This year, once again (after having first been implemented during the pandemic), the Sundance Film Festival took place as a hybrid event, both physically in Park City, Utah, and online. The online access was well organised and generously offered more than 75% of the programme; thus it could be considered as a true alternative in these times of concern over the climate. No matter which way one chose to follow the festival, from 19-29 January, a total of 111 feature-length and 64 short films got an airing. This year's edition came to a close with the announcement of the award winners.

Four main competitions traditionally form the core of the festival, marking a separation between documentaries and fiction films as well as US and international titles. A European film was awarded the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for the best fiction film. Scrapper [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] is a heart-warming coming-of-age tragicomedy that paints the portrait of a peculiar father-daughter relationship. The film was written and directed by London-based Charlotte Regan.

It is Regan's first feature-length film, for which she also cast London-based actor Harris Dickinson, who recently played a major role in Ruben Östlund's Triangle of Sadness [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Ruben Östlund
intervista: Ruben Östlund
scheda film]. The jury called the movie “a charming and empathetic film full of integrity and life. Scrapper is a poignant study on grief and how the protagonist attempts to shrink her world. Through a child's eyes, we observe abandonment, detachment and coldness, delivered with love, humour and warmth.”

Both Directing Awards, granted to an international documentary and an international fiction film, were given to European productions. The Directing Award in the World Cinema Documentary category went to Smoke Sauna Sisterhood [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Anna Hints
scheda film] by Estonian director Anna Hints. The Estonian-French-Icelandic production is set in a smoke sauna in which a group of women share their thoughts. The jury explained its decision thusly: “A transcendental story of women that bring us into their bodies, their traumas and their healing. Tales of patriarchy that we have rarely seen on screen come together with cinematic beauty, humour, wisdom and refreshing self-awareness.”

The Direction Award in the World Cinema Dramatic category was bestowed upon Lithuanian helmer Marja Kavtaradze for Slow [+leggi anche:
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The two World Cinema Special Jury Awards for Creative Vision for both a documentary and a fiction film went to European films, too. The doc in question was And the king said, what a FANTASTIC MACHINE [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], a Swedish-Danish co-production helmed by Alex Danielson and Maximilien van Aertryck. The award-winning dramatic piece was the first feature by French-Moroccan director Sofia Alaoui, Animalia [+leggi anche:
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Finally, the Special Jury Award for the Best Performance in the World Cinema Dramatic strand went to Rosa Marchant for her lead role in the rape drama When It Melts [+leggi anche:
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Here is the full list of award winners:

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Grand Jury Prize
Scrapper [+leggi anche:
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Best Directing
Marja Kavtaradze – Slow [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Marija Kavtaradze
scheda film] (Lithuania/Spain/Sweden)

Special Jury Award: Creative Vision
Sofia Alaoui - Animalia [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Sofia Alaoui
scheda film] (France/Morocco/Qatar)

Special Jury Award: Best Performance
Rosa Marchant – When It Melts [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Veerle Baetens
scheda film] (Belgium)

Audience Award
Shayda - Noora Niasari (Australia)

World Cinema Documentary Competition

Grand Jury Prize
The Eternal Memory - Maite Alberdi (Chile)

Best Directing
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Anna Hints
scheda film] - Anna Hints (Estonia/France/Iceland)

Special Jury Award: Creative Vision
And the king said, what a FANTASTIC MACHINE [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Axel Danielson, Maximilien…
scheda film] - Alex Danielson, Maximilien van Aertryck (Sweden/Denmark)

Special Jury Award: Excellence in Verité Filmmaking
Against the Tide - Sarvnik Kaur (India)

Special Jury Award: Cinematography
Lílis Soares - Mami Wata (Nigeria)

Audience Award
20 Days in Mariupol [+leggi anche:
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US Dramatic Competition

Grand Jury Award
A Thousand and One - AV Rockwell (USA)

Best Directing
Sing J Lee - The Accidental Getaway Driver (USA)

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award
The Persian Version - Maryam Keshavarz

Special Jury Award: Ensemble Cast
Theater Camp - Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman (USA)

Special Jury Award: Creative Vision
Magazine Dreams - Elijah Bynum (USA)

Special Jury Award: Acting
Lio Mehiel - Mutt (USA)

Festival Favourite Award
Radical - Christopher Zalla (USA)

Audience Award
The Persian Version - Maryam Keshavarz (USA)

US Documentary Competition

Grand Jury Prize
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project - Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson (USA)

Best Directing
Luke Lorentzen - A Still Small Voice (USA)

Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award
Daniela I Quiroz - Going Varsity in Mariachi (USA)

Special Jury Award: Freedom of Expression
Bad Press - Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler (USA)

Special Jury Award: Clarity of Vision
The Stroll - Kristen Lovell, Zackary Drucker (USA)

Audience Award
Beyond Utopia - Madeleine Gavin (USA)

NEXT

Innovator Award
KOKOMO CITY - D Smith (USA)

Audience Award
KOKOMO CITY - D Smith

Short film awards

Grand Jury Prize
When You Left Me on That Boulevard - Kayla Abuda Galang (USA)

Jury Award: US Fiction
Rest Stop - Crystal Kayiza (USA)

Jury Award: International Fiction
The Kidnapping of the Bride - Sophia Mocorrea (Germany)

Jury Award: Nonfiction
Will You Look at Me - Shuli Huang (China)

Jury Award: Animation
The Flying Sailor - Wendy Tilby (Canada)

Special Jury Award International: Directing
AliEN0089 - Valeria Hofmann (Chile)

Special Jury Award US: Directing
The Vacation - Jarreau Carrillo (USA)