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"The fact is that the world around us is a
very troubled place, but the response of the filmmakers isn't always
dark, but is about people finding a way though it and about
persevering, not succumbing." Geoffrey Gilmore, fest director
Less political and socially focussed films were chosen this year, with
a greater focus on people dealing with their everyday lives and finding
a way through it. "There's more personal expression about the daily aspects of lives, about people's state of mind.. .you sense the need for an escape from the exhausting pressures of reality" said festival director Geoffrey Gilmore
Highlights include Be Kind Rewind (below), Michel Gondry's hotly hotly hotly awaited new film; What Just Happened, Barry Levinson's Robert de Niro starer; Morgan Spurlock's Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden and, Choke, film adaptation of Chuck "Fight Club" Palahniuk’s headslam of a novel. The 2008 Sundance Film Festival runs January 17-27, 2008, in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.
The UK documentary renaissance continues at Sundance where five of the 16 films selected for the world documentary strand were British, including Marc Evan's In Prison My Whole Life; Tanaz Eshaghian's Be Like Others, a look at Iranian men seeking sex-change operations and Isaac Julien's Jarman bio, Derek. No British films made it into the dramatic competition, although In Bruges, the debut from playwright Martin McDonagh, has been selected as the opening film and the lovely Sharon 'Bridget Jones' Maguire's suicide bomber film Incendiary - starting Ewan MacGregor - also plays.
In Bruges or Incendiary might be British but they were not backed by the UK Film Council, which is why they are only brielfy mentioned at the bottom of a press release ('other films selected include') from the Quango which championed only the lottery backed films selected for the festival, which includes Donkey Punch, whose title describes one of the grimmest sexual practices there is.
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
These films
represent a broad section of new documentaries by American independent
filmmakers. From examinations of the American political system and the
country's use of natural resources to explorations of cultural
development and intimate portraits of legendary artists, these films
represent a thematic and artistic variety. This year's 16 films were
selected from a record 953 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.
The films screening in Documentary Competition are:
AN AMERICAN SOLDIER
(Director and Screenwriter: Edet Belzberg)—Uncle Sam really wants you!
A compelling exploration of army recruitment in the United States told
through the story of Louisiana Sergeant, First Class Clay Usie, one of
the most successful recruiters in the history of the U.S. Army. World Premiere
AMERICAN TEEN
(Director and Screenwriter: Nanette Burstein)— This irreverent cinema
vérité chronicles four seniors at an Indiana high school and yields a
surprising snapshot of Midwestern life. World Premiere
BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER*
(Director: Christopher Bell; Screenwriters: Christopher Bell, Alexander
Buono, Tamsin Rawady)—A filmmaker explores America’s win-at-all-cost
culture by examining his two brothers' steroids use...and his own. World Premiere
FIELDS OF FUEL
(Director and Screenwriter: Josh Tickell)— America is addicted to oil
and it is time for an intervention. Enter Josh Tickell, a man with a
plan and a Veggie Van, who is taking on big oil, big government, and
big soy to find solutions in places few people have looked. World Premiere
FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER
(Director: Irena Salina)— Water is the very essence of life, sustaining
every being on the planet. FLOW confronts the disturbing reality that
our crucial resource is dwindling and greed just may be the cause. World Premiere
GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON
(Director: Alex Gibney)—Fueled by a raging libido, Wild Turkey, and
superhuman doses of drugs, Thompson was a true "free lance," goring
sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steel-eyed conviction for
writing wrongs. Focusing on the good doctor's heyday, 1965 to 1975, the
film includes clips of never-before-seen (nor heard) home movies,
audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts. World Premiere
THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO
(Director and Screenwriter: Lisa F. Jackson)— Jackson travels to remote
villages in the war zones of the Congo to meet rape survivors,
providing a piercing, intimate look into the struggle of their lives. World Premiere
I.O.U.S.A.
