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Source: Sundance London

Melissa Barrera, Caroline Lindy, Kayla Foster

Caroline Lindy’s comedy horror Your Monster won the audience favourite award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival: London, which ran from June 6-9.

Writer-director Lindy, star Melissa Barrera and producer and actor Kayla Foster were present at the Picturehouse Central cinema venue to accept the award.

It was voted for by thousands of festivalgoers from the 11-strong Sundance London programme.

Your Monster had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in Utah, US in January. The film stars Barrera as a softly-spoken actress who, after her life falls apart, finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying yet charming monster living in her closet.

Bankside Films is handling sales on the film, with Vertical Entertainment releasing the film in the US.

The 11th edition of Sundance London opened with Rich Peppiatt’s Irish- language Kneecap, about the eponymous hip hop act.

Other titles included David Zellner and Nathan Zellner’s Sasquatch Sunset; Megan Park’s My Old Ass starring Maisy Stella; and Sean Wang’s Didi, which closed the four-day festival having won the US Dramatic audience award and special jury award: ensemble in Utah in January. 

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Searchlight Pictures title Kinds Of Kindness played as the surprise film on Saturday.

The Zellner brothers, Stella and Wang were among the filmmakers and talent in attendance. The industry programme was headed by a keynote address from filmmaker Carlos Lopez Estrada, with participating speakers including BFI London Film Festival director Kristy Matheson, Searchlight Pictures’ Kate Gardiner and Curzon’s Louisa Dent.

Last year’s audience award was won by Celine Song’s Past Lives, which went on to two Oscar nominations, for best original screenplay and best picture.