SAGindie returned as a longtime sponsor of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, which took place from January 23 – February 2, 2025. While much talk on the mountain revolved around how long Sundance will stay in Utah (one more year, at least), and distribution deals trickled out slower than normal, there were still many movies, parties, networking, snow, and good times. We even found time to host our 28th Annual Actors Only Brunch and Filmmakers Luncheon (as well as sponsor the 1497 South Asian Lodge)!
A big debt of gratitude goes out to our absolutely lovely Actors Brunch hosts Rose Byrne, Joan Chen, Kiran Deol, Jennifer Ehle, Jack Kilmer, Archie Madekwe, Samantha Mathis, Lou Taylor Pucci, Kali Reis, and Alex Wolff; and our equally fantastic Filmmakers Luncheon hosts Kate Beecroft, Clint Bentley, Albert Birney, Elegance Bratton, Cherien Dabis, Carmen Emmi, Grace Glowicki, Addison Heimann, Sophie Hyde, Alex Russell, Joel Alfonso Vargas, and Katarina Zhu.
Thanks to Sundance for another great year! See our staff’s favorite films and festival award-winners below!
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Darrien’s Favorites:
My favorite watches at Sundance:
- Ricky – caught the audience’s emotion (also, best after-party of the festival!)
- Lurker – compelling performances
- Love, Brooklyn – a lovely story, nicely told
Eliza’s Favorites:
Colin’s Favorites:
I loved Twinless and the twisty journey it took me on. Ditto the documentary Predators, which kept my allegiances shifting.
Honorable mention to East of Wall, a feat of street casting with powerful performances from its non-professional actors and a unique setting and spot-on world-building.
Shefali’s Favorites:
Favorites of the fest:
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2025 Sundance Film Festival Winners:
Grand Jury Awards – Dramatic
- U.S. Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic: Atropia
- Directing Award – U.S. Dramatic: Rashad Frett, Ricky
- Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award – U.S. Dramatic: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby
- U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting: Dylan O’Brien, Twinless
- U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast: Plainclothes
- World Cinema Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic: Sabar Bonda
- Directing Award – World Cinema Dramatic: Alireza Khatami, The Things You Kill
- World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision: Georgi M. Unkovski, DJ Ahmet
- World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Writing: Chloé Robichaud & Catherine Léger, Two Women
- NEXT Innovator Award: Zodiac Killer Project
- NEXT Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast: Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)
Grand Jury Awards – Documentary
- U.S. Grand Jury Prize – Documentary: Seeds
- Directing Award – U.S. Documentary: Geeta Gandbhir, The Perfect Neighbor
- Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award – U.S. Documentary: Parker Laramie, André is an Idiot
- U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Life After
- U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Archival Storytelling: Selena y Los Dinos
- World Cinema Grand Jury Prize – Documentary: Cutting Through Rocks
- Directing Award – World Cinema Documentary: Mstyslav Chernov, 2000 Metres to Andriivka
- World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression: Coexistence, My Ass!
- World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Grand Jury Awards – Shorts
- Short Film Grand Jury Prize: The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing
- Short Film Jury Award – U.S. Fiction: Trokas Duras
- Short Film Jury Award – International Fiction: Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites
- Short Film Jury Award – Non-Fiction: We Were the Scenery
- Short Film Jury Award – Animation: Como si la tierra se las hubiera tragado
- Short Film Special Jury Award for Animation Directing: May Kindred-Boothby, The Eating of an Orange
- Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing: Loren Waters, Tiger
Audience Awards
- Audience Award – U.S. Dramatic: Twinless
- Audience Award – U.S. Documentary: André is an Idiot
- Audience Award – NEXT: East of Wall
- Audience Award – World Cinema Dramatic: DJ Ahmet
- Audience Award – World Cinema Documentary: Prime Minister
Additional Awards
- Festival Favorite Award: Come See Me in the Good Light
- Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize: Sally
- Sundance/Sloan Episodic Fellowship: Greenwashers
- Sundance/Sloan Development Fellowship: Eruption
- Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grant: Thin Ice
CONGRATS TO THE 2025 SUNDANCE FILM FEST AWARD-WINNERS!
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