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2009 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS

We Live in Public, Push, Rough Aunties and The Maid (La Nana)

Earn Top Jury Prizes;

Audience Favorites Feature  Afghan Star, An Education, The Cove and Push

 

Park City, UT–The jury and audience award-winners of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival were announced tonight at the Festival’s closing Awards Ceremony hosted by actor Jane Lynch in Park City, Utah. Films receiving jury awards were selected from the four categories: U.S. Dramatic and Documentary Competition and World Dramatic and Documentary Competition. Films in these categories were also eligible for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Audience Awards. The U.S. Audience Awards presented by Honda were announced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The World Cinema Audience Awards were announced by Benjamin Bratt. Highlights from the Awards Ceremony can be seen on the Sundance Channel, the Official Television Network of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, beginning Sunday, January 25, as well as on the official Festival website, www.sundance.org/festival.

 

Jury Prizes in Shorts Filmmaking were awarded to American and international short-form films on Tuesday, January 20.  Other awards recognized at the ceremony included the Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award, created to honor and support emerging filmmakers with their next screenplays, and the Alfred P. Sloan Prize, awarded to a film which excels in addressing compelling topics in science or technology.

 

"This has been a truly remarkable year for Sundance in ways even we did not fully predict. We opened the Festival with animation and closed with science fiction, and in between showcased some of the best films we've ever seen," said Geoffrey Gilmore, Director, Sundance Film Festival. "People ask us how independent film has evolved over the past 25 years and the answer is, quite simply, it's better."

"We knew this would be an historic year, given our anniversary and the inauguration," said John Cooper, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival. "But I have to say that adding to the excitement and experience was the selection of truly high quality films in this year's competition. We were blown away and so were audiences."

 

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Juries consisted of:

 

U.S. Dramatic Competition:, Virginia Madsen, Scott McGehee, Maud Nadler, Mike White and Boaz Yakin; U.S. Documentary Competition: Patrick Creadon, Carl Deal, Andrea Meditch, Sam Pollard and Marina Zenovich; World Dramatic Competition: Colin Brown (U.S.), Christine Jeffs (New Zealand) and Vibeke Windeløv (Denmark); World Documentary Competition: Gillian Armstrong (Australia), Thom Powers (U.S.); Hubert Sauper (France); Shorts Competition: Gerardo Naranjo, Lou Taylor Pucci and Sharon Swart; The Alfred P. Sloan Prize: Fran Bagenal, Rodney Brooks, Raymond Gesteland, Jeffrey Nachmanoff and Alex Rivera.

 

For the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, 118 feature-length films were selected including 91 world premieres, 16 North American premieres, and 5 U.S. premieres representing 21 countries with 42 first-time filmmakers, including 28 in competition. These films were selected from 3,661 feature- length film submissions composed of 1,905 U.S. and 1,756 international feature-length films.

 

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners:

 

The Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary was presented to We Live in Public,directed by Ondi Timoner. The film portrays the story of the Internet's revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris, and his transgressive art project that shocked New York. 

 

The Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire, directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul. The film tells the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice.

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Rough Aunties, directed by Kim Longinotto. Fearless, feisty and unwavering, the 'Rough Aunties' protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. United Kingdom

 

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to The Maid (La Nana), directed by Sebastián Silva. When her mistress brings on another servant to help with the chores, a bitter and introverted maid wreaks havoc on the household. Chile

 

The Audience Awards are presented to both a dramatic and documentary film in four Competition categories as voted by Sundance Film Festival audiences. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Audience Awards are presented by Honda.

The Audience Award presented by Honda: U.S. Documentary was presented to The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos. The horrors of a secret cove nestled off a small, coastal village in Japan are revealed by a group of activists.

 

The Audience Award presented by Honda: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire, directed by Lee Daniels and written by Damien Paul. The film tells the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice.

 

The World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary was presented to Afghan Star, directed by Havana Marking. After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to television in Afghanistan: millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. Marking's film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing. Afghanistan/United Kingdom

 

The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented to An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby.  In the early 60s, a sharp 16-year-old with sights set on Oxford meets a handsome older man whose sophistication enraptures and sidetracks both her and her parents.United Kingdom

 

Directing Awards recognize excellence in directing for dramatic and documentary features.

 

The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to El General and director Natalia Almada. As great-granddaughter of President Plutarco Eliás Calles, one of Mexico's most controversial revolutionary figures, the filmmaker paints an intimate portrait of Mexico.

 

The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Sin Nombre, written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga.  Filmmaker Fukunaga's first-hand experiences with Mexican immigrants seeking the promise of the U.S. form the basis of this epic Spanish-language dramatic thriller.

