“Whiplash” wins top dramatic awards at Sundance Film Fest

PanARMENIAN.Net - Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash” starring Miles Teller as a success-obsessed jazz drummer who struggles under the harsh tutelage of his conductor, swept the jury and audience awards at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Awards, a year after the director’s short of the same name won an award at the festival. “Fruitvale Station” earned the same dual victory last year, initiating Michael B. Jordan’s ascent to stardom, TheWrap reported.

It was one of the few films that everyone liked during a festival that produced no breakout hit or uniform favorite, and, accordingly, the awards were spread out among more than a dozen films. Though “Whiplash” won the two top awards in its category, no film won more than two awards the whole night.

The documentary “Rich Hill,” telling the story of Rich Hill, Missouri (population 1393) and how life had become difficult as the failing economy hit three families hard, won the Grand Jury documentary prize. The film was made by cousins Tracy Droz Tragos & Andrew Droz Palermo, and funded on Kickstarter, like many films at the festival. Another crowdfunded film, Michael Rossato-Bennett’s “Alive Inside,” took the audience award. Rossato-Bennet’s film tracks social worker Dan Cohen as he realizes that music can help patients suffering from Dementia recover memories.

“Watchers of the Sky” won a pair of awards in the U.S. documentary categories, earning a special prize for use of animation, as well as the editing award. ”20,000 Days on Earth” was the only world cinema competitor to win more than one award, taking the prizes for directing and editing of a documentary.