Indie thriller goes home a winner

‘ I Don’t Feel,’ ‘ Crown Heights’ reign in awards

Call it the little indie thriller that could.

Macon Blair’s I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore surprised with the top trophy at Sundance Film Festival, earning the U. S. Grand Jury Prize for drama. The award — announced Saturday night during an awards ceremony in Park City, Utah — has previously gone to Oscar hopefuls ( and some eventual winners), including Whiplash, Fruitvale Station, The Birth of a Nation and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Home stars indie- dramedy queen Melanie Lynskey as Ruth, a dejected, alcoholic woman who recruits her neighbor ( Elijah Wood) to help track down burglars after her house is broken into. The dark comedy is the directorial debut of Blair, whose previous credits include Blue

Ruin and Green Room. The movie will premiere on Netflix Feb. 24. Other top winners included

Crown Heights, which picked up the Audience Award for U. S. drama and stars Atlanta’s Lakeith Stanfield as a Brooklyn man sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Newcomer Chanté Adams took home breakthrough performance for Roxanne Rox

anne, and Eliza Hittman won the directing award for U. S. drama for coming- of- age tale Beach Rats.

Other winners announced include:

U. S. DRAMATIC Waldo Salt Screenwriting

Award: Matt Spicer and David Branson Smith, Ingrid Goes West Special Jury Award — Cinematography: Daniel Landin, The Yellow Birds Special Jury Award — Break- through Director: Maggie Betts, Novitiate U. S. DOCUMENTARY Grand Jury Prize: Dina Audience Award: Chasing Coral Directing: Peter Nicks, The Force NEXT Audience Award: Gook Special Jury Award —

Storytelling: Strong Island Special Jury Award — Editing: Unrest Special Jury Award — Inspirational Filmmaking: Step Special Jury Award — The Orwell Award: Icarus WORLD CINEMATIC DRAMATIC Audience Award: Sueño en Otro Elijah Wood and Melanie Lynskey star in I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, which won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Idioma ( I Dream in Another Language) Grand Jury Prize: The Nile Hilton Project

Directing: Francis Lee, God’s Own Country WORLD CINEMATIC DOCUMENTARY Grand Jury Prize: Last Men in Aleppo Audience Award: Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower Directing: Pascale Lamche, Winnie

ALLYSON RIGGS, AP

BEN KUTCHINS, COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE STEVE DIETL Lakeith Stanfield stars as a man sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit in Crown Heights, winner of the Audience Award for U. S. drama. Mudbound, starring Garrett Hedlund and Jason Mitchell in post- World War II Mississippi, is receiving...