möller, Screenwriters: Gustav Möller, Emil Nygaard Albertsen, Producer: Lina Flint) — Alarm
dispatcher Asger Holm answers an emergency call from a kidnapped woman; after a sudden disconnection, the search for the
woman and her kidnapper begins. With the phone as his only tool, Asger enters a race against time to solve a crime that
is far bigger than he first thought.
Cast: Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage, Johan Olsen, Omar Shargawi.
The
Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was presented to:
Search
/ U.S.A. (Director: Aneesh Chaganty, Screenwriters: Aneesh Chaganty, Sev Ohanian, Producers: Timur Bekmambetov, Sev Ohanian,
Adam Sidman, Natalie Qasabian) — After his 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a desperate father breaks into her laptop
to look for clues to find her. A thriller that unfolds entirely on computer screens.
Cast: John Cho, Debra Messing.
The
Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Ezra Edelman to:
Alexandria Bombach for her film
On Her Shoulders
/ U.S.A. (Director: Alexandria Bombach, Producers: Hayley Pappas, Brock Williams) — Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi,
survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS. Repeating her story to the world, this ordinary girl finds herself
thrust onto the international stage as the voice of her people. Away from the podium, she must navigate bureaucracy, fame
and people’s good intentions.
The
Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to:
Sara Colangelo, for her film
The Kindergarten Teacher
/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sara Colangelo, Producers: Talia Kleinhendler, Osnat Handelsman-Keren, Maggie Gyllenhaal,
Celine Rattray, Trudie Styler) — When a Staten Island kindergarten teacher discovers what may be a gifted five year-old
student in her class, she becomes fascinated and obsessed with the child– spiraling downward on a dangerous and desperate
path in order to nurture his talent.
Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Parker Sevak, Rosa Salazar, Anna Barynishikov, Michael Chernus, Gael Garcia Bernal.
The
Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Paulina Suarez to:
Sandi Tan, for her film
Shirkers
/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sandi Tan, Producers: Sandi Tan, Jessica Levin, Maya Rudolph) — In 1992, teenager
Sandi Tan shot Singapore’s first indie road movie with her enigmatic American mentor Georges – who then vanished with all
the footage. Twenty years later, the 16mm film is recovered, sending Tan, now a novelist in Los Angeles, on a personal
odyssey in search of Georges’ vanishing footprints.
The
Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Michael J. Werner to:
Ísold Uggadóttir, for her film
And Breathe Normally
/ Iceland, Sweden, Belgium (Director and screenwriter: Ísold Uggadóttir, Producers: Skúli Malmquist, Diana Elbaum, Annika
Hellström, Lilja Ósk Snorradóttir, Inga Lind Karlsdóttir) — At the edge of Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, two
women’s lives will intersect – for a brief moment – while trapped in circumstances unforeseen. Between a struggling
Icelandic mother and an asylum seeker from Guinea-Bissau, a delicate bond will form as both strategize to get their lives
back on track.
Cast: Kristín Thóra Haraldsdóttir, Babetida Sadjo, Patrik Nökkvi Pétursson.
The
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to:
Christina Choe, for her film
NANCY
/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Christina Choe, Producers: Amy Lo, Michelle Cameron, Andrea Riseborough)
— Blurring lines between fact and fiction, Nancy becomes increasingly convinced she was kidnapped as a child. When she
meets a couple whose daughter went missing thirty years ago, reasonable doubts give way to willful belief – and the power
of emotion threatens to overcome all rationality
. Cast: Andrea Riseborough, J. Smith-Cameron, Steve Buscemi, Ann Dowd, John Leguizamo.
A
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision was presented by Matt Holzman to:
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
/ U.S.A. (Director: RaMell Ross, Screenwriter: Maya Krinsky, Producers: Joslyn Barnes, RaMell Ross, Su Kim) — Composed
of intimate and unencumbered moments of people in a community, this film is constructed in a form that allows the viewer
an emotive impression of the Historic South – trumpeting the beauty of life and consequences of the social construction
of race, while simultaneously a testament to dreaming.
A
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact was presented by Chaz Ebert to:
Crime + Punishment
/ U.S.A. (Director: Stephen Maing) — Over four years of unprecedented access, the story of a brave group of black and Latino
whistleblower cops and one unrelenting private investigator who, amidst a landmark lawsuit, risk everything to expose illegal
quota practices and their impact on young minorities.
A
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Storytelling was presented by Chaz Ebert to:
Three Identical Strangers
/U.S.A. (Director: Tim Wardle, Producer: Becky Read) — New York,1980: three complete strangers accidentally discover that
they’re identical triplets, separated at birth. The 19-year-olds’ joyous reunion catapults them to international
fame, but also unlocks an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes beyond their own lives – and could transform our
understanding of human nature forever
.
