Sundance, 2009 Sundance Film Festival | featured news

Film News: Trio to release Sundance winner -- Lionsgate has acquired Sundance Film Festival winner “Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire.” Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry will team up to help promote the film.

See who left Utah with deals and awards, a critic's wrapup by Owen Gleiberman, star chats, and more.

Mariah Carey can finally put Glitter behind her. Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, starring Mariah, Paula Patton (wife of R&B singer Robin Thicke), newcomer Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'nique, took home the top prize for U.S. dramas at the annual Sundance Film Festival last night in Park City, Utah.

EW critic on the mood (inviting), mission (still matters), and fisticuffs (unfortunate, but there is a moral to the story).

Mo Perkins' "A Quiet Little Marriage" copped the grand jury award for best narrative feature at the 15th annual Slamdance Film Festival.

North American rights go for around $3.5 mil -- Anchor Bay has bought U.S. and Australian rights to David Mackenzie's comedy "Spread" starring Ashton Kutcher for around $3.5 million. Pic preemed this week at the Sundance Film Festival.

In its second buy of the Sundance Fest, IFC is acquiring U.S. rights to Armando Iannucci's comedy In the Loop. The distrib also bought the Nazi horror pic Dead Snow. William Morris was expected to close the deal today.

Opinions fly at the Sundance Film Fest but so did fists Wednesday morning when critic John Anderson, who was covering the 8:30 screening of the agit-prop environmental doc Dirt! The Movie for Variety at the Holiday Cinemas, told producer's rep Jeff "The Dude" Dowd that the movie "was poor, too simplistic, too redundant," says Dowd, who accompanied him over to the nearby Yarrow.

Magnolia Pictures wins bidding for gay-porn comedy; Fox Searchlight snaps up Rose Byrne- Hugh Dancy romantic comedy.

Rapper-turned-actor 50 Cent announces his plans for a new production company at the Sundance Film Festival.