(Director: Patrick Creadon)—Few are aware that America may be on the
brink of a financial meltdown. I.O.U.S.A. explores the country’s
shocking current fiscal condition and ways to avoid a national economic
disaster. World Premiere
NERAKHOON (THE BETRAYAL)
(Director: Ellen Kuras; Co-Director: Thavisouk Phrasavath;
Screenwriters: Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath)— The epic story of a
family forced to emigrate from Laos after the chaos of the secret air
war waged by the U.S. during the Vietnam War. Kuras has spent the last
23 years chronicling the family's extraordinary journey in this deeply
personal, poetic, and emotional film. World Premiere
THE ORDER OF MYTHS
(Director: Margaret Brown) — In 2007 Mobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras is
celebrated...and complicated. Following a cast of characters, parades,
and parties across an enduring color line, we see that beneath the
surface of pageantry lies something else altogether. World Premiere
PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE
(Director and Screenwriter: Steven Sebring)— An intimate portrait of
music icon Patti Smith that mirrors the essence of the artist herself. World Premiere
ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED
(Director: Marina Zenovich; Screenwriters: Marina Zenovich, Joe Bini,
P.G. Morgan)— Marina Zenovich's new documentary examines the public
scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary director Roman
Polanski's sudden flight from the United States. World Premiere
SECRECY
(Directors: Peter Galison, Robb Moss)— Amidst the American hunger for
instantaneous news and up-to-date “facts,” this unflinching film
uncovers the vast, invisible world of government secrecy. World Premiere
SLINGSHOT HIP HOP (Director: Jackie Reem Salloum)—The voice of a new generation rocks and rhymes as Palestinian rappers form alternative voices of resistance within the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. World Premiere
TRACES OF THE TRADE: A STORY FROM THE DEEP NORTH
(Director: Katrina Browne; C0-Directors: Alla Kovgan, Jude Ray;
Screenwriters: Katrina Browne, Alla Kovgan)—History finally gets
rewritten as descendants of the largest slave-trading family in early
America face their past, and present, as they explore their violent
heritage across oceans and continents. World Premiere
TROUBLE THE WATER
(Directors: Tia Lessin, Carl Deal)— An aspiring rap artist and her
streetwise husband, armed with a video camera, show what survival is
all about when they are trapped in New Orleans by deadly floodwaters,
and seize a chance for a new beginning. World Premiere
DRAMATIC COMPETITION
One
of the most recognizable sections of the Festival, the films in this
year's Dramatic Competition employ a range of aesthetic invention and
reinvention of genre. From the light-hearted exploration of the darker
side of human nature and relationships to stories that address serious
issues of class and race, the 2008 Dramatic Competition represents a
range of distinctive voices and unique storytelling.
This year’s 16 films were selected from 1,068 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.
The films screening in Dramatic Competition are:
AMERICAN SON
(Director: Neil Abramson; Screenwriter: Eric Schmid)— Before being
deployed for active duty, a young Marine takes a four-day Thanksgiving
leave to return home to Bakersfield, California. There he meets a young
woman, tries to connect with old friends, and confronts his volatile
home life. Cast: Nick Cannon, Melonie Diaz, Matt O'Leary, Jay Hernandez, Tom Sizemore, Chi McBride. World Premiere
ANYWHERE, U.S.A.
