What do Woody Allen, Cher, Hilary Swank and Kevin Spacey have in common? They have all won Oscars for films that screened at the Sundance Film Festival.
Two of 2014’s most critically acclaimed films, both of which premiered at Sundance, garnered a combined 11 Oscar nominations: “Boyhood” for Best Picture, Best Director (Richard Linklater), Best Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke), Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette), Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing; “Whiplash” for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (J.K Simmons), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing. (Other Sundance selections up for Oscars this year include “Last Days in Vietnam” and “Ida.”)
The version of the Sundance Film Festival that we know today began in 1985, and has funneled films into the Academy Awards with remarkable frequency. Since a comprehensive look at all nominations was far too long, we decided to highlight Oscar winners (both films and performances) that traveled through Sundance on their way to glory. We call it the Sundance Effect:
86th Academy Awards (2014)
Jo Lawry, Judith Hill and Lisa Fischer in “20 Feet From Stardom.”
Documentary Feature: “20 Feet From Stardom,” Morgan Neville
85th Academy Awards (2013)
An undated photo of musician Sixto Rodriguez, the focus of the award-winning film “Searching for Sugar Man.”
Documentary (Feature): “Searching for Sugar Man,” Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn
83rd Academy Awards (2011)
Foreign Language Film: “In a Better World,” Denmark, Susanne Bier
82nd Academy Awards (2010)
Mo’Nique with her Oscar at the 2010 Academy Awards.
Actress in a Supporting Role: Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Documentary (Feature): “The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
Short Film (Animated): “Logorama,” Nicolas Schmerkin
81st Academy Awards (2009)
French high wire artist Philippe Petit walks across a tightrope suspended between the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York in 1974.
Documentary (Feature): “Man on Wire,” James Marsh
80th Academy Awards (2008)
Documentary (Short): “Freeheld,” Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
79th Academy Awards (2007)
Actor in a Supporting Role: Alan Arkin, “Little Miss Sunshine”
Best Original Screenplay: Michael Arndt, “Little Miss Sunshine”
Documentary (Feature): “An Inconvenient Truth,” Davis Guggenheim
Music (Original Song): “I Need to Wake Up,” “An Inconvenient Truth”, Melissa Etheridge
Short Film (Live Action): “West Bank Story,” Ari Sandel
78th Academy Awards (2006)
Jordan Houston, Paul Beauregard and Cedric Coleman of Three 6 Mafia with their Oscars.
Music (Original Song): “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” “Hustle and Flow,” Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard
77th Academy Awards (2005)
Documentary (Feature): “Born Into Brothels,” Ross Kaufman and Zana Briski
Music (Written for Motion Picture, original song): “Al Otra Lado Del Rio,” “The Motorcycle Diaries,” Jorge Drexler
Short (Animated): “Ryan,” Chris Landreth
Short (Live Action): “Wasp,” Andrea Arnold
76th Academy Awards (2004)
Short Film (Animated): “Harvie Krumpet,” Adam Elliot
75th Academy Awards (2003)
Documentary (Short): “Twin Towers,” Bill Guttentag and Robert David Port
72nd Academy Awards (2000)
Actress in a Leading Role: Hilary Swank, “Boys Don’t Cry”
71st Academy Awards (1999)
Actor in a Supporting Role: James Coburn, “Affliction”
Adapted Screenplay: “Gods And Monsters,” Bill Condon
70th Academy Awards (1998)
Music (Original Music or Comedy Score): “The Full Monty,” Anne Dudley
69th Academy Awards (1997)
Leon Gast and David Sonenberg with their Oscars backstage at the 69th Annual Academy Awards.
Documentary (Feature): “When We Were Kings,” Leon Gast, David Sonenberg
Documentary (Short Subject): “Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien,” Jessica Yu
68th Academy Awards (1996)
Kevin Spacey and his mother Kathleen at the 68th Annual Academy Awards.
Actor in a Supporting Role: Kevin Spacey, “The Usual Suspects”
Original Screenplay: “The Usual Suspects,” Christopher McQuarrie
67th Academy Awards (1995)
Short Film (Live Action): Tie between two films
“Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life,” Peter Capaldi, Ruth Kenley-Letts
“Trevor,” Peggy Rajski, Randy Stone
66th Academy Awards (1994)
Short Film: “Black Rider (Schwarzfahrer),” Pepe Danquart
65th Academy Awards (1993)
Short Film (Animated): “Mona Lisa Descending A Staircase,” Joan C. Gratz
64th Academy Awards (1992)
Producer Allie Light and producer Irving Saraf attend the 64th Annual Academy Awards.
Documentary (Feature): “In The Shadow Of The Stars,” Allie Light and Irving Saraf
Short Film (Live Action): “Session Man,” Seth Winston, Rob Fried
63rd Academy Awards (1991)
Documentary (Feature): “American Dream,” Barbara Kopple and Arthur Kohn
62nd Academy Awards (1990)
Foreign Language Film: “Cinema Paradiso,” Italy, Giuseppe Tornatore
60th Academy Awards (1988)
Cher at the 1986 Academy Awards.
Actress in a Leading Role: Cher, “Moonstruck”
Actress in a Supporting Role: Olympia Dukakis, “Moonstruck”
59th Academy Awards (1987)
Michael Caine And Barbara Hershey In “Hannah And Her Sisters”
Actor in a Supporting Role: Michael Caine, “Hannah And Her Sisters”
Actress in a Supporting Role: Dianne Weist, “Hannah And Her Sisters”
Original Screenplay: “Hannah And Her Sisters,” Woody Allen
58th Academy Awards (1986)
William Hurt, Anjelica Huston, Geraldine Page and director and producer Sidney Pollack pose with their Oscars.
Actress in a Leading Role: Geraldine Page, “The Trip To Bountiful”
57th Academy Awards (1985)
Harvey Milk poses in front of his camera shop in San Francisco in 1977.
Documentary (Feature): The Times Of Harvey Milk,” Robert Epstein and Richard Schmiechen
Original Screenplay: “El Norte,” Gregory Nava, Anna Thomas
