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Los Angeles Times
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Sundance's top prizes go to ‘Atropia' and ‘Seeds'
The Sundance Film Festival announced its annual awards during a ceremony in Park City, Utah, on Friday. 'Atropia,' directed by Hailey Gates, won the U.S. dramatic competition's grand jury prize for its darkly comedic take on the intersection of war and performance, while Brittany Shyne's 'Seeds,' an intimate exploration of Black generational farmers in the South, was awarded the U.S. documentary competition's top honor. A biting satire set inside a military role-playing facility, 'Atropia,' which stars Alia Shankar, Callum Turner and Chloë Sevigny, follows an aspiring actor who falls in love with a soldier cast as an insurgent, forcing them both to reckon with the blurred lines between performance and reality. The jury praised Gates' feature debut as 'both hilarious and damning in its portrayal of the theater of war.' 'Seeds' was recognized for its poetic and deeply personal portrait of Black farmers fighting to preserve their land and heritage. In the world cinema categories, the dramatic grand jury prize was awarded to 'Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears)', a co-production from India, the U.K. and Canada directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade. The film tells the story of a city dweller returning to his rural hometown for a mourning period and forming an unexpected bond with a local farmer. The documentary grand jury prize went to 'Cutting Through Rocks,' directed by Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, which follows a groundbreaking councilwoman in a rural Iranian village as she fights against patriarchal traditions. The NEXT Innovator Award, given to a film in the festival's section that highlights bold and unconventional storytelling, was awarded to Charlie Shackleton's 'Zodiac Killer Project,' a meditation on the true-crime genre told through 16mm footage of locations the filmmaker had to abandon after his option rights for a novel were declined. 'Twinless,' a dramedy about two men who meet in a twin bereavement support group, won the U.S. dramatic audience award, while 'André Is an Idiot,' a darkly comic documentary about a man confronting his own mortality, was honored in the U.S. documentary category. In the world cinema competition, 'DJ Ahmet,' about a North Macedonian teenager navigating family expectations and his love for music, took the audience award for drama, while 'Prime Minister,' a behind-the-scenes portrait of former New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern, won for documentary. The NEXT audience award went to 'East of Wall,' a neo-Western about a rebellious horse trainer and a group of wayward teenagers. Among other jury awards, the directing prize in the U.S. dramatic competition went to Rashad Frett for 'Ricky,' about a man struggling with the challenges of life after incarceration, while the U.S. documentary directing award was presented to Geeta Gandbhir for 'The Perfect Neighbor,' an examination of Florida's controversial 'stand your ground' laws. The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award went to Eva Victor for 'Sorry, Baby,' a dark comedy about a young woman processing trauma. Dylan O'Brien received a special jury award for acting in 'Twinless,' while 'Plainclothes,' a drama about an undercover officer assigned to entrap gay men in the 1990s, was honored for ensemble cast. In the documentary category, 'Selena y Los Dinos,' a portrait of the late Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla, was awarded a special jury prize for archival storytelling, and 'Life After' won a special jury award for its thought-provoking investigation of a historic right-to-die case. While this year's festival was relatively quiet on the deal-making front, the honorees hope to follow the trajectory of other recent Sundance prize winners that went on to Oscar glory, including 'CODA,' '20 Days in Mariupol,' 'Summer of Soul' and 'Minari.' The 41st edition of the festival concludes on Sunday.
Asharq Al-Awsat
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘Atropia' and ‘Twinless' Win Top Prizes at Sundance Film Festival
The war satire 'Atropia,' about actors in a military role-playing facility, won the grand jury prize in the Sundance Film Festival's US dramatic competition, while the Dylan O'Brien movie 'Twinless' got the coveted audience award. Juries and programmers for the 41st edition of the independent film festival announced the major prizewinners Friday in Park City, Utah. Other grand jury winners included the documentaries 'Seeds,' about farmers in rural Georgia and 'Cutting Through the Rocks,' about the first elected councilwoman in an Iranian village. The Indian drama 'Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears),' about a city dweller mourning his father in the western Indian countryside, won the top prize in the world cinema competition. 'It's for my dad,' said writer and director Rohan Parashuram Kanawade. His late father, he said, was the one who encouraged him to pursue filmmaking. Audiences also get to vote on their own awards, where James Sweeney's 'Twinless,' about the friendship between two men who meet in a twin bereavement support group, triumphed in the US dramatic category. O'Brien also won a special jury award for his acting. The US documentary audience award went to 'André is an Idiot,' a life-affirming film about dying of colon cancer. Other audience picks were 'Prime Minister,' about former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and 'DJ Ahmet,' a coming-of-age film about a 15-year-old boy in North Macedonia. Mstyslav Chernov, the Oscar-winning Associated Press journalist, won the world cinema documentary directing award for his latest dispatch from Ukraine, '2000 Meters to Andriivka,' a joint production between the AP and PBS Frontline. 'Here's to all documentary directors who are risking their lives in Ukraine trying to tell the stories of people who protect the land that I call home,' Chernov said onstage. Others singled out for directing include Geeta Gandbhir for 'The Perfect Neighbor,' a documentary about a murder in Florida told through the use of police body camera footage, and Rashad Frett for 'Ricky,' a drama about life post-incarceration. The Sundance Film Festival runs through Sunday.
