Jones also received a special jury prize for acting in the movie.
The movie follows the story of a young couple in a long-distance relationship.
Jones, who was not in attendance, was given the honor by America Ferrera, who said "the 2011 Sundance Film Festival will go down as the year of the actress."
Peter D. Richardson's film "How to die in Oregon" won the grand jury U.S. documentary prize. It follows terminally ill patients living in Oregon, the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
