Welcome one and all to the Official Unofficial Film Streams Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony. Here we will look back on the past seven days and 17 films that have been squished into my large head and reminisce on the highs and lows. It's been a beautiful journey, so let us tighten our cummerbunds, wrap up our red carpet interviews, and take our seats as we get into the NON-FICTION Awards.
One of the little joys of this pandemic is my mom getting into streaming. After a lifetime of not really knowing what things she watches I learned what kind of things she likes and even became able to recommend some shows and films that she really enjoyed, which is fun. So here are the documentaries I saw that I think that she would like.
The nominees for the "My Mom Would Like This Movie" Award for Non-Fiction Storytelling are:
SUMMER OF SOUL ( . . . OR WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
AILEY
RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT
The winner is: SUMMER OF SOUL ( . . . OR WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED). Congratulations!
The first documentaries we are introduced to are likely educational films in school that would teach you about topics ranging from what fish are like to how your body will change horrifically in coming years. While it's hard for films to capture those exact feelings, it's always an achievement when a documentary can teach you something about a subject you knew nothing about in an engaging format.
The nominees for the "Well Ya Learn Something New Every Day" Award for Non-Fiction Storytelling are:
BRING YOUR OWN BRIGADE
THE SPARKS BROTHERS
AILEY
The winner is: AILEY. Congratulations
When I was told I was going to Sundance, I was of course thrilled to experience such an important festival and watch exciting and fresh films. I was also excited to flex on my 20 Letterboxd followers. This award is dedicated to my favorite films that I saw and was proud to log on my Letterboxd diary.
The nominees for the prestigious "Letterboxd Flex" Award for Non-Fiction Storytelling are:
FLEE
SUMMER OF SOUL ( . . . OR WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
SEARCHERS
And the winner is . . . FLEE. You made me cry! Congratulations!
Now moving onto the FICTION Category:
Movies are weird sometimes, and that's OK. Sometimes you see some things on a screen that happen in a certain order and then it ends and all you're left with is the phrase "Huh??".
Here are the nominees for the "Huh??" Award for Bizarre Fiction Storytelling are:
CRYPTOZOO
PRISONERS OF GHOSTLAND
FLEX (That short I mentioned on Day 1 that was really weird)
The winner is: PRISONERS OF GHOSTLAND. Congrats to Nicolas Cage, you beautiful weirdo!
On the opposite end of the sensation of "Huh??" is the feeling of finishing a movie and thinking, "That was a nice time." This award is for the films with just good vibes.
The nominees for "Impeccable Vibes" Award for Fiction are:
HOW IT ENDS
TOGETHER TOGETHER
ONE FOR THE ROAD
The winner is: HOW IT ENDS. Congratulations on the excellent vibe curation!
And now for the grand finale . . . the Award we've all been waiting for...The "I Will Never Shut Up About This Movie" Award goes to the movie that was so good that I may never stop speaking it's praise.
The nominees for the "I Will Never Shut Up About This Movie" Award for Excellence in Fiction Storytelling are:
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
ON THE COUNT OF THREE
HOW IT ENDS
And the winner is . . . JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH! Congratulations
Well that's a wrap on Sundance 2021! It's bittersweet and I hope that you've had as much fun as I have. Remember . . . the real movies we watched were the friends we made along the way.
