Looking at EXPORTING? PARK CITY, UTAH: The winners of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prizes, World Cinema Jury Prizes and Audience Awards were announced tonight at the closing awards ceremony. The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented to No.
2 (New Zealand), written and directed by Toa Fraser. The World Cinema Audience Awards are given to both an international documentary and dramatic film in the World Cinema Competition as voted by Film Festival audiences. "On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Sundance Institute (founded by actor Robert Redford), we celebrate the winning artists and their films, and have been fortunate to share their stories, diverse voices, and original aesthetics with our Sundance audiences," said Geoffrey Gilmore, Director of the Sundance Film Festival.
"This year we've seen a number of films that deal sensitively with the timely and complex issues of cultural assimilation and community. Clearly, these compelling stories along with the quality of filmmaking have resonated with audiences and jury members alike." New Zealanders Writer/Director Toa Fraser, Mia Blake and the film's three producers, Tim White, Philippa Campbell , Lydia Livingstone and New York based actress Ruby Dee attended Sundance .
The New Zealanders returned home on Friday, January 27, prior to the award ceremony which took place at Park City Utah where the winners were announced at 5pm, Sunday January 29 New Zealand time. Toa Fraser was advised at lunch today in Auckland that his film had won the award. Festival organisers asked him to prepare a speech which will be delivered at tonight's closing ceremony.
"One of the things No. 2 is about is the language of hospitality. We're back in New Zealand now - Ms.
Dee is back in New York - but I want to thank the Sundance Film Festival and all the many people who came to see our movie for showing us incredible generosity and hospitality - and for giving us the ultimate honour of welcome: this prize. As Ruby Dee said from New York earlier today, ' We are each other. We have to know who we are so we can have a greater stake in who we have become.
This prize is more meaningful than you can imagine.'"So, from a humble backyard in Mt. Roskill in the Pacific, on behalf of the hundreds of people that worked on and invested in the movie, we want to thank the audiences of the Sundance Film Festival, for coming and celebrating life with us.
Looking at EXPORTING?
News RSS