Black cinema is steady building steam and the Sundance Film Festival continues to take notice. The 2013 awards ceremony, which took place in Park City, Utah, came to a close this past weekend honoring director Ryan Coogler of the film ‘Fruitvale’. The movie took home two wins: ‘Audience Award’ and ‘Grand Jury Prize’.
Just the previous year, Ava DuVernay made history with her film ‘Middle of Nowhere’ when she won ‘Best Director’, becoming the first African-American woman to receive the award. Coogler continued the trend of historic trailblazing as his wins on Saturday made him one of only three directors in history to take home both prizes.
‘Fruitvale’ tells the story of Oscar Grant, a 22 year old who was gunned down by a transit officer in Oakland, California. The movie, which has won high acclaim from critics and viewers alike, is creating noteworthy buzz in tinsel town.
Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein- known most recently for ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘Silver Linings Playbook’- purchased the movie early last week for distribution through his film company. The recent move may be exactly what ‘Fruitvale’ needs to get it on the awards roster. Will director Coogler and the film’s stars be walking the red carpet for the Oscars in 2014? Judging the success of Weinstein’s most recent projects, the odds are definitely in favor of the ‘Sundance’ hit.
Follow Britney Spear on Twitter @missbritneysp
About Post Author
