Push won a number of awards at this year's Sundance. Photo courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival.

February 2, 2009 - The 2009 Sundance Film Festival has wrapped, and the “Made in NY” film Push received three major awards. Based on the novel by Sapphire, the film tells the story a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice.

Push was awarded the Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic as well as the Audience Award presented by Honda: U.S. Dramatic. A Special Jury Prize for Acting was presented to Mo'Nique for her portrayal of a mentally ill mother who both emotionally and physically imprisons her daughter in Push.

The film, which was directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul, shot on location in New York City during fall 2007.

Also at Sundance, Antoine Fuqua’s Brooklyn Finest, another “Made in NY” film, was purchased by distributor Senator. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, and Wesley Snipes.

The Sundance Film Festival is the premier showcase for U.S. and international independent film, held each January in and around Park City, Utah. One hundred eighteen feature-length films were selected from 3,661 feature- length film submissions. For more information, click here.