Canadian actress celebrates Sundance win
Written by on January 31st, 2010 in Latest News.
Tatiana Maslany accepts her special jury prize for breakout performance in world cinema for the film Grown Up Movie Star during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival awards ceremony in Park City, Utah. (Matt Carr/Getty Images)
Canadian Tatiana Maslany has made a huge splash at the Sundance Film Festival, capturing a special jury prize for breakout performance in world cinema for her role as a rebellious teen in Grown Up Movie Star.
“Really overwhelmed. Crazy, like shaking for hours,” said a tremulous Maslany over the phone from Park City, Utah, on Sunday, her voice still trembling. She was handed the trophy at Saturday night’s awards ceremony.
“I’m so excited that this film will hopefully, get some kind of audience. That’s what I’m most excited about.”
The film marked the first major onscreen role for the 24-year-ancient Regina-born performer who describes a 14-year-ancient in the midst of a sexual awakening in the movie by Newfoundland native Adriana Maggs.
Maslany, who says it’s her first time at Sundance, praised her co-star Sean Doyle and the Maggs’s writing.
“The minute I read the script, I felt I would be so fortunate to play this character because I loved her so much,” said the actress, who also played the character Kit Bailey on CBC-TV’s Heartland and has starred in Being Erica.
“It’s such an intelligently written character.”
In the film, the main character of Ruby, played by Maslany, is dealing with a family in crisis with her mother running off and her father (Doyle) about to come out of the closet.
Grown Up Movie Star had its premiere at the 10-day festival and was screened six times.
“It was always really scary to hear the reaction … they would laugh at different places and found different things to be shocking and different things to be touching,” Maslany said of the audiences.
“It really affects people in different ways.”
Maslany says she’s doing a few auditions in Los Angeles before returning to her home base in Toronto.
Mongrel Media has picked the film up for distribution in Canada. Grown Up Movie Star opened Jan. 29 in Toronto and St. John’s.
