American drama, ‘A Thousand and One’, wins Sundance grand jury prize

“A Thousand and One,” a drama about an impoverished single mor and her son in New York City, won  Sundance Film Festival’s grand jury prize in U.S. dramatic competition, while “Going to Mars: Nikki Giovanni Project” was awarded top prize in U.S. documentary category. This year’s winners were anunced at an awards ceremony Friday afteron in Park City, Utah, which included an audience prize for documentary “ 20 Days in Mariupol.”

Writer Jeremy O. Harris, filmmaker Eliza Hittman and actor Marlee Matlin judged U.S. dramatic competition.

Harris, through tears, said he asked to give grand jury prize to “A Thousand and One” and writer-director A.V. Rockwell himself.

“Never have I seen a life so similar to my own rendered with such nuance and tenderness” Harris said. “This film reached into my gut and pulled from it every emotion I’ve learned to mask in se s.”

Rockwell, who me her feature debut with film, was similarly emotional.

“This has been such a long journey for me but institute has been such a beautiful support system,” Rockwell said.

“20 Days in Mariupol,” a first-person account of early days of Russian invasion of Ukraine, won audience prize for world cinema documentary. A joint project between Associated Press and PBS “Frontline,” film utilizes 30 hours of foot AP journalist Mstyslav Cherv and his colleagues shot in besieged Ukrainian city before y were extracted.

“I want to thank everyone who believed in us: AP, Frontline and Sundance and all audiences who did t turn away,” Cherv said. “This is t an achievement, this is a privilege.”

Sing J. Lee won directing award in U.S. dramatic for “ Accidental Getaway Driver.” team from “ ater Camp ” was recognized with a special jury prize for ensemble. Lío Mehiel, who goes by y/m prouns, received special jury award for ir performance in “Mutt,” about a trans-masculine person one day in New York. And drama “Magazine Dreams,” in which Jonathan Majors plays an amateur bodybuilder, was recognized for creative vision.

“Everyone in this room, everyone, every person, we give you our deepest props and our deepest respect,” Matlin said through an interpreter. She also gave a shout-out to her “CODA” team, who won big at festival two years ago. Her Oscar winning co-star Troy Kotsur was in audience cheering her on.

Or grand jury prizes winners were: “Scrapper,” in world cinema, about a 12-year-old girl living alone on outskirts of London after her mor’s death; and “ Eternal Memory,” in world cinema documentary, about effects of Alzheimer’s on a relationship of 25 years. “Kokomo City,” about lives of Black, trans sex workers, won NEXT invator award and audience award in NEXT category.

Or audience award winners included “ Persian Version,” for U.S. Dramatic, “Beyond Utopia,” for U.S. Documentary and “Shayda” for World Cinema Dramatic. “festival favorite” award went to “Rical,” starring Eugenio Derbez as an inspirational teacher in a Mexican border town.

In total, 12 films premiered in world cinema documentary section, including films about climate change, Syria, growing up during aparid and International Chopin Pia Competition. “ Eternal Memory,” about a couple dealing with Alzheimer’s, won category’s grand jury prize.

Or prize winners in category included “Fantastic Machine,” for creative vision, “Against Tide” for verité filmmaker, and “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” for directing.

Several Sundance winners from last year were recently minated for Oscars, including documentaries “Navalny” and “All That Breas.”

Many Sundance films came to festival with distribution in place. Apple TV+ debuted “Still: A Michael J. Fox Story” and “Stephen Curry: Underrated.” Neon h “Infinity Pool,” A24 brought six films including “All Dirt Ros Taste of Salt,” “You Hurt My Feelings,” “Past Lives.” Searchlight h South London rom com “Rye Lane.”

re were also several big acquisitions me at festival this year. Apple TV+, who got its first best picture win when it paid $25 million for “CODA” out of Sundance, scooped up John Carney’s (“Once”) musical rom com “Flora and Son,” with Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon Levitt. Netflix secured rights to corporate thriller “Fair Play,” with Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor, me and sold by MRC. Both films went for a reported $20 million. Searchlight also bought Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s mockumentary “ater Camp” for a atrical release later this year.

This year’s festival, first in-person garing since 2020, debuted 111 feature films and 64 short films. Over 75% of films are available on Sundance’s online platform through Sunday, January 29.

“We’re alrey thinking about next one,” Sundance CEO Joana Vicente said.