2012 Sundance Film Festival Top Winners Announced
The dramatic film "Beasts of the Southern Wild," from director Behn Zeitlin won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Saturday.
The film is about a girl that lives in a small remote town called "The Bathtub" and follows her story developing amid a series of apocalyptic events. According to media reports, the film was the most buzzed-about in the festival since it debuted.
"With powerful and raw performances...this film represents what independent film is all about," said Justin Lin, director of Fast & Furious, while presenting the prize.
“We had more freedom to make this film than any first-time director has had in America. I hope this movie is a flag that goes up to tell producers to allow filmmakers to be as wild as they could be to direct a film,” said Zeitlin today, according to the festival's website.
In the category of documentary, "The House I Live In," directed by Eugene Jarecki, won the jury's top prize.
The film is about America's criminal justice system, and why so many Americans are in jail.
The Sundance Film Festival is held annualy in Utah and showcases independent films from artists that explore stories free from commercial and political pressures.