Top 20 Films that Lost Sundance

A lot of films are premiering at Sundance this week, but only a handful of them will walk away with awards (and even few with major awards). But if Sundance has proven one thing to be true over the years, it’s that getting into the festival is in fact the award itself. Below are my favorite films that premiered at Sundance, but lost major in-competition awards. 

Note: I only considered films that screened in-competition for Dramatic and Documentary Grand Jury Prizes at Sundance. Films that premiered at Sundance, but already had theatrical distribution in place (like, say, American Psycho) were not considered. Similarly, films that screened in World Competition categories were also not considered.

Stranger Than Paradise (1985)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Blood Simple

Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise is a collection of extended scenes that were all captured in one shot, then simply edited together. It’s a minimalist experiment that remains an icon of American independent film.

The Times of Harvey Milk (1985)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Documentary to Seventeen

Rob Epstein’s The Times of Harvey Milk is a masterful documentary, genuinely one of the finest I’ve ever seen. It lost at Sundance, but went on to win the Oscar for Best Documentary. Fair trade.

sex, lies and videotape (1989)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to True Love

Steve Soderbergh’s first film remains one of his best. It premiered at the ‘dance, and eventually earned Soderbergh his only screenplay Oscar nomination.

Slacker (1991)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Poison

Richard Linklater’s landmark film about nothing (but also, everything) was shot for just $23,000 in Austin, Texas in 1989. It rode the festival circuit all the way to Sundance, and helped establish Linklater as a premiere director of personal, different stories.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to In the Soup

No offense, but when was the last time you watched In the Soup?

El mariachi (1993)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Ruby in Paradise and Public Access

El mariachi is the stuff that dreams are made of. Shot for just $7,000 in Mexico using an entirely unknown cast and crew, Robert Rodriguez’s film was a milestone for independent cinema. Proof that if there is a will, then there is a goddamn way.

Hoop Dreams (1994)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Documentary to Freedom on My Mind

Meant to be a 30 minute short film for PBS, Hoop Dreams turned into a three hour long masterpiece that took five years to shoot (for roughly $700,000) and over a year to edit. Today, it stands as one of the best documentaries ever made.

When We Were Kings (1996)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Documentary to Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern

Shot in 1974 but tangled in lawsuits for two decades before it screened at Sundance, this doc about The Rumble in the Jungle eventually went on to win the Oscar, rightfully so.

In the Company of Men (1997)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Girls Like Us

One of the most unapologetically dangerous films of recent memory, Neil LaBute’s In the Company of Men never fails to shock me. It’s such an nasty film, but rarely is depravity this much fun.

In the Bedroom (2001)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to The Believer

One of my favorite films released so far this century, Todd Field’s In the Bedroom is a devastating portrayal of loss, regret, and revenge. It eventually landed five Oscar noms, but, sadly, won none.

Memento (2001)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to The Believer

Dude, it’s… Memento.

Narc (2002)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Personal Velocity: Three Portraits

Few contemporary cop thrillers top Joe Carnahan’s Narc. The film is relentless in its style, and contains astounding performances from Jason Patric (as a good cop fighting his drug addiction) and Ray Liotta (as a brutal street thug with a badge).

Thirteen (2003)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to American Splendor

Thirteen is such a brave and honest film, thanks to the efforts of everyone involved. This one still manages to shake me up.

Down to the Bone (2004)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Primer

Debra Granik eventually won Sundance for her incredible Winter’s Bone in 2010, but her first film was the drug addiction family drama, Down to the Bone. The movie made Vera Farmiga a breakout star, which is enough of a reason to check it out.

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Primer

The only downside of watching Maria Full of Grace is wishing that its director, Joshua Marston, and its Oscar-nominated lead actress, Catalina Sandino Moreno, went on to have hugely successful film careers. It hasn’t really worked out that way for either of them, but nothing takes away from the power of this film.

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Forty Shades of Blue

Noah Baumbach took a few years off from filmmaking while he crafted his personal family dramaedy, The Squid and the Whale. The film was a Sundance smash and made a Noah Baumbach film, a Noah Baumbach film.

Half Nelson (2006)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Quinceañera

A tough call, but Half Nelson could very well contain Ryan Gosling’s best performance to date. The humility and shame in his character, it’s so quietly haunting.

The Cove (2009)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Documentary to We Live in Public

This documentary changed my life. I saw it at Sundance, and my life was forever altered for the better. Behold a thing of real, horrific wonder. So happy it eventually won the Oscar.

Blue Valentine (2010)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Winter’s Bone

Derek Cianfrance’s unrelenting relationship drama has had a huge influence on my own filmmaking. I admire it because it’s so unafraid to show us real pain.

Upstream Color (2013)

Lost Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic to Fruitvale Station

It’s funny, before researching this post, I mistakenly thought Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color actually won top honors at Sundance. Fruitvale Station took that prize, but Carruth’s mind fuck masterpiece remains a vital and important film. I love falling under its spell.

Twenty More I Love

Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1993)

Clean, Shaven (1994)

Big Night (1996)

Citizen Ruth (1996)

Pi (1998)

One Hour Photo (2002)

Secretary (2002)

Love Liza (2002)

Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)

A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

The Cooler (2003)

The Station Agent (2003)

All the Real Girls (2003)

Super Size Me (2004)

We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2004)

Brick (2005)

Hustle & Flow (2005)

Sherrybaby (2006)

Snow Angels (2007)

Take Shelter (2011)

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