A
U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking was presented by Barbara Chai to:
Minding the Gap
/ U.S.A. (Director: Bing Liu, Producer: Diane Quon) — Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their
Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.
A
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Outstanding First Feature was presented by Jada Pinkett Smith to:
Monsters and Men
/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Reinaldo Marcus Green, Producers: Elizabeth Lodge Stepp, Josh Penn, Eddie Vaisman,
Julia Lebedev, Luca Borghese) — This interwoven narrative explores the aftermath of a police killing of a black man. The
film is told through the eyes of the bystander who filmed the act, an African-American police officer and a high-school
baseball phenom inspired to take a stand.
Cast:
John David Washington, Anthony Ramos, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chanté Adams, Nicole Beharie, Rob Morgan.
A
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Excellence in Filmmaking was presented by Michael Stulhbarg to:
I Think We’re Alone Now
/ U.S.A. (Director: Reed Morano, Screenwriter: Mike Makowsky, Producers: Fred Berger, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fernando Loureiro,
Roberto Vasconcellos, Peter Dinklage, Mike Makowsky) — The apocalypse proves a blessing in disguise for one lucky recluse
– until a second survivor arrives with the threat of companionship.
Cast:
Peter Dinklage, Elle Fanning.
A
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting was presented by Michael Stulhbarg to:
Benjamin Dickey, for
BLAZE
/U.S.A. (Director: Ethan Hawke, Screenwriters: Ethan Hawke, Sybil Rosen, Producers: Jake Seal, John Sloss, Ryan Hawke,
Ethan Hawke) — A reimagining of the life and times of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music
movement; he gave up paradise for the sake of a song.
Cast: Benjamin Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Josh Hamilton, Charlie Sexton.
A
World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award was presented by Billy Luther to:
Stephen Loveridge and M.I.A., for
MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A.
/ Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, U.S.A. (Director: Stephen Loveridge, Producers: Lori Cheatle, Andrew Goldman, Paul Mezey)
— Drawn from a never before seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan
artist and musician who continues to shatter conventions.
A
World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented by Paulina Suarez to:
Editors Maxim Pozdorovkin and Matvey Kulakov, for
Our New President
/ Russia, U.S.A. (Director: Maxim Pozdorovkin, Producers: Maxim Pozdorovkin, Joe Bender, Charlotte Cook) — The story of
Donald Trump’s election told entirely through Russian propaganda. By turns horrifying and hilarious, the film is a satirical
portrait of Russian media that reveals an empire of fake news and the tactics of modern-day information warfare.
A
World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography was presented by Billy Luther to:
Cinematographers Maxim Arbugaev and Peter Indergand, for
Genesis 2.0
/ Switzerland (Directors: Christian Frei, Maxim Arbugaev, Producer: Christian Frei) — On the remote New Siberian Islands
in the Arctic Ocean, hunters search for tusks of extinct mammoths. When they discover a surprisingly well-preserved mammoth
carcass, its resurrection will be the first manifestation of the next great technological revolution: genetics. It may
well turn our world upside down.
A
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting was presented by Michael J. Werner to:
Screenwriters Julio Chavezmontes and Sebastián Hofmann, for
Time Share (Tiempo Compartido)
/ Mexico, Netherlands (Director: Sebastián Hofmann, Screenwriters: Julio Chavezmontes, Sebastián Hofmann, Producer: Julio
Chavezmontes) — Two haunted family men join forces in a destructive crusade to rescue their families from a tropical paradise,
after becoming convinced that an American timeshare conglomerate has a sinister plan to take their loved ones away.
A
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting was presented by Hanaa Issa to:
Valeria Bertuccelli, for
The Queen of Fear
/ Argentina, Denmark (Directors: Valeria Bertuccelli, Fabiana Tiscornia, Screenwriter: Valeria Bertuccelli, Producers:
Benjamin Domenech, Santiago Gallelli, Matias Roveda, Juan Vera, Juan Pablo Galli, Christian Faillace) — Only one month
left until the premiere of
The Golden Time, the long-awaited solo show by acclaimed actress Robertina. Far from focused on the preparations for
this new production, Robertina lives in a state of continuous anxiety that turns her privileged life into an absurd and
tumultuous landscape.
Cast: Valeria Bertuccelli, Diego Velázquez, Gabriel Eduardo “Puma” Goity, Darío Grandinetti.
A
World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Acting was presented by Hanaa Issa to:
Dead Pigs
/ China (Director and screenwriter: Cathy Yan, Producers: Clarissa Zhang, Jane Zheng, Zhangke Jia, Mick Aniceto, Amy Aniceto)
— A bumbling pig farmer, a feisty salon owner, a sensitive busboy, an expat architect and a disenchanted rich girl converge
and collide as thousands of dead pigs float down the river towards a rapidly-modernizing Shanghai, China. Based on true
events
. Cast: Vivian Wu, Haoyu Yang, Mason Lee, Meng Li, David Rysdahl.