 

The World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary was presented to Afghan Star, directed by Havana Marking. After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to television in Afghanistan: millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. Marking's film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing. Afghanistan/United Kingdom

 

The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic was presented to Five Minutes of Heaven, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by Guy Hibbert. Two men from the same town but from different sides of the Irish political divide discover that the past is never dead. United Kingdom/Ireland

 

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award was presented to Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi for Paper Heart. Even though performer Charlyne Yi doesn't believe in love, she bravely embarks on a quest to discover its true nature - a journey that takes on surprising urgency when she meets unlikely fellow traveler, actor Michael Cera.

 

The World Cinema Screenwriting Award was presented to Five Minutes of Heaven, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel from a screenplay by Guy Hibbert. Two men from the same town but from different sides of the Irish political divide discover that the past is never dead. United Kingdom/Ireland

 

The U.S. Documentary Editing Award was presented to Sergio. Directed by Greg Barker and edited by Karen Schmeer, the film examines the role of the United Nations and the international community through the life and experiences of Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights.

 

The World Cinema Documentary Editing Award was presented to Burma VJ. Directed by Anders Østergaard and edited by Janus Billeskov Jansen and Thomas Papapetros. The film takes place in September 2007 as Burmese journalists risk life imprisonment to report from inside their sealed-off country. Denmark

 

The Excellence in Cinematography Awards honor exceptional cinematography in both dramatic and documentary categories.

 

The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to The September Issue. With unprecedented access, director R.J. Cutler, cinematographer Bob Richman and their crew shot for nine months to capture editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her team preparing the 2007 Vogue September issue, widely accepted as the "fashion bible" for the year's trends.

 

The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Sin Nombre, written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Cinematographer: Adriano Goldman. Filmmaker Fukunaga's first-hand experiences with Mexican immigrants seeking the promise of the U.S. form the basis of this epic Spanish-language dramatic thriller.

 

The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented to Big River Man, John Maringouin's documentary about at an overweight, wine-swilling Slovenian world-record-holding endurance swimmer who resolves to brave the mighty Amazon in nothing but a Speedo. U.S.A./United Kingdom

 

The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented to An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby.  Cinematographer: John De Borman. In the early 1960s, a sharp 16-year-old girl with sights set on Oxford meets a handsome older man whose sophistication enraptures and sidetracks both her and her parents. United Kingdom

 

A World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Originality was presented to Louise-Michel, directed by Benoit Delépine and Gustave de Kervern, about a group of disgruntled female French factory workers who, after the factory abruptly closes, pool their paltry compensation money to hire a hit man to knock off the corrupt executive behind the closure. France

A World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Tibet in Song directed by Ngawang Choephel. Through the story of Tibetan music, this film depicts the determined efforts of Tibetan people, both in Tibet and in exile, to preserve their unique cultural identity. Choephel served six years of an 18-year prison sentence for filming in Tibet. Tibet

A World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Acting was presented to Catalina Saavedra for her portrayal of a bitter and introverted maid in The Maid (La Nana). Chile

A Special Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary was presented to Good Hair, directed by Jeff Stilson, in which comedian Chris Rock travels the world to examine the culture of African-American hair and hairstyles.

 

A Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Independence was presented to Humpday, Lynn Shelton's farcical comedy about straight male bonding gone a little too far.

 

A Special Jury Prize for Acting was presented to Mo'Nique for her portrayal of a mentally ill mother who both emotionally and physically imprisons her daughter in Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire.

 

The 2009 Jury Prize in U.S. Short Filmmaking was awarded to: Short Term 12, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.  The jury also presented the International Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking to Lies, directed by Jonas Odell. Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking were presented to The Attack of the Robots from Nebula-5, directed by Chema Garcia Ibarra; Protect You + Me, directed by Brady Corbet; Western Spaghetti, directed by PES; Jerrycan, directed by Julius Avery; Love You More, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, I Live in the Woods, directed by Max Winston, Omelette, directed by Nadejda Koseva; and Treevenge, directed by Jason Eisener.

As announced on Friday, Adam, directed by Max Mayer, is the recipient of this year’s Alfred P. Sloan Prize. The Prize, which carries a $20,000 cash award to the filmmaker provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is presented to an outstanding feature film focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character.

Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) on Thursday announced the winners of the 2009 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers–one each from the United States, Japan, Europe and Latin America. The winning filmmakers and projects for 2009 are Diego Lerman, Ciencias Morales (Moral Sciences) from Argentina; David Riker, The Girl, from the United States; Qurata Kenji, Speed Girl from Japan; and Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Evolution from France.

