Benedict Campbell, director of the short film LLOYD NECK speaks candidly about his first Sundance experience.

(LLOYD NECK (Director: Benedict Campbell)–Alex has a crush on her brother’s friend, Jesse. But Jesse likes Alex’s brother, Taylor. Alex knows something is up with her brother. Caught in an awkward position, Taylor takes Alex and Jesse to his favorite spot.)

Some stellar people (who just happen to be talented filmmakers) also picked up laurels over at Slamdance HQ this past weekend, where friends David Wilson of True/False, Indiepix filmmaker Leah Meyerhoff (who appears on the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series Compilation), and Laurie Koe from Film Arts Magazine were part of the illustrious jury.

My friend Cynthia Lester’s film My Mother’s Garden, which is co-edited by Jeremy Stulberg of Off the Grid) won the Special Jury Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature.. The film, as I wrote in my piece for The L Magazine is “a personal exploration of the director’s mother, a Polish immigrant with an extreme case of hoarding disorder.” It is also the subject of this Indiewire feature.

And, Daniel Mulloy, whose career Jordan has been enthusiastically following since he saw his short film Dad over a year ago (and who we got to hang out with at last year’s Sundance), won the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short. Finally, Christina Voros’ The Ladies, a lovely film about two elderly Hungarian woman recounting their pasts during their twilight years, won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short.. This past October, when on the Documentary Shorts Jury at the Woodstock Film Festival, myself, A&E Indie’s Ryan Harrington and Oswald’s Ghost director Robert Stone had awarded the film an Honorable Mention. Congrats to all; I feel honored to get to hang out with such talented artists! And expect your contracts in the mail.

I’m so happy to report about four big wins at Sundance of folks who are close with Jordan and myself.

1) First off, dear friend Daniel Robin, who I met at IDFA, and whose MY OLYMPIC SUMMER is one of the best shorts I’ve seen all year. Daniel is an amazing San Francisco filmmaker, and we hung out every day at Sundance. Wonderful, wonderful guy and wonderful film.

Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking — “My Olympic Summer,” directed by Daniel Robin

you can watch it here if you click on number 4.

2) Second, the Ryan Harrington produced doc, AMERICAN TEEN, won BEST DIRECTOR FOR DOCUMENTARIES.

Sundance Awards: Directing Award for Documentary –The Directing Award for Documentary goes to Nanette Burstein for “American Teen.”

3) THE WACKNESS, which my uncle Robert DiGiacomo worked on, won the AUDIENCE AWARD. My good friend Meira of Woodstock liked it, as did everyone else apparently, but I wasn’t thrilled. Still happy that it got an award because I love my uncle. Is this wrong?

Sundance Awards – Audience Award for Drama — “The Wackness,” directed by Jonathan Levine, wins the Audience Award for Drama.

4) FROZEN RIVER, a drama starring the wonderful Melissa Leo (a close friend of Meira Blaustein of Woodstock Film Festival who I got to know better during the fest and who is an incredible woman and actress), won the GRAND JURY PRIZE, with Variety reporting:

Sundance Awards – Grand Jury Prize for Drama —

Quentin Tarrantino, after screaming “Cinema, BABY! This film rocks my ass!”, gives the Grand Jury Prize for Drama to “Frozen River”, directed by Courtney Hunt.

The full list is here

Filmmaker and good friend Christian Bruno, who is currently directing the feature Strand: a Natural History of Cinema chats about Sundance and Slamdance while in the Slamdance headquarters.

Filmmaker and blogger AJ Schnack ( All These Wonderful Things and Kurt Cobain: About a Son talks about Sundance 2008 at the Yarrow, where all industry and press screenings are held.

Explores some more films, including THE WACKNESS, THE ORDER OF MYTHS, AMERICAN TEEN, and BIGGER STRONGER FASTER.
Read it here .