The seven-minute humorous film, completed last summer, centres on a 16-year-old boy who is forced to host a mating date for the family cat.
The Date is Toivoniemi’s directorial debut. She is currently working towards her Master’s in screenwriting and directing at Aalto University.
Judges selected the winner out of a pool of 14 competing films. More than 8,000 short films vied for a spot on the festival programme this year.
Sundance has become one of the world’s most famous film festivals since it started in 1978.