2009 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ADAM WINS ALFRED P. SLOAN PRIZE

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival is pleased to announce that Adam, directed by Max Mayer, is the recipient of this year’s Alfred P. Sloan Prize. The Prize, which carries a $20,000 cash award to the filmmaker provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is presented to an outstanding feature film focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character.

 

Adam is a love story between a man with Asperger's Syndrome (Hugh Dancy) and the woman who moves into his apartment building (Rose Byrne) who has just had her heart broken. It is about making the strange familiar and the obstacles we all face when we try to love intimately. The film, which screened in Dramatic Competition, was selected “for its credible and moving portrayal of an engineer with Asperger's Syndrome whose passion for science helps him in his struggle to achieve a meaningful relationship.”

 

Director Max Mayer is a Founder and Producing Director of New York Stage and Film which has presented twenty-four summer seasons of original plays at the Powerhouse Theatre at Vassar College. Mayer has directed over fifty new plays including world or US premieres by writers such as John Patrick Shanley, Lee Blessing, Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros, Richard Nelson, George F. Walker and Eric Overmyer. His productions have opened both Off-Broadway and in regional theatres including Arena Stage, Long Wharf and Steppenwolf in Chicago. For television, Mayer has directed episodes of NBC’s THE WEST WING, ABC’s ALIAS and CBS’s FAMILY LAW. Mayer directed his first feature film, Better Living, starring Roy Scheider, Olympia Dukakis and Edward Hermann which opened theatrically in 2000. Last year, Adam was chosen as a winner of the 12th Annual Writers’ Network Fiction and Screenplay Competition. Adam is his second feature film.

 

The Alfred P. Sloan Prize is a major component of the Sundance Science-in-Film Initiative, which is made possible by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Initiative supports the development and exhibition of new independent film projects that explore science and technology themes or that depict scientists, engineers and mathematicians in engaging and innovative ways. In addition to the Prize, the Initiative presents a panel discussion at the Festival that brings together scientists and filmmakers to explore compelling, contemporary issues regarding science in film; and, in the Sundance Feature Film

Program, the Initiative supports the Sloan Commissioning Fund, which provides resources for Initiative projects early in the development phase; and the Sloan Fellowship, which develops eligible projects at the Sundance Feature Film Labs towards production. This Initiative blends the Sloan Foundation’s goal of enhancing public understanding of science and technology with Sundance Institute’s mission to foster independent voices and compelling storytelling in film.

 

Previous Alfred P. Sloan Prize Winners include: Alex Rivera, Sleep Dealer (2008); Shi-Zheng Chen, Dark Matter (2007); Andrucha Waddington, The House of Sand (2006); Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man (2005) and Shane Carruth, Primer (2004).

 

The winning film was selected by a committee of film and science professionals based on the quality of the film’s presentation of science and technology themes and/or characters. This year’s Alfred P. Sloan jury members include:

Fran Bagenal – Fran Bagenal’s research interests are in the magnetic fields of planets, planetary plasmas and the interaction of planetary objects - from Jupiter down to comets - with the solar wind or magnetospheric plasmas. She works with data from planetary missions (Galileo, Deep Space 1, New Horizons) as well as emissions observed remotely with telescopes (HST, Cassini) Selected Recent Publications: Jupiter: The Planet, Satellites and Magnetosphere, Fran Bagenal, Bill McKinnon, Tim Dowling (eds), Cambridge University Press 2004 Modeling temporal variability of plasma conditions in the Io plasma torus during the Cassini era, Peter Delamere, Andrew Steffl and Fran Bagenal, J. Geophys. Res., 109, A10216, 2004 Pluto's kinetic interaction with the solar wind, Peter Delamere and Fran Bagenal, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L04807, 2004

 

Rodney Brooks -- In addition to his multiple roles at MIT, Rodney Brooks is Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of iRobot Corporation. He received degrees in pure mathematics from the Flinders University of South Australia and the Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University in 1981. Brooks is a Founding Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

 

Raymond Gesteland -- Raymond Gesteland earned his Ph. D from Harvard University. He was working in Geneva as a postdoc in Alfred Tissieres' and Pierce Barrs' lab, when he began looking for work back in the US. John Cairns hired him in Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1967 where he began work as Assistant Director for Research with Jim Watson. His research in the lab involved working on translation and trying to understand the regulation of translation of HT4 infected cells. He then began more research work into translation systems for eukaryotic cells to begin understanding the genes in alden adeno replicaton. Gesteland is a Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Utah.

