Remember "alternative rock"? Remember goatees, new media and GenX? Even though the mere mention of Sundance conjures all these remnants of a bygone era, the festival has met with the opposite fate. It lives on, thriving, perhaps, as some argue, far too well for its own good. In the last few years, the most common complaints about America's most famous film festival run along the line that it's, well, way too famous, overrun with Hollywood stars, journalists, PR armies and studio-backed product posing as "indie". The frustration led to the founding of an alternative-to-the-alternative festival, Slamdance, and a couple of alternative-to-the-alternative-to-the-alternative festivals have sprung up since.

But for all the bitching, a quick scan of the films ultimately honored speak very well indeed for the integrity of the festival that, contrary to popular myth, Robert Redford did not actually found. The Utah/United States Film Festival was founded in 1978, took place in Salt Lake City, moved to Park City in 1981, and in 1985, Redford's Sundance Institute took over administration. Which is where our chronicle of the winners begins. As DVD versions of the most recent winners become available, we'll let you know right here.

Note: Winners from 1999 through 2006 are below. Click on to see the winners from 1985 through 1998.

2006

Both the Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and the Audience Award: Dramatic:
Quinceañera, directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland.

Both the Grand Jury Prize: Documentary and the Audience Award: Documentary:
God Grew Tired of Us, directed by Christopher Quinn.

World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary:
In the Pit, written and directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo.

World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic:
13 (Tzameti), written and directed by Géla Babluani.

World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary:
De Nadie, directed by Tin Dirdamal.

World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic: No. 2, written and directed by Toa Fraser.

Documentary Directing Award:
James Longley for Iraq in Fragments. Longley also picked up an Excellence in Cinematography Award, along with Tom Richmond for Right at Your Door, and an award for Documentary Film Editing, which he shares with Billy McMillan and Fiona Otway.

Dramatic Directing Award:
Dito Montiel for A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, which also picked up a Special Jury Prize for the Best Ensemble Performance.

Waldo Scott Screenwriting Award:
Hilary Brougher for Stephanie Daley.

Special Jury Prize: Documentary:
American Blackout, directed by Ian Inaba, and TV Junkie, directed by Michael Cain and Matt Radecki.

Special Jury Prize: Dramatic:
In Between Days, directed by So Yong Kim.

Special Jury Prizes: World Cinema Documentary:
Into Great Silence, directed by Philip Groening, and Dear Pyongyang, directed by Yonghi Yang.

Special Jury Prize: World Cinema Dramatic:
Eve & the Fire Horse, directed by Julia Kwan.

Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking:
Bugcrush, directed by Carter Smith, and The Wraith of Cobble Hill, directed by Adam Parrish King.

Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking:
The Natural Route, directed by Àlex Pastor Vallejo.

Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking:
Before Dawn, directed by Bálint Kenyeres, Preacher With an Unknown God, directed by Rob VanAlkemade, and Undressing My Mother, directed by Ken Wardrop.

2005

American Dramatic Grand Jury Prize:
Forty Shades of Blue, directed by Ira Sachs.

American Documentary Grand Jury Prize:
Why We Fight, written and directed by Eugene Jarecki.

World Cinema Dramatic Jury Prize:
The Hero, directed by Zézé Gamboa.

World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize:
Shape of the Moon, directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich.

America Dramatic Audience Award:
Hustle & Flow, written and directed by Craig Brewer.

American Documentary Audience Award:
Murderball, directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro.

World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award:
Brothers, directed by Susanne Bier.

World Cinema Documentary Audience Award:
Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire, directed by Peter Raymont.

American Directing Award, Dramatic:
Noah Baumbach for The Squid and the Whale.

American Directing Award, Documentary:
Jeff Feuerzeig for The Devil and Daniel Johnston.

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award:
Noah Baumbach for The Squid and the Whale.

Excellence in Cinematography Award, Documentary:
Gary Griffin for The Education of Shelby Knox.

Excellence in Cinematography Award, Dramatic:
Amelia Vincent for Hustle & Flow.

