31/1/2010: AUS FILM ANIMAL KINGDOM WINS AT SUNDANCE

Animal Kingdom, the debut feature film of writer / director David Michôd and produced by Liz Watts (Home Song Stories, Jewboy, Little Fish), has won the World Cinema Jury Prize at Sundance 2010.

The film had its world premiere at the festival on the January 22 and was generating huge buzz at Sundance before being declared winner of the World Cinema Jury Prize at the Awards ceremony on January 30 (L.A. time). In the same section, The Red Chapel," Danish filmmaker Mads Bruegger’s prankish peek inside North Korea, won the top documentary prize. Winter’s Bone, director Debra Granik’s spare, suspenseful tale of a teenage girl’s coming-of-age in the rural Ozarks, and Restrepo, Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s intense, close-up documentary look at a group of American soldiers in Afghanistan, won the top jury prizes for American films.

Overwhelmed by Animal Kingdom’s win David Michôd commented: "I seriously came over here simply hoping that people liked the movie. The response it has received, however, both from industry and audiences, has been exhilarating. And I'm just so glad that so many of the excellent people who made the film with me were over here to be a part of it."

Producer Liz Watts was delighted "Our reception in Sundance has been absolutely brilliant, and beyond anything we could have envisaged. The audiences as well as the buyers have loved the film, and to be honoured in this way is simply wonderful! "

Madman Theatrical Distribution Manager, James Hewison said "Madman has been overwhelmed, delighted (but, even if it's un-Australian, not surprised) by the critical, commercial & most vitally audience enthusiasm for Animal Kingdom at Sundance. This Award underlines the recognition of David's authority as a filmmaker & the status of this film at Sundance & beyond."

Variety’s Todd McCarthy wrote: "An ambitious and powerful study of the disintegration of an Australian crime family, Animal Kingdom is orchestrated with a grandiosity that invokes operatic and Greek dimensions." Variety’s endorsement gives the film’s international sales chances a serious boost.

Due for national release in Australia through Madman Entertainment on 6 May 2010, Animal Kingdom is a powerful psychological crime drama set in Melbourne's underworld featuring an ensemble cast including Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton and introducing James Frecheville.

David's previous work includes his short films Crossbow (Best Australian Short, MIFF, and Best Short Screenplay, AFI Awards 2007) and Netherland Dwarf (Best Drama, Aspen 2009), both of which he wrote and directed; Spider, which he co-wrote with director Nash Edgerton and I Love Sarah Jane, which he co-wrote with director Spencer Susser, all of which have screened at Sundance in previous years.

www.animalkingdommovie.com