Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun co-star in a love story about a satellite and a buoy, Chiwetel Ejiofor directs a film about the life of Rob Peace and Will Ferrell takes a road trip with his best friend who is transitioning in three of the films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
Organizers announced on Wednesday a diverse and robust lineup of 82 feature-length films from 24 countries for the 40th edition of the festival, which includes the return of one of Sundance鈥檚 original prodigies, Steven Soderbergh.
In 1989, Soderbergh helped put Sundance on the map with 鈥淪ex, Lies, and Videotape.鈥� This year he鈥檒l premiere his new genre film 鈥淧resence,鈥� about a family who suspects they鈥檙e not alone in their suburban home, starring Lucy Liu and Julia Fox.
鈥淭hat was one of the exciting discoveries of this year,鈥� said Kim Yutani, the festival鈥檚 director of programming. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny to say discovery around Steven Soderbergh because he is such an independent film and now studio film stalwart鈥︹�橮resence鈥� is a really wildly creative film.鈥�
Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, who launched 鈥淢ississippi Grind鈥� at Sundance and went on to direct 鈥淐aptain Marvel,鈥� are also back with 鈥淔reaky Tales,鈥� set in 1987 Oakland and following four interconnected tales. It stars Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis and Ben Mendelsohn.
Festival organizers are looking forward to looking back, to celebrate 40 years, with an opening night event that honors another Sundance alum, Christopher Nolan, whose breakthrough 鈥淢emento鈥� received their screenwriting award in 2001. , the big breakout of the 39th festival, is also being honored.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not really an anniversary, it鈥檚 the 40th edition,鈥� said Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente. 鈥淩eally it gives you an opportunity to reflect on the legacy, but also be excited about the possibilities and the new talent that we will be launching this year.鈥�
It鈥檚 the synthesis of having the veterans standing next to the first and second timers, the discoveries that the festival is famous for, that is most exciting, Yutani added.
Programmers culled through over 17,000 submissions (a record) from more than 150 countries and territories to select the feature films, shorts and episodic series that will be featured across the 10-day festival, which will kick off in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 18 and run through Jan. 28.
鈥淭here is such boldness and adventurousness and risk taking and such big swings happening in the lineup this year,鈥� said festival and public programming director Eugene Hernandez. 鈥淭hese films, they鈥檙e entertaining, they鈥檙e moving, they鈥檙e provocative.鈥�
Films selected will bring various White Lotus alums to the mountains, including Aubrey Plaza (鈥淢y Old Ass鈥�), Murray Bartlett (鈥淧onyboi鈥�), Will Sharpe (鈥淎 Real Pain鈥�) and Meghann Fahy (鈥淵our Monster鈥�), and see 鈥淭he Worst Person in the World鈥� stars Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie together again in 鈥淗andling the Undead.鈥� Reinsve will also appear with Sebastian Stan in 鈥淎 Different Man,鈥� about an actor who dramatically transforms his appearance.
Kristen Stewart, no stranger to Sundance, has two films: The buoy/satellite love story 鈥淟ove Me鈥� and 鈥淟ove Lies Bleeding,鈥� which Yutani called two of the most surprising films of the festival.
鈥淚 think both of these films just show what an eye Kristen Stewart has for choosing roles and working with directors who are completely bold, wild geniuses,鈥� Yutani said.
Jesse Eisenberg also has two: 鈥淎 Real Pain,鈥� which he wrote and directed and stars in with Keirnan Culkin, and David and Nathan Zellner鈥檚 鈥淪asquatch Sunset,鈥� alongside Riley Keough.
鈥淛esse is continuing to use his creative connections and curiosities and power to illuminate some really fun and creative and moving stories,鈥� Hernandez said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 such a unique, distinctive American artist.鈥�
Justice Smith is another with a double bill. The 鈥淒ungeons & Dragons鈥� actor will be in 鈥淭he American Society of Magical Negroes,鈥� a debut feature, and the midnight film 鈥淚 Saw the TV Glow,鈥� with Fred Durst and Danielle Deadwyler, that Yutani said shows 鈥渁 real range.鈥�
Other performances that could have people talking are Alicia Silverstone in a midnight film called 鈥淜razy House,鈥� Carol Kane in Nathan Silver鈥檚 鈥淏etween the Temples,鈥� and 93-year-old June Squibb playing opposite the late Richard Roundtree in 鈥淭helma,鈥� a thriller in which she takes to the streets after getting duped by a phone scammer.
In addition to the very familiar names on the lineup, Sundance will also feature up and comers and other artists diving into new areas. Painter Titus Kaphar is making his feature debut with 鈥淓xhibiting Forgiveness,鈥� starring Andr茅 Holland, Andra Day and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Lucy Lawless directs 鈥淣ever Look Away鈥� about CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth. Ejiofor also directs Jay Will, Mary J. Blige and Camila Cabello in 鈥淩ob Peace,鈥� based on Jeff Hobbs鈥� biography.
Sundance has many buzzy nonfiction offerings too, including one about WNBA star Sue Bird, another about Christopher Reeve and one diving into the music festival Lollapalooza.
A documentary that Yutani thinks is going to make a lot of waves at the festival is 鈥淲ill & Harper鈥� about Will Ferrell and his friend of 30 years who has transitioned.
鈥淭hey take this really beautiful road trip across the country and it is enlightening on so many levels,鈥� Yutani said.
In the episodic section, Debra Granik has 鈥淐onbody vs Everybody,鈥� about a former convict who starts a gym, and Richard Linklater has a three-part documentary series 鈥淕od Save Texas.鈥�
Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss also return with their follow-up 鈥淕irls State,鈥� an opening day film that Yutani said 鈥渟ets the tone for how we want our festival to be seen.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a rich, rich combination of films that I think exhibit some really wild and adventurous creativity,鈥� Hernandez said. 鈥淭o have that same level of creativity and ingenuity happening, the same creativity and ingenuity that drew us all to the festival when we started going back in the 90s鈥t鈥檚 really exciting.鈥�
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