(Director: Anthony (Chusy) Haney-Jardine; Screenwriters: Anthony
(Chusy) Haney-Jardine, Jennifer Macdonald)— Told in three segments
ranging from satirical to tragic, the film is a wildly original look at
American manners, prejudices, and family dynamics. Cast: Perla Haney-Jardine. World Premiere
BALLAST
(Director and Screenwriter: Lance Hammer)— A riveting, lyrical portrait
of an emotionally frayed family whose lives are torn asunder by a
tragic act in a small Mississippi Delta town. Cast: Michael J. Smith Sr., Jim Myron Ross, Tarra Riggs, Johnny McPhail. World Premiere
CHOKE (Director and Screenwriter: Clark Gregg)—An adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s (Fight Club)
novel, CHOKE is the sardonic story about mother and son relationship,
fear of aging, sexual addiction, and the dark side of historical theme
parks. Cast: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly MacDonald, Brad Henke. World Premiere
DOWNLOADING NANCY
(Director: Johan Renck; Screenwriters: Pamela Cuming, Lee Ross)—The
tale of an unhappy wife whose online search for someone to put her out
of her misery results in a torturous love affair. Cast: Maria Bello, Jason Patric, Rufus Sewell, Amy Brenneman. World Premiere
FROZEN RIVER
(Director and Screenwriter: Courtney Hunt)—Set in rural upstate New
York on a Mohawk Reservation bordering Canada, a mother left to care
for her teenage son finds herself lured into the world of illegal
immigrant smuggling. Cast: Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott, Michael O'Keefe, Mark Boone, Jr. World Premiere
GOOD DICK
(Director and Screenwriter: Marianna Palka)—The tale of a lonely girl
drawn from her isolated life and solitary apartment by a doting young
video store clerk who strives to capture her affections. Cast: Jason Ritter, Marianna Palka, Tom Arnold, Mark Webber, Martin Starr, Eric Edelstein. World Premiere
THE LAST WORD
(Director and Screenwriter: Geoff Haley)—An off-beat romantic comedy
about a solitary writer who makes his living composing other people's
suicide notes. After meeting the sister of a recently deceased client,
he finds his reclusive life and secret career upended by an unusual
romance. Cast: Winona Ryder, Wes Bentley, Ray Romano. World Premiere
THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH
(Director and Screenwriter: Rawson Marshall Thurber)— Based on Michael
Chabon's novel, the film chronicles the defining summer of a recent
college graduate who crosses his gangster father and explores love,
sexuality, and the enigmas surrounding his life and his city. Cast: Jon Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Rawson Marshall Thurber, Sienna Miller, Mena Suvari, Nick Nolte. World Premiere
NORTH STARR
(Director and Screenwriter: Matthew Stanton)—After witnessing the
brutal murder of his best friend, a young African American man flees
the badlands of Houston and finds himself in Trublin, a backward,
racially intolerant town where he meets an unlikely kindred spirit who
takes him under his wing. Cast: Jerome Hawkins, Matthew Stanton, Chris Sullivan, Isaac Lamb, Zach Johnson, Wayne Campbell. World Premiere
PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND
(Director and Screenwriter: Daniel Barnz)— Confounded by her clashes
with the seemingly rule-obsessed world, a little girl takes her already
dysfunctional family down the rabbit hole when she seeks enlightenment
from her unconventional drama teacher.
Cast: Elle Fanning, Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Bill Pullman, Campbell Scott, Peter Gerety. World Premiere
PRETTY BIRD
(Director and Screenwriter: Paul Schneider)— A comic tale of three
would-be entrepreneurs who set out to invent a rocket belt. The clash
of their mismatched personalities soon dissolves the business into a
morass of recriminations, retaliations, kidnapping, and murder in this
parable of American dreams and delusions. Cast: Billy Crudup, Paul Giamatti, Kristen Wiig, David Hornsby. World Premiere
SLEEP DEALER
(Director: Alex Rivera; Screenwriters: Alex Rivera, David Riker)— Set
in a near-future, militarized world marked by closed borders, virtual
labor and a global digital network that joins minds and experiences,
three strangers risk their lives to connect with each other and break
the barriers of technology. Cast: Luis Fernando Peña, Leonor Varela, Jacob Vargas. World Premiere
SUGAR
(Directors and Screenwriters: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck)—Anna Boden and
Ryan Fleck, who last teamed up for HALF NELSON, chronicle the journey
of Dominican baseball star Miguel "Sugar" Santos recruited from his
native country to play in the U.S. minor leagues. Cast: Algenis Perez Soto. World Premiere
SUNSHINE CLEANING
(Director: Christine Jeffs; Screenwriter: Megan Holley)— )—Struck by
financial hardship, an ambitiousmother and her unmotivated sister
become entrepreneurs in the field of biohazard removal and crime scene
clean-up. Cast: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Steve Zahn, Alan Arkin. World Premiere
THE WACKNESS
(Director and Screenwriter: Jonathan Levine)— During a sweltering New
York summer, a troubled teenage drug dealer trades pot for therapy
sessions with a drug-addled psychiatrist, and in the process falls for
the doctor's daughter. Cast: Josh Peck, Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary Kate Olsen, Method Man. World Premiere
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The
16 films selected from 620 submissions represent 8 countries including
Pakistan, Jordan, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom,
and Canada. The range of human experience is played out in these
engaging stories about the artistic process, the cost of conflict,
faith and nationalism, and the triumph of personal spirit.
