Sundance-Endorsed Films Nab 13 Oscar Nods, Dominate Documentary Category

The Oscar nominations are in, and although some members of Hollywood are feeling the biting chill of the Academy's cold shoulder (cough, Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow, cough), there are certainly more than a few institutions who have cause to celebrate. One among them -- the Sundance Film Festival.

The morning's announcement's included 13 nods for Sundance-endorsed films, including last year's bayou-inspired drama, "Beasts of the Southern Wild." The movie, which premiered at the Utah-based festival in 2012, received four nominations in total including Best Picture, Best Director (Benh Zeitlin), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Quvenzhané Wallis).

The Sundance emblem was most visible in the Best Documentary Feature category, however. "How to Survive a Plague," a powerful portrait of AIDS activists coalescing to fight for their lives, and "The Invisible War," a investigation of sexual assault in the military, are both award contenders with roots in Sundance's 2012 Documentary Film Program. Two other documentaries, "5 Broken Cameras" and "Searching for Sugar Man" hit the circuit in 2012, while the final selection, "The Gatekeepers," will run at the festival this year.

Other Sundance-supported nominations include "No" for Best Foreign Language Film, "Open Heart" for Best Documentary -- Short, "Chasing Ice" for Best Original Song ("Before My Time"), and "The Sessions" for Best Actress in a Supportive Role (Helen Hunt).