Complete List of Festival Awards Unveiled
At the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, significant awards were presented, highlighting groundbreaking films and pressing social issues. Beth de Araújo’s drama, Josephine, emerged as a standout winner, scooping both the U.S. Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. The film portrays an harrowing story of an eight-year-old who witnesses a brutal crime in Golden Gate Park.
In a heartfelt acceptance speech, de Araújo addressed the sensitive topic of sexual violence, emphasizing the importance of understanding the perpetrators to prevent such crimes. She remarked on the silence surrounding rape culture that perpetuates victim shaming and isolation.
Complete List of Festival Awards Unveiled
Other notable films awarded at the festival include:
U.S. Dramatic Competition Awards
- U.S. Grand Jury Prize:Josephine (Director/Producer: Beth de Araújo)
- Directing Award: Josef Kubota Wladyka for Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!
- Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast:The Friend’s House is Here
- Special Jury Award for Debut Feature:Bedford Park
- Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award:Take Me Home
U.S. Documentary Competition Awards
- U.S. Grand Jury Prize:Nuisance Bear (Directors: Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman)
- Special Jury Award for Journalistic Excellence:Who Killed Alex Odeh?
- Directing Award:Soul Patrol (Director: J.M. Harper)
World Cinema Competition Awards
- World Cinema Grand Jury Prize:Shame and Money
- Special Jury Award for Creative Vision:Filipiñana
- Directing Award:How to Divorce During the War
Shorts Program Awards
- Short Film Grand Jury Prize:The Baddest Speechwriter of All
- Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction:Crisis Actor
This year’s festival marked the final event held in Park City, Utah, before relocating to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027. The triumph of Josephine symbolizes an ongoing commitment to addressing serious social issues while celebrating cinematic achievements.
