Since a few Sundance juries have proved that they can’t always be trusted, the Film Threat staff has compiled its own list of favorites from each category at the fest. Keep an eye out for these top-tier films on the festival circuit and in theaters. It’s not humanly possible to see all the films at the festival, so please note that these honors are based on the 30 to 80 films each person managed to see.
Dramatic Competition
Jeremy Mathews: Brick (Honorable mention: Me and You and Everyone We Know, The Squid and the Whale)
Pete Vonder Haar: The Squid and the Whale
Bob Westal: Tie: The Dying Gaul and Hustle & Flow
Daniel Wible: Brick
Documentary Competition
Eric: Murderball
Jeremy: The Devil and Daniel Johnston (To avoid giving honorable mention to five films, I’ll just say that this category was very strong this year. All the award winners are worth checking out, as is Shakespeare Behind Bars)
Pete: Murderball
Bob: The Aristocrats
Daniel: Why We Fight
World Dramatic Competition
Eric: Wolf Creek
Jeremy: Tie: Brothers and Live-in Maid
Pete: Brothers
Daniel: Kekexili: Mountain Patrol
World Documentary Competition
Jeremy: Grizzly Man
Pete: Grizzly Man
Daniel: Grizzly Man
Midnight Movie
Eric: Hard Candy
Jeremy: Matando Cabos
Daniel: What is It?
American Spectrum
Eric: Saving Face
Jeremy: Tie: Mitchellville and The Talent Given Us
Bob: Rize
Daniel: Swimmers
Frontier
Eric: The Joy of Life
Jeremy: Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 1/2
Premiere
Eric: 3-Iron
Jeremy: Drum
Pete: Reefer Madness
Bob: Loverboy
Daniel: The Matador
Best Short
Eric: Oh My God
Jeremy: Wasp
Pete: Fuel
Bob: Kare Kare Zvako: Mother’s Day
Daniel: The Children of Leningradsky
Best Overall
Eric: Hard Candy
Jeremy: Brick
Pete: Reefer Madness
Bob: Kare Kare Zvako: Mother’s Day
Daniel: Brick
