Siân Heder’s “CODA,” an Apple original film, has won the 2021 Sundance Film Festival: London Award presented by BIFA.
The award was voted for by 40 leading professionals from the British film industry assembled by the British Independent Film Awards.
The film follows Ruby, a CODA or Child of Deaf Adults, who is torn between pursuing her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents. The film stars Emilia Jones, Eugenio Derbez, Troy Kotsur, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Daniel Durant, and Marlee Matlin, and is produced by Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger.
It had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S., where it won best director U.S. dramatic, U.S. grand jury prize: dramatic and the audience award: U.S. dramatic. Walsh-Peelo attended the London event with Heder joining virtually for a Q & A.
The film will debut in cinemas and on Apple TV Plus on Aug. 13.
Sundance Film Festival: London concluded on Sunday with a gala screening of “Zola,” attended by director Janicza Bravo. It opened with the U.K. Premiere of “The Sparks Brothers” attended by director Edgar Wright and brothers Ron and Russell Mael, the subjects of the documentary.
In all, the festival included 15 feature films, two short film programs, panel discussions and industry events at Picturehouse Central.
Other talent that attended the festival in person included director Prano Bailey Bond and actors Niamh Algar and Michael Smiley for “Censor”; director Sam Hobkinson, producer Poppy Dixon, editor Peter Norrey and composer Nick Foster for “Misha And The Wolves.”
The festival’s surprise film was “Herself,” with director Phyllida Lloyd attending the London event for a masterclass.