Mariah Carey may have won a Razzie for her performance in the 2001 movie "Glitter," but the pop diva's film career took a gigantic step in the opposite direction over the weekend as her Sundance entry swept the festival's top honors. "Push: Based on the Novel By Sapphire" grabbed Sundance's Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic. The movie, directed by newcomer Lee Daniels and starring Gabourey Sidibe alongside Carey, Mo'Nique and Lenny Kravitz also took home an Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic. Mo'Nique was recognized with the standout entry's third laurel, a Special Jury Prize for Acting.
"This is so important to me. Speaking for every minority in Harlem, in Detroit, in the Bronx, who has been abused, can't read, that's obese, that's been turned their back on," director Daniels told the audience, "If I can do this sh--, y'all can do this sh--."
Also picking up awards at Sundance's Saturday night ceremony hosted by actress Jane Lynch were two debut documentaries. Ondi Timoner's "We Live in Public" nabbed the Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary for its story of Internet entrepreneur Josh Harris. Timoner beat out a pool of 16 other qualifying films to earn her second Grand Jury award. Louie Psihoyos' "The Cove" received an Audience Award in the same category for its look at dolphin killings in Japan.
Big winners in the festival's World Cinema categories included Sebastiбn Silva's "The Maid (La Nana)," which garnered the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic, and Lone Scherfig's "An Education," written by Nick Hornby, which was presented with an Audience Award by actor Benjamin Bratt.
The Sundance Film Festival released the following list of awards handed out at the Saturday night ceremony:
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 Шstergaard
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 - Benoоt Delйpine and Gustave de Kervern, "Louise-Michel"
World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Documentary - Ngawang Choephel, "Tibet in Song"
World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Acting - Catalina Saavedra, "The Maid (La Nana)"
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"
Will it be a curious night for "Benjamin Button"? Can "Slumdog Millionaire" rise out of obscurity to grab Oscar gold? Will Brad Pitt surprise leading contenders Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn? The MTV Movies team has the Academy Awards covered every which way with news, interviews, photos and more. Check out a complete list of the Oscar nominees here, and keep it locked on MTVNews.com until the statues are handed out February 22.
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Sundance honors `Push,’ `We Live in Public’
(AP)
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