 

Jeffrey Nachmanoff – Jeffrey Nachmanoff studied Art and English Literature at Harvard University before attending USC film school. He edited documentaries until Paramount optioned his first screenplay.  Since then he has worked as a studio screenwriter on everything from science fiction to action comedy. In 2004 he penned the script for the ecological disaster film, The Day After Tomorrow with Roland Emmerich. In 2008 he wrote and directed Traitor, a political thriller starring Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce.

 

Alex Rivera -- Alex Rivera is a New York based digital media artist and filmmaker.  His first feature film, Sleep Dealer premiered at Sundance 2008, and won two awards, including the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.  Rivera is a Sundance Fellow and a Rockefeller Fellow. His work, which addresses concerns of the Latino community through a language of humor, satire, and metaphor, has also been screened at The Berlin International Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, The Guggenheim Museum, PBS, Telluride, and other international venues.

 

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

This Sloan-Sundance partnership forms part of a broader national program by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to stimulate leading artists in film, television, and theater; to create more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology; and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in the popular imagination. Over the past decade, the Foundation has partnered with some of the top film schools in the country – including AFI, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, NYU, UCLA, and USC – and established annual awards in screenwriting and film production and an annual first-feature award for alumni. The Foundation has also started an annual Sloan Feature Film Prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival and initiated new screenwriting workshops at the Hamptons and TriBeca Film Festival. In addition, it continues to work with leading writer/producers and major studios to create more films, TV shows and TV movies featuring scientists, mathematicians and engineers.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL UPDATE SHORTS JURY PRIZE WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Kristen Stewart is a superstar after her lead role as "Bella" in the boxoffice smash hit Twilight. Stewart is preparing for her role in the Twilight sequel and attended the premiere of her new quirky Sundance flick "Adventureland" directed by "Superbad" helmer Greg Mottola. Click here for photos from the film 2009 Sundance Film festival.

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival announced the jury prizes in shorts filmmaking based on outstanding achievement and merit. The Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25, 2009 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. Full awards will be announced the evening of January 24th at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony at the Park City Racquet Club. Actress Jane Lynch will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

 

The 2009 Short Film jurors are Gerardo Naranjo (Director/Writer/Producer: Voy a explotar, Malachance, Perro Negro); Lou Taylor Pucci (Actor: Thumbsucker); and Sharon Swart (Variety).

 

The Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking was awarded to Short Term 12, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking was given to Lies, directed by Jonas Odell. The Shorts Jury awarded Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking to The attack of the robots from Nebula-5, directed by Chema Garcia Ibarra; Protect You + Me, directed by Brady Corbet; Western Spaghetti, directed by PES; Jerrycan, directed by Julius Avery; Love You More, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, I Live in the Woods, directed by Max Winston, Omelette, directed by Nadejda Koseva; and Treevenge, directed by Jason Eisener.

 

Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking

 

Short Term 12 (Director: Destin Daniel Cretton)—A film about kids and the grown-ups who hit them.

 

Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking

 

Lies/Sweden (Director: Jonas Odell)—Three perfectly true stories about lying. In three episodes based on documentary interviews we meet the burglar who, when found out, claims to be a moonlighting accountant, the boy who finds himself lying and confessing to a crime he didn't commit and the woman whose whole life has been a chain of lies.

 

Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking

 

The attack of the robots from Nebula-5/Spain (Director: Chema García Ibarra)—"Almost" everybody is going to die very soon.

 

I Live In The Woods (Director: Max Winston)—A Woodsman's fast-paced journey, fueled by happiness, slaughter, and a confrontation with America's God.

 

Jerrycan/Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Julius Avery)—While attending a party, five bored kids decide to blow something up. A childhood game seals the fate of Nathan, who risks everything after he is bullied, and is forced to make a life and death decision.

 

Love You More/UK (Director: Sam Taylor-Wood; Screenwriter: Patrick Marber)—Two teenagers are drawn together by the Buzzcocks' single 'Love You More' during the summer of 1978.

 

Omelette/Bulgaria (Director: Nadejda Koseva; Screenwriter: Georgi Gospodinov)—While a woman makes an omelette we learn how difficult it is to make ends meet.

 

Protect You + Me (Director: Brady Corbet)—A reminder of a long-forgotten event, combined with a challenging situation, provokes a man to extreme action.

 

Treevenge/Canada (Director: Jason Eisener; Screenwriter: Rob Cotterill)—Sometimes Christmas is worth crying over.

 

Western Spaghetti (Director: PES)—Everyday objects become delicious ingredients as we learn how to cook spaghetti through stop-motion.

