Courtney Hunt is an American screenwriter and film director. She has received much critical acclaim for her debut film, Frozen River

Frozen River

Frozen River is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Courtney Hunt. The screenplay focuses on two working-class women who smuggle illegal immigrants in the trunk of a car from Canada to the United States in order to make ends meet...

, for which she has gained an Oscar nomination, two Independent Spirit nominations, and a Satellite Award nod for the film. Frozen River won a Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Filmmaking at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...

, which Hunt accepted.