A musical drama and a documentary about poverty in the US have won the top awards at the Sundance Film Festival. The results of the judging were announced yesterday (26th January). 

The festival is held annually in Utah and is one of the largest independent film festivals in the US. The festival has been held for over thirty years and is widely regarded as one of the top festivals to discover the rising stars of the film world. The festival, as Reuters reports, also ensures independent films reach a larger audience. 

28-year-old writer and director Damien Chezelle won awards in the drama competition for his film Whiplash. He had previously written a shorter version of the film which won the price for US fiction in the short film category. The film follows a jazz drummer as he attempts to perfect his music. Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now) starred in the award winning film. The film has already attracted the attention of Sony Pictures Classics who have offered the film maker $3 million. 

See pictures from the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

The documentary prize went to Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo for their film Rich Hill. The documentary follows three adolescent boys living in the town of Rich Hill, Missouri and the difficulties they face in struggling to escape poverty. Tragos was aware of the sensitive nature of the film and thanked those who appeared in it. As Reuters reports, Tragos said "We dedicate it [the film] to the families of Rich Hill, Missouri, and the families in this film; the three boys and their families who were so brave and so lovely to let us into their lives and to trust us and reveal some stuff that was so tough."

Other award winning films included Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory (US Documentary); To Kill A Man (World Film); Return to Homs (Documentary); Dear White People (Breakthrough Talent) and Fishing Without Nets (US Drama Directing). 

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2014 Sundance Festival. 

Miles Teller
Miles Teller starred in Whiplash, the award winning film which tells the story of a jazz drummer.

Robert Redford
Robert Redford was one of the many celebrities to attend the festival.