 

This year the Festival's Short Film Program was comprised of a record 96 short films from 5,632 submissions, from U.S. and international filmmakers. Submissions grew by 10% over last year. Due to the strong submissions this year, the Shorts Program was expanded to accommodate the quality of work submitted. The 2009 award winners and honorable mentions exemplify Sundance's commitment to discovering new talent and accomplished storytelling and filmmaking.

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 Sundance continues until January 25th with the 25th anniversary celebration of the indie festival.  Nia Long joined Chris Rock who premiered his new documentary "Good Hair" which is in competition.  Mariah Carey and her hubby Nick Cannon both went indie with starring roles in films at the festival.

It's seem like anybody who is on the A-list party hopped at Sundance and headed out of town to Washington D.C to attend Barack Obama's historic inauguration.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon walked the red carpet at Sundance then jetted to the Inauguration.

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore attended the Park City premiere of Ashton's sexy gigolo flick "Spread". Dashmi were spotted  in D.C. at the Entertainment Industry Foundation "A New Era of Service" Breakfast at Ballou Senior High School with Tobey Maguire and Martin Luther King III.

The Sundance Film Festival wouldn't be complete without an annual cameo appearance by party gal heiress Paris Hilton. 

The Hollywood Reporter made some predicitons and is now  reporting that sales are stuck at Sundance with lukewarm receptions for Wesley Snipes and Don Cheadle's "Brooklyn's Finest". Click here for more celebrity Sundance photos...

 

The Sundance sales market took a brief spin around the ballroom this weekend, even as many of its larger players maintained their recent positions along the wall.

WMA and CAA engineered a low- to mid-seven-figure sale of Antoine Fuqua's police drama "Brooklyn's Finest," with upstart Senator Distribution and partner Sony buying North Americans rights to the Millennium Films project. The purchase was a rarity in the current film-fest market: a decisive offer that culminated in a less than 24 hours after a movie premiered.

But the "Finest" deal failed to ignite a larger sales frenzy, with some of the specialty world's biggest players, including Focus and Fox Searchlight, yet to make serious noise in Park City.

And a number of the most expectation-laden titles that premiered over the weekend -- which included the Ashton Kutcher dramedy "Spread," Shana Feste's family-tragedy drama "The Greatest" and the Michael Cera quasi-doc "Paper Heart" -- had not as of press time closed a deal after their Saturday debuts.

The lack of a major sale to follow "Finest" -- which coming into the fest was read by some as a bellwether for the sales market -- put some veterans in a pessimistic mood.

But the exec who bought the Fuqua film said little should be read into what followed that deal. "Not all good films have a strong identity, and those deals take a little longer to come together," Senator president Mark Urman said. "We were just fortunate to encounter on the day we arrived a film that does have an identity and fits with what we want to do." source

Has the Sundance Film Festival lost its prestige? Is it the economy, inauguration or over commercialization of Robert Redford's 25-year-old independent film festival that has alienated the A-list crowd and instead provided a playground for psuedo-celebs to pose and party for well, no real reason at all?

Pop Tarts noticed that the one woman getting most of the attention in the oddly quiet (and much warmer than normal) Park City on Saturday was none other than "Hogan Knows Best" star, Linda Bollea. So what was she doing at a film fest? Like most celebs in town, a whole lot of nothing.

Donning a terrible fur coat and pink lipstick, Bollea paraded her 19-year-old boytoy Charlie Hill up and down Main Street to fully utilize the photo op and at one point traffic controllers had to stop the cars in every direction as so many "fans" and paps were crazily rushing to get a snap of the happy-to-pose twosome. Although perhaps it was more a case of follow the pack as most snappers were asking "Who are we taking a photo of again?"

Sundance wouldn't be Sundance if perennial party-princess Paris Hilton didn't make a star-studded appearance and if you thought she was itty-bitty before, you should see her now. Super super-slim Paris flew in on the posh private ExpressJet Friday evening after hanging around the L.A hangar at a VIP cocktail party with 30 tons of real snow, accompanied by the likes of Brittany Snow (plus her co-stars in the Sundance hit "The Vicious Kind") and Demi Moore.

Moore laid low on the trip and was clearly missing her beloved Ashton Kutcher who caught ExpressJet's earlier flight into Salt Lake City. The stunning starlet used every opportunity to chat to her "Spread" star both before take-off and immediately after landing. But in the air the obviously very loved-up Ms. Moore enjoyed a beer while admiring the blown-up desktop pic of her and Kutcher touching tongues. Charming.

