American story of young love entitled “Like Crazy” and a moving documentary about euthanasia, “How to Die in Oregon,” won the top prizes at the Sundance film festival late Saturday. The climax of the prestigious 10-day independent movie fest also saw honors for a Norwegian tale and another US-British film about a soldier's struggle after being injured in Afghanistan. The Grand Jury Prize for a US drama went to “Like Crazy” by Drake Doremus, which tells the story of a British and American student couple forced to live apart after she overstays her visa in the US. Receiving the award the young US filmmaker paid tribute to his parents “for believing in love, and teaching me that love is important so I can make this movie one day”. “This movie is about love, and love never dying, being with you for the rest of your life. Your first love will never leave you and mine didn't and is here with me tonight”. It is the sixth movie by the 27-year-old California-born cinematic prodigy , who also wrote the screenplay, and was bought last week by Paramount, who plan to release it nationally later this year. “How to die in Oregon” by US filmmaker Peter Richardson, which won the best US documentary prize, is a heartbreakingly honest film which casts a sober light on the reality of euthanasia. It follows the final months, days and moments of terminally-ill patients who decide to end their lives in the western US state, which in 1994 became the first in the US to legalize euthanasia. Richardson dedicated his prize to the “extraordinary individuals who allowed me to enter their life, document their life during the last four years. This award is for you and because of you”. The top foreign drama prize went to Norwegian filmmaker Anne Sewitsky's “Happy, Happy,” which recounts how a woman trapped in a passion-less marriage finds life's fulfillment in the arms of a new neighbor. The top prize for a foreign documentary went to the moving Anglo-American film “Hell and Back Again,” which tells the story of 25-year-old marine Nathan Harris, after he is seriously injured in the struggle with the Taliban. “This is for all those who come back. Its something that we must keep thinking about, always remember them,” said its director, Danfung Dennis, who also won prize for cinematography in a foreign documentary. “Position among the stars” by Dutch director Leonard Retel Helmrich, about the daily life of an Indonesian family in a Jakarta slum, won a Special Jury Prize, as did “Tyrannosaur” by Briton Paddy Considine. The prizes were announced at the end of the 27th Sundance Film Festival, held in the ski resort of Park City and founded by veteran actor Robert Redford to provide a showcase for films independent of the major Hollywood studios. – Agence France-Presse List of winners at 2011 Sundance Film FestivalHere are the winners of the main awards at the 27th Sundance Film Festival, announced Saturday in the ski resort of Park City in the western US state of Utah. n Grand Jury Prize for a US drama: “Like Crazy” by Drake Doremus. n Grand Jury Prize for a US documentary: “How to Die in Oregon” by Peter Richardson. n Grand Jury Prize for a foreign documentary: “Hell and Back Again,” by Danfung Dennis (Anglo-American). n Grand Jury Prize for a foreign drama: “Happy, Happy” by Anne Sewitsky (Norway). n Special Jury Prize for a US drama: “Another Earth” by Mike Cahill. n Special Jury Prize for a US documentary: “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey” by Constance Marks. n Special Jury Prize for a foreign drama: “Tyrannosaur” by Paddy Considine (Britain). n Special Jury Prize for a foreign documentary: “Position among the stars” by Leonard Retel Helmrich (Netherlands). __
