Steph Curry’s Directorial Debut Just Won a Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival

Steph Curry is now a Sundance Film Festival award winner.

The Baddest Speech Writer of All — a short film co-directed and produced by Curry and directed by two-time Oscar winner — picked up the grand jury prize Tuesday night during the festival’s short film awards ceremony and party in Park City, Utah.

The victory is not Curry’s first Sundance showing. In 2023, he attended the festival in support of the Peter Nicks-directed documentary about him, Underrated from Apple TV. The Baddest Speech Writer of All short, also produced by Erick Peyton, focuses a lens on Clarence B. Jones, 93, who served as Martin Luther King Jr.’s longtime lawyer and speechwriter. In it, he reflects on his time with the civil rights icon as he made history while also opening up on the personal costs of his tenure.

Short film jury members A.V. Rockwell, Liv Constable-Maxwell and Martin Starr released a joint statement saying that the film “implores us to take action with a message that is timeless and timely.” Their official citation continued: “Through the eyes of its subject, we find one of the most important moments in modern history has a new perspective. For its portrait of a strong willed, hilarious, compassionate man, and the instrumental role he played in kicking ass, nonviolently, against division and hate, the short film grand jury prize goes to The Baddest Speechwriter of All.”

Other prizes went to Crisis Actor for U.S. fiction, Jazz Infernal for international fiction, The Boys and the Bees for nonfiction and Living With a Visionary for animation. Special jury prizes were presented to Don Hertzfeldt for Paper Trail creative vision in animation, and to Noah Roja and Filippo Carrozza for The Liars for acting.

Said Sundance senior programmer for feature films and shorts Heidi Zwicker: “We are continually inspired by the incredible range of storytelling and style we encounter in the shorts that form our lineup every year — we congratulate these artists and thank them for sharing their distinct visions with us and with our audiences.”

The rest of the jury citations are below.

Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction to Crisis Actor

Lily Platt’s short film centers on an impulsive actress who crashes a support group and spirals into a chaotic night that forces her to face her addiction to drama. Sarah Steele and Philip Ettinger star.

Jury citation: “This short is uniquely brilliant in its ability to balance laugh-out-loud levity with the emotional pain of honest self-reflection. This film is a succinct display of craft in writing, directing, acting, and a deeply insightful depiction of the distorted state of American values today.”

Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction to Jazz Infernal

Will Niava’s film centers on Koffi, a young Ivorian trumpeter, who arrives in Montréal with nothing but the legacy of his father to guide him. Lost between the city’s noise and the silence of his past, he must confront his roots to finally find his voice. Ange-Eric N’guessan, Alexis Belhumeur and Kalombo Kasongo star.

Jury citation: “This film deeply resonates in a way that lingers long after viewing, powerfully blending evocative atmosphere, gorgeous cinematography, music, and global storytelling influences into a profoundly singular vision.”

Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction to The Boys and the Bees

Arielle C. Knight’s film is set on an idyllic farm in rural Georgia where Black beekeeping parents tenderly share their knowledge of life, love and nature with their young sons while restoring their homestead.

Jury citation: “This film is a beautiful and bold story, in which we see two young boys as they are taught what it means to be strong without disregarding feelings; to learn about oneself and our place in nature; and ultimately to understand our capacity to reimagine the lineages we pass down to our children.”

Short Film Jury Award: Animation to Living With a Visionary

Stephen P. Neary’s short follows a man named John who, after 50 years of marriage, must care for his wife while learning to live alongside her vivid hallucinations. James Cromwell and Katherine LaVictoire are the featured voice actors.

Jury citation: “With visuals that so beautifully bring this funny, imaginative, and ultimately heartbreaking story to life, we fell easily into the world of two storied lovers dealing with one of life’s greatest challenges. Loss. The detailed yet childlike animation helps bring to life a world only one woman can see and instills levity into this deeply moving story.”

Short Film Special Jury Award for Creative Vision to Paper Trail

Don Hertzfeldt’s project is described like this: A life, seen through paper.

Jury citation: “This film is a meticulous and brilliantly crafted example of how a single idea, which unfolds with vision and ingenuity, can expand our way of seeing the world around us. Beginning with a simple, crayon-drawn line, this bold film transports us on a roving journey of one man’s life, twisting and turning along the way with moments that are at once playful, banal, sincere, and, in the end, deeply moving.”

Short Film Special Jury Award for Acting to Noah Roja and Filippo Carrozza

Roja and Carrozza of The Liars (Argentina), star as Matías and Jaime as they try to make sense of the world. One day, Jaime is arrested by a security guard at a mall and Matías must ask a stranger to pretend to be their father to free him. The cast also includes Esteban Bigliardi, Mariana Chaud and Pablo Fusco.

Jury citation: “Rarely do you see performances so honest and natural that they blur the line between fiction and nonfiction in their portrayal. For two young actors we look forward to seeing again who have done just that with their performances.”

The majority of the award-winning shorts can be viewed online nationwide Jan. 29-Feb. 1 .