The movie adaptation of Emily Danforth’s acclaimed novel won the grand prize for its portrayal of teenagers struggling to “pray away the gay”.
Gay conversion therapy drama Miseducation of Cameron Post won the Sundance Film Festival’s grand jury prize this weekend, beating out critically-lauded dramas such as Blindspotting and Monster.
The LGBTQ film is based on Emily Danforth’s acclaimed novel of the same name, following a teenage girl (played by Chloë Grace Moretz) who is sent to a gay conversion camp by her aunt after she is caught kissing another girl.
“We want to dedicate this award to the LGBTQ survivors of sexual conversion therapy,” Moretz said in her acceptance speech.
“We want this movie to shine a light on the fact that it is only illegal in nine states out of the 50 to practice sexual conversion therapy.”
Directed by Desiree Akhavan, the coming-of-age drama also stars Sasha Lane, John Gallagher Jr, Forrest Goodluck, Jennifer Ehle, Quinn Shephard and Emily Skeggs.
As of Saturday night, the movie has not been picked up for distribution, and there’s no confirmed release date.
View the full list of Sundance winners below.
U.S. DRAMATIC
Grand Jury Prize: The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Audience Award: Burden
Directing: Sara Colangelo, The Kindergarten Teacher
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: Christina Choe, Nancy
Special Jury Award for outstanding first feature: Monsters and Men
Special Jury Award for excellence in filmmaking: I Think We’re Alone Now
Special Jury Award for achievement in acting: Benjamin Dickey, Blaze
U.S. DOCUMENTARY
Grand Jury Prize: Kailash
Audience Award: The Sentence
Directing: Alexandria Bombach, On Her Shoulders
Special Jury Award for creative vision: Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Special Jury Award for social impact: Crime + Punishment
Special Jury Award for storytelling: Three Identical Strangers
Special Jury Award for breakthrough filmmaking: Minding the Gap
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC
Grand Jury Prize: Butterflies
Audience Award: The Guilty
Directing: Ísold Uggadóttir, And Breathe Normally
Special Jury Award for screenwriting: Julio Chavezmontes and Sebastián Hofmann, Time Share (Tiempo Compartido)
Special Jury Award for acting: Valeria Bertuccelli, The Queen of Fear
Special Jury Award for ensemble acting: Dead Pigs
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY
Grand Jury Prize: Of Fathers and Sons
Audience Award: This Is Home
Directing: Sandi Tan, Shirkers
Special Jury Award: Stephen Loveridge and M.I.A., Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.
Special Jury Award for editing: Maxim Pozdorovkin and Matvey Kulakov, Our New President
Special Jury Award for cinematography: Maxim Arbugaev and Peter Indergand, Genesis 2.0
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
NEXT Audience Award: Search
NEXT Innovator Prize (tie): Night Comes On and We the Animals
Get your hands on our latest issue now at buy.gaytimes.co.uk
Latest
