Sundance goes crazy for 'Like Crazy'

[January 31, 2011]  PARK CITY, Utah (AP) -- A film about young lovers in a long-distance relationship called "Like Crazy" was awarded the grand jury prize for a U.S. drama at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Its star, Felicity Jones, also received a special jury prize for acting in the movie.

America Ferrera presented the acting award to Jones, who was not in attendance at the Saturday night ceremony, saying "the 2011 Sundance Film Festival will go down as the year of the actress."

Peter D. Richardson's film "How to Die in Oregon" won the grand jury U.S. documentary prize. It follows terminally ill patients living in Oregon, the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide.

Also recognized were Mike Cahill and Brit Marling's sci-fi film "Another Earth," which won a dramatic special jury prize and the Alfred P. Sloan award.

Cahill, who directed and co-wrote the movie, said "this is the greatest week of our lives." The film is about two strangers brought together the night before the discovery of a duplicate planet Earth.

The Festival's Awards Ceremony was hosted by actor Tim Blake Nelson, who appears in the comedic bank heist film "Flypaper," which premiered at Sundance. Nelson told the audience, "If you win a prize today, that's fantastic. Congratulations. But if you don't, persevere because if you have made it this far, trust me, your film will find a home."

This is the 30th anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival, which was founded by actor Robert Redford to promote independent filmmaking.

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Online:

http://sundance.slated.com/2011/films/
flypaper_sundance2011

[Associated Press; By ALICIA RANCILIO]

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