The Sundance Film Festival officially ends today, and awards were given out last night. I’m encouraged that so many women received such international recognition for their films — see below for the list of winning films by women (as directors and writers).
Days 9-11
SUNDANCE AWARDS
Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic & Excellence in Cinematography – U.S. Dramatic
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (co-writer Lucy Alibar)*
U.S. Directing Award: Documentary
THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES (director Lauren Greenfield)*
U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (writer-director Ava DuVernay)*
World Cinema Screenwriting Award
YOUNG & WILD (director & co-writer Marialy Rivas)
U.S. Documentary Editing Award
DETROPIA (directors Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady)
World Cinema Documentary Editing Award
INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE (directors & editors Lisanne Pajot & James Swirsky)*
World Cinema: Documentary Special Jury Prize
AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY (director Alison Klayman)
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic
MY BROTHER THE DEVIL (writer-director Sally El Hosaini; cinematographer David Raedeker)
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing
NOBODY WALKS (director & co-writer Ry Russo-Young; co-writer Lena Dunham; producers Jonathan Schwartz, Andrea Sperling, Alicia Van Couvering)*
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary
PUTIN’S KISS (director Lise Birk Pedersen; cinematographer Lars Skree)*
U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing
SMASHED (co-writer Susan Burke; producers Jennifer Cochis, Jonathan Schwartz, Andrew Sperling)
See the slideshow of all winning titles on the Sundance Channel website.
*Films have been picked up during the festival for theatrical or VOD distribution, except Indie Game which will be adapted into a fictional half-hour series for HBO.
Acquisitions
Writer-director Julie Delpy’s film 2 Days in New York has been picked up by Magnolia Pictures. Delpy also stars in the film opposite Chris Rock. Magnolia will release the film via VOD (Video On Demand) as well as in theatres. No word yet on which territories this covers (I’m assuming at least North America), or a firm release date. Read the story over at Nikkie Finke’s Deadline Hollywood.
Magnolia has also picked up director & co-writer Ry Russo-Young’s feature film Nobody Walks which she co-wrote with Lena Dunham (most well-known for her film Tiny Furniture and her upcoming HBO series “Girls” which will premiere at SXSW in March, then on HBO in April). Check out the story over at Reuters (incl. information on 2 Days in New York).
Check out all the distributors that picked up films at Sundance this year in this indieWIRE story.
I’m expecting more acquisitions to happen in the next few days and weeks and will try to update the Sundance film acquisitions list to include those titles.
Screenwriters Katie Anne Naylon and Lauren Anne Miller see their film For a Good Time, Call… picked up by Focus Features for theatrical distribution, for just over $2M for worldwide rights. Read the 
Celeste and Jesse Forever, co-written by and starring Rashida Jones, was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. Theatrical distro rights include North America, Latin America and Eastern Europe. I’ve read tweets and other bits about this film that seem to say it was a given that it’d be a standout at Sundance this year. With comedy star-power like Rashida Jones, backed up by SNL cast member Andy Samberg, how could it not? 
Beasts of the Southern Wild, co-written by Lucy Alibar, was finally picked up after a few days of speculation in the press (and by more than a few brokers, I’m sure). Fox Searchlight secured theatrical distribution rights, but I haven’t found anything yet on what was paid.
Her Film Archives 