The horror/drama “Nanny” from the first-time characteristic filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu nabbed the U.S. Grand Jury prize at this yr’s Sundance Movie Competition, which was primarily digital for the second yr in a row. The movie a few Senegalese nanny working for a privileged household in New York Metropolis generated robust critiques and remains to be in search of distribution.
“The Exiles,” about three exiled dissidents from the Tiananmen Sq. bloodbath in China, received the Grand Jury prize for U.S. documentary. “Utama,” a Bolivian character portrait, nabbed the highest award for world dramatic movie, whereas the Indian documentary “All That Breathes” took the world documentary Grand Jury Prize.
“Cha Cha Actual Clean” nabbed the Viewers Award within the U.S. dramatic competitors simply days after it sealed a $15 million distribution take care of Apple — the largest sale of the pageant. The gang-pleaser was written, directed by and stars Cooper Raiff in his sophomore effort. Dakota Johnson additionally stars.
Within the documentary house, the shock screening of “Navalny,” which CNN and HBO Max will launch later this yr, received each the viewers prize within the U.S. documentary competitors and the Competition Favourite award. The movie tracks the aftermath of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition chief and one among Vladimir Putin’s harshest critics. Directed by Daniel Roher, “Navalny” debuted to rave critiques and introduced extra consideration to the dissident who has been jailed in a Russian jail for over a yr.
In his speech after successful the viewers prize, Roher stated he hoped the movie would assist folks “be taught concerning the braveness it takes to convey down an authoritarian regime.”
Different viewers awards went to “Woman Image” (World Cinema Dramatic), “The Territory” (World Cinema Documentary) and “Framing Agnes” (Subsequent).
“At present’s awards signify the willpower of visionary people, whose dynamic work will proceed to vary the tradition,” stated Joana Vicente, the chief government of the Sundance Institute.
The pageant made a last-minute resolution to go digital due to issues over the extremely contagious Omicron variant, and the awards had been introduced in a two-hour string of tweets, which included speeches from every of the winners.
“Whether or not you watched from residence or one among our seven satellite tv for pc screens,” stated the pageant director, Tabitha Jackson, “this yr’s pageant expressed a strong convergence; we had been current, collectively, as a neighborhood related by means of the work.”
Along with Apple’s buy of “Cha Cha,” different high-profile gross sales included two by Fox Searchlight: the horror movie “Recent” from the director Mimi Cave and “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” starring Emma Thompson as a repressed widow who hires a intercourse employee. Each movies will bypass theaters and debut on Hulu within the U.S.
Sony Photos Classics picked up “Residing,” the remake of the Akira Kurosawa movie “Ikiru” starring Invoice Nighy as a civil servant who discovers he has a deadly sickness; and IFC Movies will launch “Resurrection,” starring Rebecca Corridor, in theaters earlier than it debuts on the streaming service Shudder.