The majority of "celebs" strolling the Sundance streets and hitting the hotspots basically had no reason to be in town and were the likes of fired "Danity Kane" diva Aubrey O'Day, George Clooney's former flame Sarah Larson, Tila Tequila's ex Courtneay Semel (who Pop Tarts spied making out with her on-again/off-again heiress lover Casey Johnson at TAO nightclub) and even Kevin Federline's ex Shar Jackson. Shar was apparently so desperate for freebies she drove all the way up with her kids from Los Angeles just to attend the gifting lounges.

So obviously the paps were pretty pleased to finally have the opportunity to harass the slightly more famous Hilton sisters and DJ AM as they picked at their salads as the MySpace Cafe on Saturday. source

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Director/Producer Spike Lee bundled up and braved the cold snowy weather. Spike Lee is premiering his film on the play "Passing Strange" at the festival. Binside TV spoke to the excited Passing Strange cast members at the red carpet for the Miracle at St. Anna movie premiere. Everyone was happy to work with Spike Lee who cast some of the actors in small roles in St. Anna. Passing Strange was developed in the Sundance playwrights lab. Click here for the scoop on more movies making a buzz in Park City from Jim Carrey, Ashton Kutcher and Amy Poehler. Defamer created a shortlist of the 2009 films most likely to start a bidding war.


Singer John McLaughlin hung out at the Def Jam Music Lounge.  Nice glasses John! The singer makes his return to Park City to promote his album OK Now.

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Director James Toback is debuting his new Mike Tyson documentary at Sundance check out a clip from MTV.

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2009 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILMS IN COMPETITION

2009 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES

FILMS IN COMPETITION

 

Festival Celebrates 25 Years of Independent Filmmaking

and Cinematic Storytelling

 

Park City, UT—Sundance Institute announced today the lineup of films selected to screen in the  U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 25th Sundance Film Festival. In addition to the four Competition categories, the Festival presents films in five out-of-competition sections to be announced tomorrow. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival.

 

"This year's films are not narrowly defined. Instead we have a blurring of genres, a crossing of boundaries: geographic, generational, socio-economic and the like," said Geoffrey Gilmore, Director, Sundance Film Festival. "The result is both an exhilarating and emotive Festival in which traditional mythologies are suspended, discoveries are made, and creative storytelling is embraced."

 

"Audiences may be surprised by how much emotion this year's films evoke," said John Cooper, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival. "We are seeing the next evolution of the independent film movement where films focus on storytelling with a sense of connection and purpose."

 

For the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, 118 feature-length films were selected including 87 world premieres, 19 North American premieres, and 4 U.S. premieres representing 21 countries with 42 first-time filmmakers, including 28 in competition.  These films were selected from 3,661 feature- length film submissions composed of 1,905 U.S. and 1,756 international feature-length films.

 

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

This year's 16 films were selected from 879 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.

 

The films screening in Documentary Competition are:

 

Art & Copy (Director: Doug Pray; Screenwriter: Timothy J. Sexton)—Rare interviews with the most influential advertising creative minds of our age illustrate the wide-reaching effect advertising and creativity have on modern culture. World Premiere

 

Boy Interrupted (Director: Dana Perry)—An intimate look at the life, mental illness and death of a young man told from the point of view of the filmmaker: his mother. World Premiere

 

The Cove (Director: Louie Psihoyos; Screenwriter: Mark Monroe)—Dolphins are dying, whales are disappearing, and the oceans are growing sick. The horrors of a secret cove nestled off a small, coastal village in Japan are revealed by a group of activists led by Ric O’Barry, the man behind Flipper. World Premiere

 

Crude (Director: Joe Berlinger)—The inside story of the “Amazon Chernobyl” case in the rainforest of Ecuador, the largest oil-related environmental lawsuit in the world. World Premiere

 

Dirt! The Movie (Directors: Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow)—The story of the relationship between humans and dirt, Dirt! The Movie humorously details how humans are rapidly destroying the last natural resource on earth.  World Premiere

 

El General (Director: Natalia Almada)—As great-granddaughter of Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles, one of Mexico’s most controversial revolutionary figures, filmmaker Natalia Almada paints an intimate portrait of Mexico. World Premiere

 

Good Hair (Director: Jeff Stilson)—Comedian Chris Rock turns documentary filmmaker when he sets out to examine the culture of African-American hair and hairstyles. World Premiere

 

Over the Hills and Far Away (Director: Michel Orion Scott)—Over the Hills and Far Away chronicles the journey of the Isaacson family as they travel through Mongolia in search of a mysterious shaman they believe can heal their autistic son.  World Premiere

 

The Reckoning (Director: Pamela Yates; Screenwriters: Peter Kinoy, Paco de Onís, Pamela Yates)—A battle of monumental proportions unfolds as International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo faces down warlords, genocidal dictators and world superpowers in bringing perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice. World Premiere