Special Jury Prize, Dramatic - Acting:
Amy Adams for Junebug and Lou Pucci for Thumbsucker.

Special Jury Prize, Dramatic - Originality of Vision:
Me and You and Everyone We Know, written and directed by Miranda July, and Brick, directed by Rian Johnson.

Special Jury Prize, Documentary:
After Innocence, directed by Jessica Sanders, and Murderball, directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro.

Special Jury Prize, World Documentary:
Wall, directed by Simone Bitton, and The Liberace of Baghdad, directed by Sean McAllister.

Special Jury Prize, World Dramatic:
The Forest for the Trees, directed by Maren Ade, and Live-In Maid, directed by Jorge Gaggero.

2004

Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic:
Primer, directed, written, and produced by Shane Carruth.

Grand Jury Prize, Documentary:
DiG!, directed and produced by Ondi Timoner.

Audience Award, Dramatic:
Maria Full of Grace, directed and written by Joshua Marston, and produced by Paul Mezey.

Audience Award, Documentary:
Born Into Brothels, a film by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski.

World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award:
Seducing Doctor Lewis, directed by Jean-François Pouliot, written by Ken Scott and produced by Roger Frappier and Luc Vandal.

World Cinema Documentary Audience Award:
The Corporation, directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott, written by Harold Crooks, Joel Bakan, and Mark Achbar, and produced by Bart Simpson and Mark Achbar.

Documentary Directing Award:
Morgan Spurlock for Super Size Me.

Dramatic Directing Award:
Debra Granik for Down to the Bone.

Excellence in Cinematography Award, Documentary:
Ferne Pearlstein for Imelda.

Excellence in Cinematography Award, Dramatic:
Nancy Schreiber for November.

Freedom of Expression Award:
Repatriation, directed by Kim Dong-won.

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award:
Larry Gross for We Don't Live Here Anymore.

Special Jury Prize, Documentary:
Farmingville, directed and produced by Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval.

Special Jury Prize, Dramatic:
Brother to Brother, directed by Rodney Evans; and Vera Farmiga for her performance in Down to the Bone.

2003

Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic:
American Splendor

Grand Jury Prize, Documentary:
Capturing the Friedmans

Audience Award, Documentary:
My Flesh and Blood

Audience Award, Dramatic:
The Station Agent

Directing, Documentary:
Jonathan Karsh for My Flesh and Blood

Directing, Dramatic:
Catherine Hardwicke for Thirteen

Cinematography, Documentary:
Dana Kupper, Gordon Quinn and Peter Gilbert for Stevie

Cinematography, Dramatic:
Derek Cianfrance for Quattro Noza

Freedom of Expression Award:
What I Want My Words To Do To You

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award:
Tom McCarthy for The Station Agent

Special Jury Prizes, Documentary:
The Murder of Emmett Till, directed by Stanley Nelson and A Certain Kind of Death, directed by Blue Hadaegh and Grover Babcock

Special Jury Prizes for Outstanding Performance:
Patricia Clarkson for The Station Agent, Pieces of April, and All The Real Girls; Charles Busch for Die Mommie Die!

Special Jury Prizes for for Emotional Truth:
All the Real Girls, directed by David Gordon Green; What Alice Found, directed by A. Dean Bell

2002

Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic:
Personal Velocity

Grand Jury Prize, Documentary:
Daughter from Danang

Audience Award, Documentary:
Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony

Audience Award, Dramatic:
Real Women Have Curves

Audience Award, World Cinema:
Tie: Bloody Sunday and The Last Kiss

Directing, Documentary:
Rob Fruchtman and Rebecca Cammisa for Sister Helen

Directing, Dramatic:
Gary Winick for Tadpole

Cinematography, Documentary:
Daniel Gold for Blue Vinyl

Cinematography, Dramatic:
Ellen Kuras for Personal Velocity

Freedom of Expression Award:
Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award:
Gordy Hoffman for Love Liza