Films screening in World Cinema Documentary Competition are:
ALONE IN FOUR WALLS (ALLEIN IN VIER WÄNDEN)/
Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Alexandra Westmeier)—Adolescent
boys struggle to grow up in a home for delinquents in rural Russia
where life behind bars may be better than the release to freedom. North American Premiere
THE ART STAR AND THE SUDANESE TWINS/
New Zealand (Director and Screenwriter: Pietra Brettkelly)— Vanessa
Beecroft is obsessively determined to adopt Sudanese twin orphans. Her
consuming passion drives her marriage to a breaking point and fuels her
controversial art, raising troubling questions about exploitation,
culture clash, and the imposition of the West on Africa. World Premiere
BE LIKE OTHERS/
United Kingdom (Director: Tanaz Eshaghian)— An intimate and unflinching
look at life in Iran, seen through the lens of those living at its
fringes, BE LIKE OTHERS is a provocative look at a generation of young
Iranian men choosing to undergo sex change surgery. World Premiere
A COMPLETE HISTORY OF MY SEXUAL FAILURES/
United Kingdom (Director: Chris Waitt; Screenwriters: Chris Waitt and
Henry Trotter)–Chris is a useless boyfriend. Determined to find out
why, he consults his ex-girlfriends, medical practitioners, producers,
and mother to find out how women really see him. Has this journey made
him potential boyfriend material or is he staring a life of loneliness
square in the face? World Premiere
DEREK/
United Kingdom (Director: Isaac Julien)— A film involving two
courageous and innovative artists—one the subject and one the
filmmaker—provides a cinematic journey that illuminates the work and
enduring importance of the late Derek Jarman. World Premiere
DINNER WITH THE PRESIDENT/Pakistan
(Directors and Screenwriters: Sabiha Sumar and Sachithanandam
Sathananthan)— From on-the-street interviews to audiences with
religious leaders to dinner with the President of Pakistan, the film
takes the temperature of a culture on issues from politics to women’s
rights. U.S. Premiere
DURAKOVO: THE VILLAGE OF FOOLS (DURAKOVO: LE VILLAGE DES FOUS)/
France (Director and Screenwriter: Nino Kirtadze)— Russian nationalism
percolates in a castle outside Moscow, where Mikhail Morozov rules
autonomously over young initiates, laying the groundwork for a rapidly
growing right-wing movement. North American Premiere
IN PRISON MY WHOLE LIFE/
United Kingdom (Director: Marc Evans; Screenwriters: Marc Evans,
William Francome)— A curious young filmmaker attempts to understand the
true story behind award-winning journalist Mumia Abu Jamal’s death row
sentence, and comes to startling realizations about American history
and its justice system. With William Francome, Noam Chomsky, Alice Walker, Mos Def, Smoof , Snoop Dogg, Angela Davis . North American Premiere
MAN ON WIRE/
United Kingdom (Director and Screenwriter: James Marsh)—In 1974,
Philippe Petit, a young Frenchman, dances on a wire suspended between
New York's Twin Towers. Consequently, Philippe is arrested and thrown
into jail for what would become known as “the artistic crime of the
century.” World Premiere
pUUJEE/
Japan (Director and Screenwriter: Kazuya Yamada)— Against the backdrop
of a magnificent but harsh natural landscape, a Japanese
photojournalist encounters puujee, a young girl who tames wild horses
on the Mongolian plains. North American Premiere
RECYCLE/
Jordan (Director and Screenwriter: Al Massad)— A Jordanian family man
living in the hometown of Muslim leader Al-Zarqawi struggles to support
his family and define his identity in a tense political climate. World Premiere
STRANDED: I’VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED ON THE MOUNTAINS/
France (Director and Screenwriter: Gonzalo Arijon)— For the first time
ever, survivors of the famous 1974 Andes plane crash tell in their own
words their harrowing story of survival. North American Premiere
TRIAGE: DR. JAMES ORBINSKI’S HUMANITARIAN DILEMMA/
Canada (Director: Patrick Reed)— Acclaimed doctor James Orbinski,
former head of Doctors Without Borders, returns to Africa to confront
the harsh reality of conditions there and explores what it means to be
a humanitarian. North American Premiere
UP THE YANGTZE/
Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Yung Chang)—At the edge of the
Yangtze River, not far from the Three Gorges Dam, young men and women
