The winners of the Sundance film festival were announced over the weekend, and surprise came in the name of Mo'Nique. You may have heard of her before, maybe youve seen 'The Parkers' (her television show on the UPN), or perhaps you saw the movie 'Soul Plane' (also starring Snoop Dogg), or youve seen the 'Queens of Comedy' or one of her many standup performances, but according to the Sundance judges and audiences, youve never seen Mo'Nique like this! (Let the Oscar push for next year begin!!!)
Mo'Nique is earning raves for her performance in Lee Daniels' "Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire" at this year's Sundance Film Festival. "Push" was the most winning film of the fest, which ran Jan. 15 to Jan. 25. The film won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, while star Mo'Nique won a special prize for acting. Mo'Nique stars as an over-bearing mother who constrains her high school-aged daughter (Gabourey Sidibe) both emotionally and physically. Precious (Sidibe) is pregnant for the second time with her father's child and is teased at school for being overweight and lacking the ability to read or write. Supporting performances from Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd and Lenny Kravtiz also won raves at the fest. YES -- you read that right Mariah Carey AND Sherri Shepard .. not to mention Lenny Kravitz (who plays a gay nurse).
"This is so important to me," Mo'Nique said as she accepted the only acting award of the festival. "Because this is speaking for every minority that's in Harlem, that's in Detroit, that's in Watts, that's being abused, that can't read, that's obese and that we turn our back on. And this is for every gay little boy and girl that's being tortured."
The list of winners include:
Directing Award: U.S. Documentary - Natalia Almada, “El General”
Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic - Cary Joji Fukunaga, “Sin Nombre”
World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary - Havana Marking, “Afghan Star”
World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic - Oliver Hirschbiegel, “Five Minutes of Heaven”
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award - Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi, “Paper Heart”
World Cinema Screenwriting Award - Oliver Hirschbiegel, “Five Minutes of Heaven”
U.S. Documentary Editing Award - Karen Schmeer, “Sergio,” directed by Greg Barker
World Cinema Documentary Editing Award - Janus Billeskov Jansen and Thomas
Papapetros, “Burma VJ,” directed by Anders Østergaard
Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary - Bob Richman, “The September Issue,” directed by R.J. Cutler
Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic - Adriano Goldman, “Sin Nombre,” directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary - John Maringouin, “Big River Man”
World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic - John De Borman, “An Education,” directed by Lone Scherfig
World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Originality - Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern, “Louise-Michel”
World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Documentary - Ngawang Choephel, “Tibet in Song”
Special Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary - Jeff Stilson, “Good Hair”
Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Independence - Lynn Shelton, “Humpday”
Special Jury Prize for Acting - Mo’Nique, “Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire”
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