Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, a heartfelt high school story from director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, won both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for drama at the famous indie film festival on Saturday. The idiosyncratic movie stars Thomas Mann, R.J. Cyler, and Olivia Cooke in the titular lead roles.

Mann stars as shy student Greg, intent on keeping his head down to make it through his senior year of high school with as little recognition as possible. He only delights in making offbeat films with his friend Earl (Cyler), until his mother (played by Connie Britton) coaxes him to befriend Rachel, a girl in his class diagnosed with leukemia.

“My love goes out to the entire cast and crew,” said Gomez-Rejon upon receiving the awards. “This movie was about processing loss, but really to celebrate a beautiful life and a beautiful man, which is my amazing father … to celebrate his life through humor.” Gomez-Rejon dedicated the Audience Award to his fellow artists and filmmakers living in his hometown of Laredo, Texas.

The wins of these two particular Sundance awards could augur even bigger wins for the movie’s future. Whiplash, which won the same two prizes at Sundance last year, was also nominated for five Oscars at the Academy Awards.

Other top films this year at Sundance included The Wolfpack, which won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for a documentary, and Slow West, which took the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize. The event was hosted by comedian Tig Notaro, whose documentary Tig premiered at the festival.