Many film critics and film historians credit the Sundance festival with being a major factor in the revival of independent films in America. "Indie" films enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990's with the emergence of studios like Miramax.
The dramatic film category is usually represented by about sixteen films. The 2010 Grand Jury Prize for best drama was "Winter's Bone."
The documentary Grand Jury Prize in 2010 went to a film about a U.S. military unit on the ground in Afghanistan called "Restrepo."
Every year thousands of films are submitted to Sundance, but only a little over a hundred are actually selected to be screened at the festival. Submission fees range from about $35.00 to $75.00 depending on the category and when the submission is made.