?Beasts of the Southern Wild,? ?The House I Live In? Among Sundance Grand Jury Winners

If you’re more into independent films than Hollywood blockbusters, check out the winners of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Beasts of the Southern Wild and The House I Live In picked up Grand Jury Prizes in the U.S. Dramatic and U.S. Documentary categories, while The Surrogate and The Invisible War rated well with audiences. Here are the films that took home Grand Jury and Audience Award prizes.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

The Grand Jury Prize, U.S. Dramatic: Beasts of the Southern Wild

“Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in “the Bathtub,” a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink’s tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he’s no longer there to protect her.”

The Audience Award, U.S. Dramatic: The Surrogate

“The quest for love appears insurmountable when a man confined to an iron lung determines, at age 38, to lose his virginity.”

U.S. Documentary Competition

The Grand Jury Prize, U.S. Documentary: The House I Live In

“In the past 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world's largest jailer, and destroyed impoverished communities at home and abroad. Yet drugs are cheaper, purer, and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong, and what can be done?”

The Audience Award, U.S. Documentary: The Invisible War

“Casualties of war rage beyond the battlefield. As ranks of women in the American military swell, so do incidents of rape.”

World Cinema Documentary Competition

The World Cinema Jury Prize, Documentary: The Law in These Parts

“The Law in These Parts is commanding and compassionate as it goes to the heart of Israel’s moral quandary. In this country founded on democratic principles, can justice truly be served in the occupied territories given the current system of law administered by Israel for Palestinians?”

The World Cinema Audience Award, Documentary: Searching for Sugar Man

“Rodriguez was the greatest ’70s U.S. rock icon who never was. His albums were critically well-received, but sales bombed, and he faded away into obscurity among rumors of a gruesome death. However, as fate would have it, a bootleg copy of his record made its way to South Africa, where his music became a phenomenal success. When his second album finally gets released on CD in South Africa, two fans take it as a sign, deciding to look into the mystery of how Rodriguez died and what happened to all of the profits from his album sales.”

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

The World Cinema Jury Prize, Dramatic: Violeta Went to Heaven

“Violeta Went to Heaven tells the extraordinary story of Chilean folksinger Violeta Parra, tracing her evolution from impoverished child to international sensation to Chile’s national hero, while capturing the swirling intensity of her inner contradictions, fallibilities, and passions.”

The World Cinema Audience Prize, Dramatic: Valley of Saints

“Intricately weaving contemporary issues with traditional culture and ancient myths, Valley of Saints is a vibrant, lyrical film about finding one’s path home in a changing world.”

Visit Sundance.org to see the full list of Sundance winners, including awards for directing, screenwriting, cinematography, and more.

Photo: Sundance.org

Source: http://blog.starcam.com/post/e2809cBeasts-of-the-Southern-Wilde2809d-e2809cThe-House-I-Live-Ine2809d-Among-Sundance-Grand-Jury-Winners.aspx

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