take up employment on a cruise ship, where they confront rising waters
and a radically changing China. U.S. Premiere
THE WOMEN OF BRUKMAN (LES FEMMES DE LA BRUKMAN)/
Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Isaac Isitan)—Amidst Argentina’s
financial collapse, workers take over a Buenos Aires men’s clothing
factory and continue producing clothing on a self-management model. As
the formerly poor become business managers, their lives are changed
forever. U.S. Premiere
YASUKUNI/
Japan (Director and Screenwriter: Li Ying)—Controversy abounds as
Japanese officials honor the deceased at the legendary Yasukuni shrine,
where swords used to kill Chinese soldiers were famously forged. Few
know about the shrine’s eerie past and the mysterious sword inside. Cast: Kariya Naoji, Sugawara Ryuken,Gaojin Sumei. North American Premiere
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
The
World Cinema Dramatic Competition reflects Sundance’s commitment to
championing the independent spirit in filmmakers everywhere and to
fostering creative dialogue between divergent cultures. This year’s 16
selections from 983 submissions represent 17 countries including Spain,
Peru, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Israel,
Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Panama, Russia, and Sweden. From
sexual exploits to criminal minds, coming-of-age stories to
life-altering events, these films introduce us to characters with
tenacity, imagination, and spirit that transcend borders.
The films screening in World Cinema Dramatic Competition are:
ABSURDISTAN/
Germany (Director: Veit Helmer; Screenwriters: Veit Helmer, Zaza
Buadze, Gordan Mihic, Ahmet Golbol)— This inventive and allegorical
comedy centers on two childhood sweethearts who seem destined for one
another until the women of their isolated village, angered by male
indifference toward the water shortage, go on a sex strike that
threatens the young couple's first night of love. Cast: Maximilian Mauff, Kristyna Mlérova. World Premiere
BLUE EYELIDS (PÁRPADOS AZULES)/
Mexico (Director: Ernesto Contreras; Screenwriter: Carlos Contreras)–
When Marina wins a beach getaway trip for two, her desperate search for
someone to take with her leads to a complicated relationship and the
revelation that she might be better off on her own. Cast: Cecilia Suàrez, Enrique Arreola, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Tiaré Scanda, Luisa Huertas. U.S. Premiere
CAPTAIN ABU RAED/
Jordan (Director and Screenwriter: Amin Matalqa)— An aging airport
janitor who is mistaken for an airline pilot by a group of poor
neighborhood children weaves fantastical stories to offer hope for a
sad, and sometimes unchangeable, reality. Cast: Nadim Sawalha, Hussein Al-Sous, Rana Sultan, Uday Al-Qiddissi, Ghandi Saber. North American Premiere
THE DRUMMER (JIN. GWU)/ Hong Kong/ Taiwan/ Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Kenneth Bi) — A young man transforms from a reckless youth and gangster into a mature adult through the inspiration of Zen drumming. Cast: Jaycee Chan, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Josie Ho, Roy Cheung, Lee Sinje, Kenneth Tsang.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A GANGSTER (J'AI TOUJOURS RÊVÉ D'ÊTRE UN GANGSTER)/
France (Director and Screenwriter: Samuel Benchetrit)— Told in four
vignettes, this existential comedy relates the exploits of four
aspiring criminals who hope to improve their lot, but find that they
might not have what it takes for a life of crime. Cast: Sergi López, Jean Rochefort, Alain Bashung, Anna Mouglalis. North American Premiere
JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY (KÆRLIGHED PÅ FILM)/
Denmark (Director and Screenwriter: Ole Borendal) —Jonas's quiet life
as a suburban family man takes an unexpected twist when he causes a car
crash that leaves a young woman with amnesia. When he is mistaken for
her boyfriend, Jonas's decision to play the role gradually unravels his
life. Cast: Anders W. Berthelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Charlotte Fich, Dejan Cukic, Ewa Fröling. North American Premiere
KING OF PING PONG (PING PONGKINGEN)/ Sweden (Director:
Jens Jonsson; Screenwriters: Jens Jonsson, Hans Gunnarson) An
ostracized and bullied teenage boy who excels only in ping pong
descends into an acrimonious struggle with his younger, more popular
