Park City, UT - The jury and audience award-winners of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival were announced tonight at the Festival's closing Awards Ceremony in Park City, Utah.

The 2007 Sundance Film Festival Award-Winners are:

The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was given to MANDA BALA (SEND A BULLET), directed by Jason Kohn. In Brazil, known as one of the world's most corrupt and violent countries, MANDA BALA follows a politician who uses a frog farm to steal billions of dollars, a wealthy businessman who spends a small fortune bulletproofing his cars, and a plastic surgeon who reconstructs the ears of mutilated kidnapping victims.   

The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was given to PADRE NUESTRO, directed by Christopher Zalla. Fleeing a criminal past, Juan hops a truck transporting illegal immigrants from Mexico to New York City, where he meets Pedro, who is seeking his rich father.

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was given to ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS (VORES LYKKES FJENDER)/Denmark, directed by Eva Mulvad and Anja Al Erhayem. In ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS, Malalai Joya, a 28-year-old Afghani woman, redefines the role of women and elected officials in her country with her historic 2005 victory in Afghanistan's first democratic parliamentary election in over 30 years.   (more…)

“Set in 18th-century France, the terrifying story of murder and obsession centers around a man who, strangely lacking any scent of his own, has a unique talent for identifying smells, which he uses to create the world’s finest perfumes. His gift leads to obsession when he turns to murdering young women on the verge of womanhood in order to capture their aroma.”

The film is based on the best-seller novel of the same name by Peter Suskind. Considered an extremely difficult adapation project, Martin Scorcese, Milos Forman, and Stanley Kubrick were all considered before Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, The Princess and the Warrior) was ultimately chosen to direct.   

Synopsis courtesy DreamWorks Pictures.

For more information, visit the official site at:

http://www.perfumemovie.com/

The Independent Film Channel (IFC), announced today that it will expand its original programming slate with an extensive lineup of non-fiction projects including three new original documentaries, Darkon, Heavy Load and At the Death House Door.  

On April 13, 2007, IFC will premiere the second season of its critically-acclaimed signature series, The Henry Rollins Show with writer, actress and comedian Janeane Garofalo offering editorials in four episodes. Kicking off the new season will be IFCs new one-hour special, Henry Rollins: Uncut from Tel Aviv, documenting Rollins two-night performance in Tel Aviv, Israel.

“The exciting new additions to our Henry Rollins programming in 2007, along with this lineup of captivating documentaries, is a perfect example of the raw, edgy and thought-provoking entertainment that differentiates IFCs programming within the television landscape,” stated Debbie DeMontreux, IFCs Vice President of Original Programming.

For more information visit:http://www.ifc.com/   

The late Robert Altman earned a best-director nomination for his final film, A Prairie Home Companion.

As the first event to honor independent film exclusively, Film Independent’s Spirit Awards (formerly known as the Independent Spirit Awards) has blossomed into the premier awards event for the independent film community.  Limited to to films produced on budgets of less than million, this year’s awards honor pioneer filmmakers and actors in seventeen distinct categories.  

Dark comedy Little Miss Sunshine and classroom drama Half Nelson are lead contenders for Best Picture, each receiving five total nominations. Legendary filmmaker Robert Altman, who passed away in November, earned a best-director nomination for his final film, A Prairie Home Companion.

The Spirt Awards will be presented Feb. 24, and broadcast live on IFC (Independent Film Channel) with an edited re-broadcast airing later that evening on AMC. for more information visit:

http://www.filmindependent.org/

Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the Sundance Institute has grown into an internationally recognized resource for thousands of independent artists through its Film Festival and artistic development programs.  The Institute’s annual film festival has introduced American audiences to some of the most innovative films of the past two decades.

The 2007 Sundance Film Festival runs January 18-28, 2007, in Park City, Sundance, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, Utah. For the upcoming event, 125 feature films were selected including 85 world premieres, 25 North American premieres and 12 U.S. premieres representing 24 countries with nearly 60 first or second-time feature filmmakers. These films were selected from 3,287 feature submissions.

For a complete list of films in competition, visit:

http://festival.sundance.org/2007/

Celeste Davis stars as 'Silver Strand' in Purgatory House

Free Dream Pictures, LLC, today announced that Image Entertainment, Inc. has acquired North American home video rights for the award winning teen-scribed independent film Purgatory House, and will release the DVD on January 16, 2007.

“Purgatory House begins where most stories end, as it chronicles the afterlife journey of a lonely teenage girl who has abandoned her life of turmoil and drug addiction in search of unconditional love. Told in non-linear fashion, this stylistic dark-comedy/ fantasy marks the feature writing debut of 14-year-old Celeste Davis, and offers a quirky, uncensored glimpse into the mind of today’s American youth.”

Purgatory House has been a favorite on the festival circuit, winning ten awards in such diverse categories as directing, producing, and screenwriting.  

Synopsis courtesy of:

http://www.purgatoryhouse.com/