“Fruitvale” wins big at Sundance 2013

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“Fruitvale”, the 26-year-old Ryan Coogler film about a black youth killed by Oakland police, won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Sundance Awards, the premier showcase for independent film, on Saturday evening. The Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary went to “Blood Brother” directed by Steve Hoover, depicting an American’s work in an African orphanage for AIDS infected children. The Best US Drama Director Award was won by Jill Soloway for “Afternoon Delight”, and Zachary Heinzerling won best documentary director for “Cutie and the Boxer”. The Grand Jury prize for a foreign drama went to “Jiseul” directed by South Korean Muel O, and “A River Changes Course” directed by Cambodian director Kalyanee Mam fetched the Grand Jury prize for a foreign documentary. The Special Jury prize for a U.S. Drama went to “The Spectacular Now” (Acting) and “Upstream Color” (Sound Design). Inequality for All” and “American Promise” received the Special Jury prize for a U.S. documentary. The Special Jury prize for a foreign drama went to “Circles” directed by Serb director  Srdan Golubovic, and the Special Jury prize for a foreign documentary was awarded to “Pussy Riot: a Punk Prayer”, dedicated to the Russian all-female punk band Pussy Riot. The Sundance Festival was founded by film actor Robert Redford to give visibility to US and international independent productions often shadowed by the big studios.