Over the past ten days, quiet Park City, Utah had become a mini-Hollywood as it hosted Robert Redford's annual Sundance Film Festival. Dozens of A-list movie stars descended on the snowy American town, with everyone from Ben Affleck to Britney Spears donning parkas and knit hats to take in the scene.
However, as Sundance wrapped on Sunday, the films at the independent cinema showcase took centre stage, with a handful of the industry's rising stars taking home the top gongs.
American Splendor, which relates the life of comic book artist Harvey Pekar, won the Grand Jury prize for best film, while Station Agent scooped the Audience Award for best dramatic film and its writer/director Tom McCarthy scored the screenwriting award. Another standout flick, Thirteen, the story of a girl who'll do anything to befriend her school's most popular pupil, won praise for the movie's young star Evan Rachel Wood and garnered up-and-comer Catherine Hardwicke the best director trophy.
Capturing The Friedmans – dubbed "a tragic version of The Osbournes" – won the Grand Jury prize for best documentary.
The Sundance Film Festival, launched by the Spy Game star in 1981, spotlights more than 200 independent feature length and short films each year.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