 

Reporter (Director: Eric Daniel Metzgar)—Set in Africa, this documentary chronicles, in verité fashion, the haunting, physically grueling and shocking voyage of Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Nicholas D. Kristof. World Premiere

 

The September Issue (Director: R.J. Cutler)—With unprecedented access, director R.J. Cutler and his crew shot for nine months as they captured Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her team preparing the 2007 VogueSeptember issue, widely accepted as the "fashion bible" for the year's trends. World Premiere

 

Sergio (Director: Greg Barker)—Sergio examines the role of the United Nations and the international community through the life and experiences of Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights, including interviews with those who knew and worked with him over the course of his extraordinary career. World Premiere

 

Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech (Director: Liz Garbus)—An exploration of the history and current state of free speech in America narrated by the filmmaker's father, First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus. World Premiere

 

We Live in Public (Director and Screenwriter: Ondi Timoner)—We Live in Public is the story of the Internet’s revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris and his transgressive art project that shocked New York.  World Premiere

 

When You're Strange (Director and Screenwriter: Tom DiCillo)—The first feature documentary about The Doors,  When You're Strange enters the dark and dangerous world of one of America’s most influential bands using only footage shot between 1966 and 1971. World Premiere

 

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe  (Directors: Sarah Kunstler and Emily Kunstler)—With clients including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Chicago 10, the late civil rights attorney William Kunstler was one of the most famous lawyers of the 20th century. Filmmakers Emily and Sarah Kunstler explore their father’s life from movement hero to “the most hated lawyer in America.”  World Premiere

 

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION

This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions.

 

The films screening in Dramatic Competition are:

 

Adam (Director and Screenwriter: Max Mayer)—A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison, Mark Linn-Baker. World Premiere

 

Amreeka (Director and Screenwriter: Cherien Dabis)—When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat, Joseph Ziegler. World Premiere

 

Arlen Faber (Director and Screenwriter: John Hindman)—A reclusive author of a groundbreaking spiritual book awakens to new truths when two strangers enter his life. Cast: Kat Dennings, Lauren Graham, Olivia Thirlby, Jeff Daniels, Tony Hale. World Premiere

 

Big Fan (Director and Screenwriter: Robert Siegel)—The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto. World Premiere

 

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (Director and Screenwriter: John Krasinski)—When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation, a doctoral candidate in anthropology tries to remedy her heartache by interviewing men about their behavior. Cast: Julianne Nicholson, John Krasinski, Timothy Hutton, Dominic Cooper, Christopher Meloni, Rashida Jones.  World Premiere

 

Cold Souls (Director and Screenwrtier: Sophie Barthes)—In the midst of an existential crisis, a famous American actor explores soul extraction as a relief from the burdens of daily life. Cast: Paul Giamatti, David Strathairn, Dina Korzun, Emily Watson, Lauren Ambrose, Katheryn Winnick. World Premiere

 

Dare (Director: Adam Salky; Screenwriter: David Brind)—Three very different teenagers discover that, even in the safe world of a suburban prep school, no one is who she or he appears to be. Cast: Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, Ashley Springer, Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhard, Rooney Mara. World Premiere

Don't Let Me Drown (Director: Cruz Angeles; Screenwriters: Maria Topete and Cruz Angeles)—Two Latino teens whose lives are affected by the attack on the World Trade Center discover that love is the only thing that keeps them from drowning. Cast: E.J. Bonilla, Gleendilys Inoa, Damián Alcázar, Ricardo Chavira, Gina Torres. World Premiere

 

The Greatest (Director and Screenwriter: Shana Feste)— After the tragic loss of their teenage son, a family is again thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a young woman. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, Johnny Simmons, Aaron Johnson, Mike Shannon. World Premiere.

 

Humpday (Director and Screenwriter: Lynn Shelton)—A farcical comedy about straight male bonding gone a little too far. Cast: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard. World Premiere.

 

Paper Heart (Director: Nicholas Jasenovec; Screenwriters: Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi)—Even though performer Charlyne Yi doesn't believe in love, she bravely embarks on a quest to discover its true nature--a journey that takes on surprising urgency when she meets unlikely fellow traveler, actor Michael Cera. Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake Johnson.  World Premiere.

 

Peter and Vandy (Director and Screenwriter: Jay DiPietro)—Juxtaposing a couple's romantic beginnings with the twisted-manipulative-regular couple they have become, Peter and Vandy is a contemporary Manhattan love story with no beginning and no end. Cast: Jess Weixler, Jason Ritter, Jesse L. Martin, Tracie Thoms. World Premiere.