brother when the truth about their family history and their father
surfaces over the course of their spring break. Cast: Georgi Staykov, Ann-Sofie Normi, Frederik Nilsson, Jerry Johansson. International Premiere
MÁNCORA/ Spain/Peru
(Director: Ricardo de Montreuil; Screenwriter: Oscar Torres)– A young
man mourning the death of his father sets out with his estranged
stepsister and her arrogant husband for adventures in the lush,
picturesque beach town of Máncora, Peru. World Premiere. World Premiere
MEGANE (GLASSES)/ Japan
(Director and Screenwriter: Naoko Ogigami)–Taeko's southern vacation
becomes a life-changing experience when she discovers a unique beach
community unified by surprising and perhaps odd traditions in this
comedic film. Cast: Satomi Kobayashi, Mikako Ichikawa, Ryo Kase, Ken Mitsuishi, Masako Motai. North American Premiere
MERMAID (RUSALKA)/
Russia (Director and Screenwriter: Anna Melikyan) – The fanciful tale
of an introverted little girl who grows up believing she has the power
to make wishes come true. She must reconcile this belief with reality
when, as a young woman, she journeys to Moscow and grapples with love,
modernity and materialism. Cast: Masha Shalaeva, Evgeniy Ciganov, Maria Sokolova, Nastya Doncova. International Premiere
PERRO COME PERRO (DOG EAT DOG)/
Colombia (Director: Carlos Moreno; Screenwriters: Alonso Torres, Carlos
Moreno) – In the crime world of Colombia, there is an unwritten code.
When Víctor and Eusebio, two hoods who bungle a shake-down job, break
that code, they unwittingly sign their own death sentence. Cast: Marlon Moreno, Oscar Borda, Alvaro Rodríguez, Blas Jaramillo, Paulina Rivas. World Premiere
RIPRENDIMI (GOOD MORNING HEARTACHE)/
Italy (Director: Anna Negri; Screenwriters: Anna Negri, Giovanna Mori)
– A modern young couple with a new baby are forced to deal with the
almost comedic pain of breaking up while being the subject of a
documentary that quickly crosses professional lines into their private
lives. Cast: Alba Rohrwacher, Marco Foschi, Valentina Lodovini, Stefano Fresi, Alessandro Averone. World Premiere
STRANGERS/
Israel (Directors and Screenwriters: Erez Tadmor, Guy Nattiv)— An
Israeli man and a Palestinian woman meet serendipitously during the
carefree atmosphere of the World Cup finals in Germany, drawing them
out of the stark reality of their lives and into a passionate affair. Cast: Liron Levo, Lubna Azabal, Dominique Lollia, Patrick Albenque, Abdallah el Akal, Roger Dumas. International Premiere
UNDER THE BOMBS (SOUS LES BOMBES)/
Lebanon (Director: Philippe Aractingi; Screenwriters: Philippe
Aractingi,Michel Léviant)— In the wake of Israel's 2006 bombardment of
Lebanon, a determined woman finds her way into the country convincing a
taxi cab driver to take a risky journey through the scarred region in
search of her sister and her son. Cast: Nada Abou Farhat, Georges Khabbaz, Bshara Atallah, and Rawia Elchab. North American Premiere
THE WAVE (DIE WELLE)/
Germany (Director: Dennis Gansel; Screenwriters: Dennis Gansel and
Peter Thorwarth)—A high school teacher's unusual experiment to
demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship
spins horribly out of control when he forms a social unit with a life
of its own. Cast: Juergen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt, Jennifer Ulrich, Christiane Paul. World Premiere
THE WIND AND THE WATER (BURWA DII EBO)/
Panama (Directors and Screenwriters: A collective collaboration)– A
young indigenous teen seeking his fortune in Panama City struggles to
acclimate to chaotic urban life, where he becomes enamored with a girl
from a wealthy, assimilated family. Later, he encounters his crush once
again--but this time the landscape and tradition define their
interaction. World Premiere
Festival films screen in
nine sections: Documentary Competition, Dramatic Competition, World
Cinema Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition,
Spectrum, New Frontier, Park City at Midnight, and from the Sundance
Collection. Feature films selected for the Premieres, Spectrum, Park
City at Midnight, and New Frontier categories will be announced
tomorrow, Thursday, November 29. The Short Film program will be
announced on Wednesday, December 5. Films screening in The Sundance
Collection will be announced on Wednesday, December 12.
