Josephine: Nuisance Bear Wins Sundance Grand Jury Prizes
“Josephine,” a family drama that earned raves for the performances of Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan and newcomer Mason Reeves when it premiered at Sundance, won the festival’s grand jury prize for U.S. dramatic competition, as well as the audience award for U.S. narrative.
“Josephine” director beth de Araújo, who drew on her personal history to tell the story of a young girl who witnesses a crime, fought back tears while accepting the audience prize at Sundance’s awards ceremony in Park City, Utah on Friday. “Thank you to the audience for keeping me employed,” de Araújo said. “Cinema is my church, and it feels so good to come and get this from you.”
“Nuisance Bear,” a look at the impact that tourism and other man-made activities are having on the polar bears that live in Churchill, Manitoba, captured the prize for U.S. documentary competition, while “To Hold a Mountain,” the story of mother and daughter working to prevent their ancestral mountain from becoming a NATO military training ground, took the award for world cinema documentary. “Shame and Money,” a drama about a couple in rural Kosovo who lose their livelihoods, won the grand jury prize for world cinema. The ceremony was politically charged, as many films in the awards selection tell of immigrants and activists.
“As this goverment is attacking notions of diversity, I want this film to showcase that diversity isn’t a dirty word and will never be a dirty word,” said David Alvarado, director of the audience award winner for U.S. Documentary, “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez.”
Many of the award-winning films, such as ”Nuisance Bear” and “Josephine,” have been drawing interest from distributors. Their victories could heat up the bidding by studios and streamers.
The NEXT Innovator Award was given to “The Incomer,” and the NEXT Special Jury Award presented was given to “TheyDream.”