2004 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS

The Sundance Film Festival has announced the winners of the Independent Feature Film Competition and the Audience Awards for the 2004 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah (January 15 - 25).

The Documentary Grand Jury Prize was given to DIG!, directed and produced by Ondi Timoner. The Dramatic Grand Jury Prize was presented to PRIMER, directed, written, and produced by Shane Carruth.

The Documentary Audience Award was presented to BORN INTO BROTHELS, a film by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski. The Dramatic Audience Award winner is MARIA FULL OF GRACE, directed and written by Joshua Marston, and produced by Paul Mezey. The Audience Awards, sponsored by Volkswagen of America, Inc., are given to a documentary and a dramatic film in Competition or American Spectrum, as voted by Film Festival audiences.

The World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award was given to SEDUCING DOCTOR LEWIS, directed by Jean-François Pouliot, written by Ken Scott and produced by Roger Frappier and Luc Vandal. The World Cinema Documentary Audience Award was presented to THE CORPORATION, directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott, written by Harold Crooks, Joel Bakan, and Mark Achbar, and produced by Bart Simpson and Mark Achbar. The World Cinema Audience Awards, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, are given to both an international dramatic and documentary film as voted by Film Festival audiences.

The Directing Award recognizes excellence in directing for dramatic and documentary features. The Documentary Directing Award went to Morgan Spurlock , director of SUPER SIZE ME. The Dramatic Directing Award was presented to Debra Granik for DOWN TO THE BONE.

The Excellence in Cinematography Award honors exceptional photography in both a dramatic and documentary film at the Festival. Ferne Pearlstein for IMELDA from the Documentary Competition and Nancy Schreiber for NOVEMBER from the Dramatic Competition received the 2004 Cinematography Awards.

The Freedom of Expression Award is given to a documentary film that informs and educates the public on issues of social or political concern. The Freedom of Expression Jury selected REPATRIATION, directed by Kim Dong-won.

The Dramatic Jury presents the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award to outstanding achievement in writing. The 2004 prize was given to Larry Gross for WE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE. The award is sponsored by the Utah Film Commission.

The Documentary Jury bestowed a Special Jury Prize to FARMINGVILLE, directed and produced by Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval.

This year’s Dramatic Jury presented two Special Jury Prizes to BROTHER TO BROTHER, directed by Rodney Evans and to Vera Farmiga for her performance in DOWN TO THE BONE.

The Shorts Jury presented the Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking to WHEN THE STORM CAME, directed by Shilpi Gupta and GOWANUS, BROOKLYN, directed by Ryan Fleck. The Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking was given to TOMO, directed by Paul Catling. The Shorts Jury awarded Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking to CURTIS, directed by Jacob Akira Okada; HARVIE KRUMPET, directed by Adam Elliot; KRUMPED, directed by David LaChapelle; PAPILLON D’AMOUR, directed by Nicholas Provost; and SPOKANE, directed by Larry Kennar.

The 2004 Documentary Competition Jurors includes Rory Kennedy, Mary Ellen Mark, Robb Moss, Robert Shepard, and Chris Smith.

The 2004 Dramatic Competition Jury is Lisa Cholodenko, Frederick Elmes, Danny Glover, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Ted Hope.

The 2004 Freedom of Expression Jury is made up of Molly Haskell, Jørgen Leth, and Siven Maslamoney.

The 2004 Shorts Jurors are Effie T. Brown, Spencer Parsons, and Peter Sollett.

The 2004 Sundance Online Film Festival Viewers Awards went to BATHTIME IN CLERKENWELL, directed by Alex Budovsky (Animation), WET DREAMS FALSE IMAGES, directed by Jesse Epstein (Short Subject), and THE DAWN AT MY BACK: MEMOIR OF A TEXAS UPBRINGING, directed by Carroll Parrott Blue and Kristy H.A. Kang (New Forms Gallery).

The 2004 Sundance Online Film Festival Jury is Mika Salmi, Cathy Fischer, Sam Black, Jed Rosenzweig, and Michael Gough.

The Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award was created to honor and support emerging filmmakers with their next screenplays – one each from the United States, Europe, and Latin America– who possess the originality, talent and vision to be celebrated as we look to the future of international cinema. The winning filmmakers and projects are: Gyorgy Palfi , TAXIDERMIA from Europe; Andrucha Waddington, HOUSE OF SAND from Latin America; Miranda July, ME YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW from the United States. Kosuke Hosokaim, director of TEPID LOVE from Japan received an honorable mention.

Yesterday, the 2004 Sundance Film Festival announced that PRIMER, directed by first-time filmmaker Shane Carruth was the winner of the second annual Alfred P. Sloan Prize. The Prize carries a $20,000 cash award and is designed to increase the visibility of outstanding independent films on science and technology and to showcase the work of emerging filmmakers tackling compelling topics in science.

This year’s Alfred P. Sloan selection committee includes Neil LaBute, Mark Decena, Ann Druyan, Marvin Minsky, and John Underkoffler.

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