The
NEXT Innovator Prize was announced as a tie, and was presented by juror RuPaul Charles to two films:
Night Comes On
/ U.S.A. (Director: Jordana Spiro, Screenwriters: Jordana Spiro, Angelica Nwandu, Producers: Jonathan Montepare, Alvaro
R. Valente, Danielle Renfrew Behrens) — Angel LaMere is released from juvenile detention on the eve of her 18th birthday.
Haunted by her past, she embarks on a journey with her 10 year-old sister that could destroy their future.
Cast: Dominique Fishback, Tatum Hall, John Earl Jelks, Max Casella, James McDaniel.
We the Animals
/ U.S.A. (Director: Jeremiah Zagar, Screenwriters: Daniel Kitrosser, Jeremiah Zagar, Producers: Jeremy Yaches, Christina
D. King, Andrew Goldman, Paul Mezey) — Us three, us brothers, us kings. Manny, Joel and Jonah tear their way through childhood
and push against the volatile love of their parents. As Manny and Joel grow into versions of their father and Ma dreams
of escape, Jonah, the youngest, embraces an imagined world all his own.
Cast: Raul Castillo, Sheila Vand, Evan Rosado, Isaiah Kristian, Josiah Gabriel.
The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:
SHORT FILM AWARDS:
Jury prizes and honorable mentions in short filmmaking were presented at a ceremony in Park City on January 23. The Short
Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to:
Matria
/ Spain (Director and screenwriter: Director and screenwriter: Álvaro Gago). The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was
presented to:
Hair Wolf
/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Director and screenwriter: Mariama Diallo). The Short Film Jury Award: International
Fiction was presented to:
Would You Look at Her
/ Macedonia (Director and screenwriter: Goran Stolevski). The Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction was presented to:
The Trader (Sovdagari)
/ Georgia (Director: Tamta Gabrichidze). The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to:
GLUCOSE
/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeron Braxton). Three Special Jury Awards without designation were presented to:
Emergency
/ U.S.A. (Director: Carey Williams, Screenwriter: K.D. Dávila),
Fauve
/ Canada (Director and screenwriter: Jérémy Comte) and
For Nonna Anna
/ Canada (Director and screenwriter: Luis De Filippis).
The Short Film jurors were Cherien Dabis, Shirley Manson and Chris Ware. The Short Film program is presented by YouTube.
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE OPEN BORDERS FELLOWSHIP PRESENTED BY NETFLIX
The recipients of Sundance Institute Open Borders Fellowship presented by Netflix, announced January 26, are three of
the most exciting emerging filmmakers from the world cinema stage working in both narrative and nonfiction. The recipients
are:
Of Fathers and Sons
(Syria) / Talal Derki
Untitled
(India) / Chaitanya Tamhane
Night On Fire
(Mexico) / Tatiana Huezo
The
Sundance Institute / NHK Award was presented to:
His House (United Kingdom) / Remi Weekes.
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | ALFRED P. SLOAN FEATURE FILM PRIZE
The 2018 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, presented to an outstanding feature film about science or technology, was
presented to Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian’s
Search
. The filmmakers received a $20,000 cash award from Sundance Institute with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | AMAZON STUDIOS PRODUCERS AWARDS
Sev Ohanian received the 2018 Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Awards for Feature Film. Katy Chevigny and Marilyn Ness of Big Mouth Productions received the 2018 Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Award for Documentary Film.. The award recognizes bold
vision and a commitment to continuing work as a creative producer in the independent space, and grants money (via the Sundance
Institute Feature Film Program and Documentary Film Program) to emerging producers of films at the Sundance Film Festival.
The Sundance Film Festival®
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three
decades, including
Boyhood,
Beasts of the Southern Wild,
Fruitvale Station,
Whiplash,
Brooklyn,
Twenty Feet from Stardom,
Life Itself,
The Cove,
The End of the Tour,
Blackfish,
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,
Dope,
Little Miss Sunshine,
sex, lies, and videotape,
Reservoir Dogs,
Hedwig and the Angry Inch,
An Inconvenient Truth,
Precious and
Napoleon Dynamite. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. The Festival is a program of the
non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2018 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, SundanceTV, and Chase Sapphire®;
Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, Amazon Studios, AT&T, DIRECTV, Dropbox, Omnicom, Stella Artois® and YouTube; Sustaining
Sponsors – Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Dell, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, GEICO, Google Pixel 2, Grey Goose Vodka,
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Times, The New York Times and Variety. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of
Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the
Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Look for the Official Partner
seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival
Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space
for artists in film, theatre, and new media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship
programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance
Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices,
and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as
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Sin Nombre,
The Invisible War,
The Square,
Dirty Wars,
Spring Awakening,
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and
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