William H. Macy presents first award to young director Damien Chazelle for ...
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 03:23 EST, 26 January 2014 | UPDATED: 03:23 EST, 26 January 2014
The stage was full of industry veterans who brought films to the Sundance Film Festival, but those stars hosting and presenting ended up taking a backseat to a young director at the event's closing night and awards ceremony.
Nick Offerman and Megan Mullaly, who are married, hosted the festivities, while accomplished actor William H. Macy, who brought his directorial debut to the festival, was a presenter for the audience awards.
However, the spotlight shone brightest on Damien Chazelle, who turned 29 during the 10-day event.
Whiplash, which is just Chazelle's second feature, took home both the Grand Jury prize and the audience award for feature film. His film also sold at the festival.
Whiplash is about a young drummer (Miles Teller), striving for perfection and his demanding teacher (JK Simmons) and was based on a short film that was at last year's Sundance festival.
'N o one wants to make a movie about a jazz drummer, which is a total shock to me,' the young director laughed while accepting the jury prize. 'Without people seeing (the short) here at Sundance, we wouldn't be here today.'
Other notable winners on the night included first-time director Justin Simien's Dear White People, which won a Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Talent.
A film executive produced by Angelina Jolie, Difret, took the Ethiopian World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award.
And a documentary from Nick Cave called 20,000 Days On Earth took Best Directing and Best Editing in the World Cinema Documentary category.
One of the night's hosts debuted his film, Nick Offerman: American Ham, in the festival's Premieres section.
His wife was a voice actor in Ernest and Celestine, which made its world premiere in the Sundance Kids section.
Macy, who was joined by Felicity Huffman, debuted Rudderless, which he wrote and directed about the aftermath of a school shooting.
A father discovers his son's music after the young man dies in a campus rampage. It was the closing night film at the festival.
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