The Independent
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Atropia' and ‘Twinless' win top prizes at Sundance Film Festival
The war satire 'Atropia,' about actors in a military role-playing facility, won the grand jury prize in the Sundance Film Festival's U.S. dramatic competition, while the Dylan O'Brien movie 'Twinless' got the coveted audience award. Juries and programmers for the 41st edition of the independent film festival announced the major prizewinners Friday in Park City, Utah. Other grand jury winners included the documentaries 'Seeds,' about farmers in rural Georgia and 'Cutting Through the Rocks,' about the first elected councilwoman in an Iranian village. The Indian drama 'Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears),' about a city dweller mourning his father in the western Indian countryside, won the top prize in the world cinema competition. 'It's for my dad,' said writer and director Rohan Parashuram Kanawade. His late father, he said, was the one who encouraged him to pursue filmmaking. Audiences also get to vote on their own awards, where James Sweeney's 'Twinless,' about the bromance between two men who meet in a twin bereavement support group, triumphed in the U.S. dramatic category. O'Brien also won a special jury award for his acting. The U.S. documentary audience award went to 'André is an Idiot,' a life-affirming film about dying of colon cancer. Other audience picks were 'Prime Minister,' about former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and 'DJ Ahmet,' a coming-of-age film about a 15-year-old boy in North Macedonia. Mstyslav Chernov, the Oscar-winning Associated Press journalist, won the world cinema documentary directing award for his latest dispatch from Ukraine, '2000 Meters to Andriivka,' a joint production between the AP and PBS Frontline. 'Here's to all documentary directors who are risking their lives in Ukraine trying to tell the stories of people who protect the land that I call home,' Chernov said onstage. Others singled out for directing include Geeta Gandbhir for 'The Perfect Neighbor,' a documentary about a murder in Florida told through the use of police body camera footage, and Rashad Frett for 'Ricky,' a drama about life post-incarceration. The world cinema documentary jury also gave special prizes to 'Coexistence, My Ass!' about a comedian who creates a one-woman show about the struggle for equality in Israel and Palestine, and 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin,' in which a Russian teacher goes undercover to expose what's happening in his school during the invasion of Ukraine. 'Our programming team is so thrilled to have introduced these moving and impactful works to our audiences this Festival, and we look forward to following the journeys of each of these talented artists and their projects,' said festival programming director Kim Yutani. The Sundance Film Festival runs through Sunday. ___
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Atropia' and ‘Twinless' win top prizes at Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — The war satire 'Atropia,' about actors in a military role-playing facility, won the grand jury prize in the Sundance Film Festival's U.S. dramatic competition, while the Dylan O'Brien movie 'Twinless' got the coveted audience award. Juries and programmers for the 41st edition of the independent film festival announced the major prizewinners Friday in Park City, Utah. Other grand jury winners included the documentaries 'Seeds,' about farmers in rural Georgia and 'Cutting Through the Rocks,' about the first elected councilwoman in an Iranian village. The Indian drama 'Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears),' about a city dweller mourning his father in the western Indian countryside, won the top prize in the world cinema competition. 'It's for my dad,' said writer and director Rohan Parashuram Kanawade. His late father, he said, was the one who encouraged him to pursue filmmaking. Audiences also get to vote on their own awards, where James Sweeney's 'Twinless,' about the bromance between two men who meet in a twin bereavement support group, triumphed in the U.S. dramatic category. O'Brien also won a special jury award for his acting. The U.S. documentary audience award went to 'André is an Idiot,' a life-affirming film about dying of colon cancer. Other audience picks were 'Prime Minister,' about former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and 'DJ Ahmet,' a coming-of-age film about a 15-year-old boy in North Macedonia. Mstyslav Chernov, the Oscar-winning Associated Press journalist, won the world cinema documentary directing award for his latest dispatch from Ukraine, '2000 Meters to Andriivka,' a joint production between the AP and PBS Frontline. 'Here's to all documentary directors who are risking their lives in Ukraine trying to tell the stories of people who protect the land that I call home,' Chernov said onstage. Others singled out for directing include Geeta Gandbhir for 'The Perfect Neighbor,' a documentary about a murder in Florida told through the use of police body camera footage, and Rashad Frett for 'Ricky,' a drama about life post-incarceration. The world cinema documentary jury also gave special prizes to 'Coexistence, My Ass!' about a comedian who creates a one-woman show about the struggle for equality in Israel and Palestine, and 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin,' in which a Russian teacher goes undercover to expose what's happening in his school during the invasion of Ukraine. 'Our programming team is so thrilled to have introduced these moving and impactful works to our audiences this Festival, and we look forward to following the journeys of each of these talented artists and their projects,' said festival programming director Kim Yutani. The Sundance Film Festival runs through Sunday. ___ For more coverage of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, visit: Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
USA Today
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Atropia,' 'Twinless' top Sundance awards. Here are more movies we loved.
