Harvey's face was adorned with a broad smile; his already small eyes had now narrowed into slits. All his expressions and thoughts were concealed within that smile.
Standing by his side was none other than Bob Weinstein.
Bob, on the other hand, widened his eyes and had a friendly, shallow smile on his lips. His gaze didn't hide the scrutiny, playfulness, teasing, and even a hint of surprise, as he assessed Renly from head to toe. Renly didn't know how Harvey had described him to Bob, but it was evident that the content must have been quite rich.
"So, this is the renowned Bob?" Faced with Harvey's banter, Renly retorted with the same tone of playfulness.
However, Bob seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Renly's response. Introduced by Harvey, the two men shook hands, and Bob's handshake seemed rather perfunctory—just a brief touch before he let go. The faint scrutiny and disdain in his words and actions were like a short, sharp thorn—unobtrusive but razor-sharp.
"It seems you're the real winner here in Park City this time," Harvey's gaze shifted to Jessica as he spoke. Within a simple sentence lay layers of implications—teasing, mockery, and more.
"Really?" Renly's eyebrow slightly raised, and his gaze took on a playful edge. "I always thought that the Weinstein philosophy was that the one who laughs to the end is the victor." This was a sarcastic reference to Harvey's willingness to take risks for victory, to resort to any means for his own gain.
Harvey's smile grew even brighter, his eyes almost disappearing. He repeated the word "true" several times, patting Bob's shoulder. "Young people nowadays, indeed must be fully prepared for their tremendous impact."
Bob chuckled dryly a couple of times, though there was not much respect in his gaze.
After Harvey and Bob were sent away, Jessica scrutinized Renly from head to toe, her gaze wandering in all directions. Renly spread his hands helplessly, and she half-jokingly remarked, "I heard before that you offended these two brothers. I was half-doubting it. But now, it seems true. What happened between you?"
"I'm just an actor; I haven't earned the qualification to offend these two brothers." Although he said this, there was no trace of self-deprecation in Renly's expression. On the contrary, his faint smile maintained composure and calmness, prompting Jessica to chuckle and nod repeatedly. "A single hair from them is thicker than our thighs."
"Are you sure that's praise?" Renly furrowed his brow, looking puzzled. Jessica pursed her lips, revealing a mysterious expression.
Entering the screening hall, Renly and Jessica went their separate ways because their seats were in different directions.
Compared to award ceremonies like the Oscars and the Golden Globes, the Sundance Film Festival's closing ceremony and awards presentation seemed somewhat simple and even frugal. The main venue was just the previous screening hall; the chairs remained ordinary cinema seats without red cushions or elaborate decorations. Everything continued the same modest and straightforward style.
Rather than an awards ceremony, it felt more like a summary meeting for the closing ceremony. There were no performance segments or media interviews. The organizers would express their recognition for the remarkable works and filmmakers in a simple and warm manner.
The Sundance Film Festival boasted quite a few awards, including the Audience Award, the Grand Jury Prize, the Grand Jury Special Prize, and the Directing Award. Each category was divided into two units: documentary and dramatic. This year, due to an increase in the number of films exhibited worldwide, two additional units were introduced under each section: World Cinema Documentary and World Cinema Dramatic.
The multitude of awards and categories was indeed dazzling. However, the award that truly represented the Sundance Film Festival every year was the Grand Jury Prize, equivalent to Cannes' Palme d'Or, Berlin's Golden Bear, and Venice's Golden Lion.
Without a doubt, it was the centerpiece of the festival every year.
Amidst the crowd, Renly found the cast and crew of "Like Crazy". Each person had an excited expression on their face. The journey of "Like Crazy" at this year's Sundance had truly been like a dream—receiving not only praise but also securing a distributor even before the closing ceremony. The smooth progress had far exceeded their expectations.
Once everyone was seated, the award ceremony began without any opening ceremony. A host walked onto the stage, delivered a brief thank-you, and the presenters followed suit.
The first award to be announced was the Audience Award, much like the People's Choice Award in Toronto. The Audience Award was determined by audience votes and was an accolade that truly captured the hearts of the people.
This year's Sundance, though somewhat subdued overall, still featured numerous notable works. In the documentary section were works like "Senna", "Project Nim", and "Hell and Back Again". In the dramatic section were works like "Martha Marcy May Marlene", "Tyrannosaurus", "Another Earth", and "Like Crazy". All of these garnered popularity and acclaim.
However, the winner of the Audience Award turned out to be unexpected. The film "Like Crazy", which had sold out consecutively fifteen times, lost to the domestic American production "Circumstance", which focused on life in Iran. This outcome triggered a collective gasp of astonishment from the audience.
The Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize were separate systems. In other words, the same work could achieve recognition in both categories without contradiction. Based on the audience's reaction over the past few days, nearly everyone believed that "Like Crazy" winning the Audience Award in the dramatic category was a foregone conclusion. The surprising result left everyone taken aback.
Even the "Circumstance" crew was stunned, unable to believe it.
Renly turned and saw Drake's disappointed expression. His shoulders slumped heavily, showing no attempt to hide his feelings.
Unlike the Golden Globes, the Sundance Awards Ceremony was not live-broadcasted, allowing people to freely display their emotions. No one needed to pretend they didn't care. Moreover, all present were rebellious independent filmmakers. They could entirely exhibit their true selves; who knew if these independent filmmakers would even appear next year?
For Drake, the best chance for "Like Crazy" was the Audience Award, especially considering the immense popularity over the past few days, boosting hopes of winning. In comparison, works like "Martha Marcy May Marlene", "Tyrannosaurus", and "Take Shelter", with greater social depth, had a better chance in the Grand Jury selection.
However, missing out on the Audience Award right from the start, Drake's disappointment was natural.
He took a deep breath, regained his composure, and applauded for the "Circumstance" team. Drake knew better than anyone how challenging the path of independent filmmakers was. To shine on the stage of Sundance was the greatest affirmation of their hard work and steadfast dreams.
Subsequently, Drake noticed the concerned gazes focused on him. Turning his head, he saw the four actors from the crew looking at him in unison. Their synchronized and neat actions brought about an inexplicable sense of amusement, causing Drake to suppress a chuckle.
Renly and the others exchanged glances, unable to help but smile. They then withdrew their gazes and joined in the applause.
The subsequent presentation of the Directing Award went smoothly. The World Cinema unit's Directing Awards went to "Project Nim" and "Tyrannosaurus". The local unit's Documentary division was absent, while the dramatic division's award was claimed by Sean Durkin for "Martha Marcy May Marlene".
"Martha Marcy May Marlene" had shone brightly at this year's Sundance. Not only was it the director Sean Durkin's debut, but also the actress Elizabeth Olsen's debut. The film had received ample praise from critics.
Particularly notable was Elizabeth's performance. She portrayed the fanaticism and disoriented state of mind flawlessly, with a performance that effortlessly alternated between the two states. Her versatile acting earned her widespread acclaim. Worth mentioning was that she was the youngest sister of the Olsen family and the same age as Renly.
Next in line was the Grand Jury Special Prize.
The Grand Jury Special Prize was a significant feature of Sundance. In contrast to the Grand Jury Prize, the Special Prize was awarded for the most special aspect.
For instance, in 2007, "Four Sheets to the Wind" received the award due to its portrayal of intense physiological and psychological changes. In 2008, "Anywhere, USA" won for its distinctive and unconstrained independent spirit. In 2009, "Precious" earned the award thanks to Mo'Nique's remarkable performance.
Apart from these, sound effects, cinematography, scripts, casting, original perspectives, and bold material choices were also within the scope of the awards. In other words, Sundance established these awards specifically to encourage independent filmmakers and inspire excellence at every stage of filmmaking. Of course, films themselves, directors, producers, and performances were all included.
If the Grand Prize rewarded the completeness and integrity of a work, the Special Prize specifically recognized excellence in a particular aspect. Alternatively, when a film was outstanding but not exceptional enough to win the top prize, it might be recognized with a Special Prize.
For independent filmmakers, the importance of the Special Prize even exceeded that of the Grand Prize. After all, the Grand Prize appreciated the work's overall quality, while the Special Prize focused more on the independent individuals. This also meant that the Special Prize was the most fiercely contested category at Sundance; any attendee could become a winner.
The award presenter was Mark Ruffalo. He was an actor who later gained worldwide fame for his role as the Hulk, but prior to his entry into the mainstream, he had been active in independent films for quite some time. Recently, he had received significant attention as a potential candidate for the Oscar's Best Supporting Actor for his outstanding performance in "The Kids Are All Right".
Last year, Mark attended Sundance with his directorial debut "Sympathy for Delicious" and his acting work in "The Kids Are All Right", receiving enthusiastic acclaim. Thus, this year, he returned as an award presenter.
Taking the stage, Mark first presented the two awards in the World Cinema unit, awarded to "Another Earth" and "Senna". Subsequently, the two awards in the local unit were revealed, with the Documentary division's winner being "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey".
"And the winner is "Renly, "Like Crazy"."