Big Winners at 2009 Sundance Film Festival Include ‘Push,’ ‘We Live in Public’

CHICAGO – The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Awards were announced on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 and Lee Daniels’ examination of parental abuse and self-redemption in Harlem in the 1980s, “Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire,” won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. dramatic competition.

“Push” tells the story of an embattled teenageer living in 1980s Harlem. Photo credit: Sundance/Variety

“We Live in Public” won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary. The Chilean film “The Maid” by Sebastian Silva, won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. The audience award in World Cinema went to “An Education” by Lone Scherfig. The film recounts a 16-year-old girl’s adventures in early ’60s London.

Other winning documentaries besides Ondi Timoner’s look at Internet pioneer Josh Harris were “Rough Aunties” by Kim Longinotto, which won the World Cinema docu grand jury prize. The doc focuses on a woman who look after abused and neglected children in South Africa.

The audience award for doc went to “The Cove” by Louie Psihoyos, a film about dolphin survival in Japan. The World Cinema audience award went to “Afghan Star” by Havana Marking. Her film tells the story of a talent competition in Afghanistan, where participating in such a competition could mean death.

The winner for directing for American drama was Cary Joji Fukunaga for “Sin nombre” and cinematography was awarded to John De Borman for “An Education”. World Cinema directing went to the great Oliver Hirschbiegel for “Five Minutes of Heaven,” which also won the screenwriting award for Guy Hibbert. Directing on the doc side went to Natalia Almada for “El General”.

Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi won the coveted Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for “Paper Heart”. A full list of winners, courtesy of Variety:

GRAND JURY PRIZE: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“We Live in Public,” directed by Ondi Timoner

GRAND JURY PRIZE: U.S. DRAMATIC
“Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire,” directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul

WORLD CINEMA JURY PRIZE: DOCUMENTARY
“Rough Aunties,” directed by Kim Longinotto

WORLD CINEMA JURY PRIZE: DRAMATIC
“The Maid” (“La Nana”), directed by Sebastián Silva

AUDIENCE AWARD presented by Honda: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“The Cove,” directed by Louie Psihoyos

AUDIENCE AWARD presented by Honda: U.S. DRAMATIC
“Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire,” directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul

THE WORLD CINEMA AUDIENCE AWARD: DOCUMENTARY
“Afghan Star,” directed by Havana Marking

THE WORLD CINEMA AUDIENCE AWARD: DRAMATIC
“An Education,” directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby

DIRECTING AWARD: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“El General director,” Natalia Almada

DIRECTING AWARD: U.S. DRAMATIC
“Sin Nombre,” written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga

THE WORLD CINEMA DIRECTING AWARD: DOCUMENTARY
“Afghan Star,” directed by Havana Marking

WORLD CINEMA DIRECTING AWARD: DRAMATIC
“Five Minutes of Heaven,” directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by Guy Hibbert

WALDO SALT SCREENWRITING AWARD
Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi for “Paper Heart”

WORLD CINEMA SCREENWRITING AWARD
“Five Minutes of Heaven,” directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by Guy Hibbert

U.S. DOCUMENTARY EDITING AWARD
“Sergio,” directed by Greg Barker and edited by Karen Schmeer

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY EDITING AWARD
“Burma VJ,” directed by Anders Østergaard and edited by Janus Billeskov Jansen and Thomas Papapetros

EXCELLENCE IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“The September Issue,” cinematographer: Bob Richman

EXCELLENCE IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD: U.S. DRAMATIC
“Sin Nombre,” cinematographer: Adriano Goldman.

WORLD CINEMA CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD: DOCUMENTARY
“Big River Man,” cinematographer: John Maringouin

WORLD CINEMA CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD: DRAMATIC
“An Education,” cinematographer: John De Borman.

A WORLD CINEMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR ORIGINALITY
“Louise-Michel,” directed by Benoit Delépine and Gustave de Kervern

A WORLD CINEMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: DOCUMENTARY
Tibet in Song directed by Ngawang Choephel

A WORLD CINEMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR ACTING
Catalina Saavedra, “The Maid” (“La Nana”). Chile

A SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: U.S. DOCUMENTARY
“Good Hair,” directed by Jeff Stilson

A SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE
“Humpday,” directed by Lynn Shelton

A SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR ACTING
Mo’Nique, “Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire”

2009 JURY PRIZE IN U.S. SHORT FILMMAKING
“Short Term 12,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

INTERNATIONAL JURY PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMMAKING
“Lies,” directed by Jonas Odel

HONORABLE MENTIONS IN SHORT FILMMAKING
“The Attack of the Robots from Nebula-5,” directed by Chema Garcia Ibarra
“Protect You + Me,” directed by Brady Corbet
“Western Spaghetti,” directed by PES
“Jerrycan,” directed by Julius Avery; Love You More, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood
“I Live in the Woods,” directed by Max Winston
“Omelette,” directed by Nadejda Koseva
“Treevenge,” directed by Jason Eisener.

Alfred P. Sloan Prize
“Adam,” directed by Max Mayer

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards
Diego Lerman, “Ciencias Morales” (“Moral Sciences”) from Argentina; David Riker, “The Girl,” from the United States; Qurata Kenji, “Speed Girl” from Japan; and Lucile Hadzihalilovic, “Evolution” from France

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com