And just like that, a somewhat muted Sundance Film Festival has come to a close. On Friday, the annual fest in Park City, Utah, announced the winners of its 2025 trophies: "Atropia," an Iraq War satire starring Alia Shawkat, walked away with the U.S. dramatic Grand Jury Prize. And James Sweeney's twisty dark comedy "Twinless," featuring a fantastic Dylan O'Brien as identical twin brothers, received the festival's other top hardware, the U.S. dramatic audience award. "Seeds" and "André is an Idiot" led the documentary honors, while the NEXT Innovator Award went to "Zodiac Killer Project," a deconstruction of the true-crime genre. In its heyday, Sundance was known for all-night bidding wars over hot new independent films that went on to become crossover box-office hits and major Oscar contenders. But many journalists agree that it's been an off year for the snow-covered fest: Alison Brie and Dave Franco's body horror movie "Together" was one of the only acquisitions. Highly anticipated films starring Ayo Edebiri ("Opus") and Dev Patel ("Rabbit Trap") fizzled with critics, and with the exception of Jennifer Lopez ("Kiss of the Spider Woman"), no A-listers were on hand to shut down the red carpets. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox. Nevertheless, there were still many offerings we enjoyed. John Magaro is magnificent in the wrenching road-trip drama "Omaha," while Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey set off sparks in the scorching, suspenseful gay romance "Plainclothes." "The Wedding Banquet," a weepy update of the 1993 queer classic, is bolstered by understated turns from Lily Gladstone, Joan Chen and Oscar winner Yuh-jung Youn ("Minari"). Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Here are the five Sundance films that we loved the most: 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' Thank God for Bill Condon. The "Dreamgirls" director has gifted us the best movie musical in years with "Spider Woman," a sumptuous and spellbinding adaptation of John Kander and Fred Ebb's 1993 Broadway show. Evoking vibrant Old Hollywood musicals "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Singin' in the Rain," Jennifer Lopez oozes glamour as the ravishing silver-screen goddess Aurora, with jaw-dropping song-and-dance numbers set inside the mind of a fanciful gay prisoner named Molina (newcomer Tonatiuh). The film tenderly explores gender identity and social responsibility, with tremendous performances from both Lopez and Diego Luna, playing Molina's firebrand cellmate Valentin. But it's the enchanting Tonatiuh who grabs your heart from the very first frame, giving the sort of star-making turn that we won't shut up about next Oscar season. – Patrick Ryan 'Oh, Hi!' At a time in the year when romantic comedies begin to arise like the tired, trope-filled undead, Sundance gave us one that breaks the mold and ties it up in bed. In Sophie Brooks' genre send-up, Logan Lerman and an outstanding Molly Gordon play a young couple a mere four months into a relationship when they take their first romantic trip together. Love songs are sung, fancy dinners are made, sexy times are had. But when one comes clean to the other about how they really feel, that's when this thing goes off the rails – in a good way. Rom-coms often reek of sentimental nonsense, but this one proudly goes its own way melding the relatable with the absurd. – Brian Truitt Ranked:The best movies we saw at Sundance Film Festival 'Sorry, Baby' "Sorry, Baby" marks the arrival of a major new voice in Eva Victor, who wrote, directed and starred in the bruisingly honest traumedy. The film follows the quotidian life of a bitingly funny English professor named Agnes (Victor), who struggles to imagine a future for herself after enduring sexual assault. Victor's script brilliantly oscillates between the awkward and profound, forcing the audience to sit in at times hilarious discomfort. Naomi Ackie and Lucas Hedges are extremely charming as Agnes' best friend and love interest, respectively, while Kelly McCormack is drolly deplorable as the worst classmate you've ever had. – Ryan 'Pee-wee as Himself' If you were a kid who watched "Pee-wee's Playhouse" on Saturday mornings or "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" on a silver screen, you felt like you knew Pee-wee Herman. Turns out, we didn't really know him at all. That is, we didn't know Paul Reubens, the comedian who chose giving life to a bow-tied oddball over showing the world who he truly was. This fascinating documentary lets Reubens, who did 40 hours of interviews for the film before dying of cancer in 2023, finally tell his own story, of a cultural icon with a huge fandom, of a gay man labeled a pedophile by society, and of a mercurial genius who struggled to find a balance between his private and public lives. – Truitt 'Train Dreams' Joel Edgerton is quietly staggering in this low-key American epic, playing a taciturn logger in the early 1900s Pacific Northwest who is struck by unfathomable tragedy. Gorgeous and surreal, the lyrical drama comes from the same filmmaking team as last year's "Sing Sing," a similarly gentle meditation on humanity and purpose. Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon and William H. Macy all shine in small yet stirring roles in the movie, which Netflix bought at Sundance for distribution. – Ryan