Jury Prize, Latin American Cinema:
The Trespasser

Special Jury Prize, Documentary:
Senorita Extraviada

Special Jury Prize, Documentary:
How to Draw a Bunny

Special Jury Prize for originality, Dramatic:
Secretary

Special Jury Prize for ensemble cast, Dramatic:
Manito

Special Jury Prize for Acting, Dramatic:
America Ferrera and Lupe Ontiveros for Real Women Have Curves

2001

Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic:
The Believer

Grand Jury Prize, Documentary Competition:
Southern Comfort

Audience Award, Dramatic:
Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Audience Award, Documentary:
Tie: Scout's Honor and Dogtown and Z-Boys

World Cinema Audience Award:
The Road Home

Directing Award, Dramatic:
John Cameron Mitchell for Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Directing Award, Documentary:
Stacy Peralta for Dogtown and Z-Boys

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award:
Christopher Nolan for Memento

Cinematography Award, Dramatic:
Giles Nuttgens for The Deep End

Cinematography Award, Documentary:
Albert Maysles for LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton

Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Performances:
Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek for In the Bedroom

Special Jury Prize for Artistic Achievement in Documentary:
Edet Belzberg for Children Underground

Freedom of Expression Award:
Tom Shepard for Scout's Honor

Jury Prize in Latin American Cinema:
Tie: Possible Loves, directed by Sandra Werneck, and Without a Trace, directed by Maria Novaro

Special Jury Mention in Latin American Cinema:
Coffin Joe: The Strange World of José Mojica Marins

2000

Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic Competition:
Tie: Girlfight and You Can Count on Me

Grand Jury Prize, Documentary Competition:
Long Night's Journey into Day

Audience Award, Dramatic:
Two Family House

Audience Award, Documentary:
Dark Days

World Cinema Audience Award:
Saving Grace

Directing Award, Dramatic:
Karyn Kusama for Girlfight

Directing Award, Documentary:
Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman for Paragraph 175

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award:
Kenneth Lonergan for You Can Count on Me

Cinematography Award, Dramatic:
Tom Krueger for Committed

Cinematography Award, Documentary:
Tie: Andrew Young for Americanos: Latino Life in the United States and Marc Singer for Dark Days

Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Performance:
Janet McTeer, Aidan Quinn, Pat Carroll, Jane Adams, Greg Russell Cook, Iris Dement for Songcatcher

Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Performance:
Donal Logue for The Tao of Steve

Special Jury Prize for Artistic Achievement in Documentary:
Aiyana Elliott for The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack

Special Jury Prize for Writing for Documentary:
Daniel McCabe, Paul Stekler, and Steve Fayer for George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire

Freedom of Expression Award:
Marc Singer for Dark Days

Jury Prize in Latin American Cinema:
Tie: Herod's Law, directed by Luis Estrada and No One Writes to the Colonel, directed by Arturo Ripstein

1999

Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic Competition:
Three Seasons

Grand Jury Prize, Documentary Competition:
American Movie

Audience Award, Dramatic:
Three Seasons

Audience Award, Documentary:
Genghis Blues

World Cinema Audience Award:
Run Lola Run and Train of Life

Filmmakers Trophy, Dramatic:
Tumbleweeds

Filmmakers Trophy, Documentary:
Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle, directed by Jon Else

Directing Award, Dramatic:
Eric Mendelsohn for Judy Berlin

Directing Award, Documentary:
Barbara Sonneborn for Regret to Inform

Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award:
Tie: Audrey Wells for Guinevere and Frank Whaley for Joe the King

Cinematography Award, Dramatic:
Lisa Rinzler for Three Seasons

Cinematography Award, Documentary:
Emiko Omori for Rabbit in the Moon and Regret to Inform

Special Jury Prize for Comedic Performance:
Steve Zahn for Happy, Texas

Special Jury Prize for Distinctive Vision in Filmmaking:
Scott King for Treasure Island

Special Jury Prize for Documentary:
Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgan for On the Ropes

Freedom of Expression Award:
Stanley Nelson for The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords

Jury Prize in Latin American Cinema:
Santitos

Special Jury Prize in Latin American Cinema:
Life Is To Whistle

Click on to see the SUNDANCE WINNERS, 1985 to 1998...