Film Awards Given at Sundance Festival

“The Believer,” a controversial drama about a Jewish man questioning his faith, and transgender documentary “Southern Comfort” took the top two prizes at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival in Park City.

Sundance, the top gathering for independent filmmakers in the country, gives out its awards each January, marking the start of a new season of independent film, and winners here often go on to become some of the hottest independent movies of the year.

Based on a true story, “The Believer” tells audiences of Danny Balint, who was dedicated to his faith in his youth but questions it as he grows older and joins a neo-fascist group.

“Southern Comfort” looks at the life of Robert Eads, a female-to-male transgender living in rural Georgia and suffering from ovarian cancer. While director Kate Davis began the film to speak out against prejudice, Eads fell in love with a transgender male-to-female, and the story took a romantic turn.