• Screen Shot 2018-01-16 at 4.12.57 PM

    For the last 34 years, the Sundance Film Festival has kicked off the new year in independent cinema by introducing emerging filmmakers to the masses. With the 2018 edition taking place January 18-28, IndieWire looks back at all 38 narrative features that have walked away with the festival’s highest honor: The Grand Jury Prize U.S. Dramatic.

  • 1984: “Old Enough,” Marisa Silver

    Starring: Sarah Boyd, Rainbow Harvest, Danny Aiello, and Alyssa Milano.

  • 1985: “Blood Simple,” Joel and Ethan Coen

    Starring: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, and Samm-Art Williams

    [Watch Now]

  • 1986: “Smooth Talk,” Joyce Chopra

    Starring: Treat Williams, Laura Dern, Mary Kay Place

     

  • 1987: “Waiting for the Moon,” Jill Godmilow (tie)

    Starring: Linda Bassett and Linda Hunt

     

  • 1987: “The Trouble With Dick,” Gary Walkow (tie)

    Starring: Tom Villard, Susan Dey, and Elaine Giftos

     

  • 1988: “Heat and Sunlight,” Rob Nilsson

    Starring: Rob Nilsson and Consuela Faust

    [Watch Now]

  • 1989: “True Love,” Nancy Savoca

    Starring: Annabella Sciorra and Ron Eldard

     

  • 1990: “Chameleon Street,” Wendell B. Harris Jr.

    Starring: Wendell B. Harris Jr.

    [Watch Now]

  • 1991: “Poison,” Todd Haynes

    Starring: Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Susan Gayle Norman, and Scott Renderer

    [Watch Now]

  • 1992: “In the Soup,” Alexandre Rockwell

    Starring: Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Beals, and Seymour Cassel

     

  • 1993: “Ruby in Paradise,” Victor Nunez (tie)

    Starring: Ashley Judd, Todd Field, and Bentley Mitchum

     

  • 1993: “Public Access,” Bryan Singer (tie)

    Starring: Ron Marquette, Dina Brooks, and Burt Williams

     

  • 1994: “What Happened Was…” Tom Noonan

    Starring: Karen Sillas and Tom Noonan

    [Watch Now]

  • 1995: “The Brothers McMullen,” Edward Burns (tie)

    Starring: Jack Mulcahy, Mike McGlone, Edward Burns, and Connie Britton

    [Watch Now]

  • 1995: “The Young Poisoner’s Handbook,” Benjamin Ross (tie)

    Starring: Hugh O’Conor, Tobias Arnold, Ruth Sheen, Roger Lloyd-Pack

     

  • 1996: “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” Todd Solondz

    Starring: Heather Matarazzo, Brendan Sexton III, Eric Mabius, and Matthew Faber

    [Watch Now]

  • 1997: “Sunday,” Jonathan Nossiter

    Starring: David Suchet and Lisa Harrow

     

  • 1998: “Slam,” Marc Levin

    Starring: Marc Levin, Richard Stratton, Saul Williams, and Sonja Sohn

     

  • 1999: “Three Seasons,” Tony Bui

    Starring: Don Duong, Nguyen Ngoc Hiep, Tran Manh Cuong, and Zoe Bui

     

  • 2000: “Girl Fight,” Karyn Kusama (tie)

    Starring: Michelle Rodriguez, Jaime Tirelli, Paul Calderón, and Santiago Douglas

    [Watch Now]

  • 2000: “You Can Count on Me,” Kenneth Lonergan (tie)

    Starring: Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Jon Tenney, and Rory Culkin

    [Watch Now]

  • 2001: “The Believer,” Henry Bean

    Starring: Ryan Gosling, Billy Zane, Theresa Russell, and Summer Phoenix

    [Watch Now]

  • 2002: “Personal Velocity: Three Portraits,” Rebecca Miller

    Starring: Kyra Sedgwick, Parker Posey, and Fairuza Balk

     

  • 2003: “American Splendor,” Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini

    Starring: Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, and Judah Friedlander

    [Watch Now]

  • 2004: “Primer,” Shane Carruth

    Starring: Shane Carruth and David Sullivan

    [Watch Now]

  • 2005: “Forty Shades of Blue,” Ira Sachs

    Starring: Rip Torn, Dina Korzun, and Darren Burrows

     

  • 2006: “Quinceañera,” Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland

    Starring: Emily Rios, Jesse Garcia, and Chalo González

    [Watch Now]

  • 2007: “Padre Nuestro,” Christopher Zalla

    Starring: Jesús Ochoa, Armando Hernández, Jorge Adrián Espíndola, and Paola Mendoza

     

  • 2008: “Frozen River,” Courtney Hunt

    Starring: Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott, and Michael O’Keefe

    [Watch Now]

  • 2009: “Precious,” Lee Daniels

    Starring: Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Maria Carey, Lenny Kravitz, and Gabourey Sidibe

    [Watch Now]

  • 2010: “Winter’s Bone,” Debra Granik

    Starring: Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes

    [Watch Now]

  • 2011: “Like Crazy,” Drake Doremus

    Starring: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, and Jennifer Lawrence

    [Watch Now]

  • 2012: “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Benh Zeitlin

    Starring: Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry

    [Watch Now]

  • 2013: “Fruitvale Station,” Ryan Coogler

    Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, and Chad Michal Murray

    [Watch Now]

  • 2014: “Whiplash,” Damien Chazelle

    Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, and Melissa Benoist

    [Watch Now]

  • 2015: “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

    Starring: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Nick Offerman, and Molly Shannon

    [Watch Now]

  • 2016: “The Birth of a Nation,” Nate Parker

    Starring: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, and Aja Naomi King

    [Watch Now]

  • 2017: “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.” Macon Blair

    Starring: Elijah Wood and Melanie Lynskey

     

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