Screenwriters,
cinematographers, and editors in the international competition
categories are now eligible for the same juried awards as those in the
U.S. Dramatic and Documentary Competition.
Films selected to
screen in competition are eligible for Grand Jury Prizes,
Cinematography Awards and Directing Awards. Other jury awards include
the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award presented to the screenwriter of a
film in Dramatic and World Cinema: Dramatic Competitions, and the
Documentary Editing Award, which is presented to the editor of a film
in Documentary and World Cinema: Documentary Competitions.
The
Alfred P. Sloan Prize is presented to an outstanding dramatic feature
film for the quality of its presentation of science or technology
themes.
What’s New for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival:
Spectrum: Documentary Spotlight
– This year a sidebar within the Spectrum category presents seven
documentary films as a way of continuing the Festival’s long-standing
commitment to nonfiction storytelling.
New Awards for World Cinema Competition
– In an effort to draw attention to international screenwriters,
cinematographers, and editors, this year the Festival expands the
number of awards given to films screening in the World Cinema
Competitions. In addition to the World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary
and World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic, the international films in
competition are now eligible for awards in directing, editing,
screenwriting, and cinematography.
2008 Sundance Film Festival Sponsors
The
2008 Sundance Film Festival sponsors help sustain Sundance Institute's
year-round programs to support independent artists, inspire
risk-taking, and encourage diversity in the arts. This year's Festival
Sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors - Entertainment Weekly,
Volkswagen of America, Inc., HP, and Adobe Systems Incorporated;
Leadership Sponsors - American Express, Delta Air Lines, DIRECTV, and
Microsoft Corporation; Sustaining Sponsors - 360 Vodka, Blockbuster
Inc., L’Oréal Paris, The New York Times, Ray-Ban, Sony Electronics, Inc., Stella Artois®, Turning Leaf Vineyards, Utah Film Commission, and ZonePerfect® Nutrition Bars.
Sundance Film Festival
The
Sundance Film Festival is the premier showcase for U.S. and
international independent film. Held each January in Park City, Salt
Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah, the Festival is a core program of
Sundance Institute, a nonprofit cultural organization founded by Robert
Redford in 1981.
Presenting dramatic and documentary
feature-length films in nine distinct categories and approximately 80
short films each year, the Sundance Film Festival has introduced
American audiences to some of the most innovative films of the past two
decades. Since 1984 the Festival program has evolved to include music,
art, and dialogue. Beyond the streets of Park City, the official
website of the Sundance Film Festival, http://www.sundance.org/festival
shares the Festival experience with a global audience with short films,
filmmaker interviews, video episodes, podcasts, photos, news stories,
and more.
Sundance Institute:
Dedicated
year round to the development of artists of independent vision and to
the exhibition of their new work, Sundance Institute celebrated its 25th
anniversary in 2006. Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the Institute
has grown into an internationally recognized resource for thousands of
independent artists through its Film Festival and artistic development
programs for filmmakers, screenwriters, composers, playwrights, and
theatre artists. The original values of independence, creative
risk-taking, and discovery continue to define and guide the work of
Sundance Institute, both with U.S. artists and, increasingly, with
artists from other regions of the world.
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