 

Push (Director and Screenwriter: Lee Daniels)—Based on the acclaimed, best-selling novel by Sapphire, Push is the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice. Cast: Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mo’Nique Imes, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey.  World Premiere.

 

Sin Nombre (Director and Screenwriter: Cary Joji Fukunaga)—A teenage Mexican gang member maneuvers to outrun his violent past and elude unforgiving former associates in this thriller set among Central American migrants seeking to cross over to the United States. Cast: Edgar Flores, Paulina Gaitan, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Luis Fernando Peña, Diana García. World Premiere

 

Taking Chance (Director: Ross Katz; Screenwriters: LtCol Michael R. Strobl, USMC (Ret.) and Ross Katz )—Based on real-life events, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer, accompanies the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming. Cast: Kevin Bacon, Blanche Baker. World Premiere

 

Toe to Toe (Director and Screenwriter: Emily Abt)—The story of an inter-racial friendship put to the test by the intense pressures of a competitive Washington, D.C. prep school. Cast: Sonequa Martin, Louisa Krause, Silvestre Rasuk, Leslie Uggams, Gaius Charles, Ally Walker.  World Premiere.

 

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY

This year's 16 films were selected from 744 submissions.

 

Films screening in World Cinema Documentary Competition are:

 

211:Anna / Italy (Directors:Paolo Serbandini & Giovanna Massimetti)—The story of Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist and human rights activist who risked her life to report the truth about the Chechen conflict and President Vladimir Putin. World Premiere

 

Afghan Star / Afghanistan/UK (Director: Havana Marking)—After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to television in Afghanistan: millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. This film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing. North American Premiere

 

Big River Man / USA (Director: John Maringouin)—An overweight, wine-swilling Slovenian world-record-holding endurance swimmer resolves to brave the mighty Amazon--in nothing but a Speedo®. World Premiere

 

Burma VJ / Denmark (Director: Anders Ostergaard)—In September 2007, Burmese journalists risking life imprisonment to report from inside their sealed-off country are suddenly thrown onto the global stage as their pocket camera images of the Saffron Revolution make headlines everywhere. U.S.  Premiere

 

The End of the Line / UK (Director: Rupert Murray)—Based on the book by journalist Charles Clover, The End of the Line reveals the devastating effect that global overfishing is having on fish stocks and the health of our oceans. World Premiere

 

The Glass House / USA (Director: Hamid Rahmanian)—The Glass House follows four teenage girls striving to overcome drug addiction, abandonment and abuse by attending a rehabilitation center in Tehran. North American Premiere

 

Kimjongilia / France/USA (Director: N.C. Heikin)—Defectors from North Korea finally speak out about the terrifying reality of their lives--and escapes. World Premiere

 

Let's Make Money /Austria/China/South Africa/Spain/Switzerland/U.S.A. (Director: Erwin Wagenhofer)—From the factories of India, to financial markets in Singapore, to massive housing developments in Spain and offshore banks in Jersey, Let's Make Money reveals complex and shocking workings of global money flow. World Premiere

 

Nollywood Babylon / Canada (Directors: Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal)—Welcome to the wacky world of Nollywood, Nigeria's bustling home-grown movie industry. U.S. Premiere

 

Old Partner/ South Korea (Director: Chung-ryoul Lee)—A humble octogenarian farmer lives out his final days with his spitfire wife and his loyal old ox in the Korean countryside. North American Premiere

 

Prom Night in Mississippi/ Canada (Director: Paul Saltzman)—When a small-town Mississippi high school resolves to hold its first integrated senior prom, strong emotions fly and traditions are challenged to their core. World Premiere

 

The Queen and I (Drottningen och jag) / Sweden (Director: Nahid Persson Sarvestani)— Swedish filmmaker Sarvestani, an Iranian exile who helped overthrow the Shah's regime in 1979, confronts her own assumptions and complex truths about Iran when she enters the life of the Shah's widow. World Premiere

 

Quest for Honor/ Kurdistan / USA (Director: Mary Ann Bruni)—A former teacher and tireless activist works with local lawmen, Kurdish government agencies and her colleagues to investigate and eradicate honor killings in the tribal regions of Kurdistan. World Premiere

 

Rough Aunties/ UK (Director: Kim Longinotto)—Fearless, feisty and unwavering, the 'Rough Aunties' protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. North American Premiere

 

Thriller in Manila/ UK (Director: John Dower)—A tale of betrayal stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America, Thriller in Manila chronicles the most intense and bitter sporting rivalry ever: the 1975 final match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. North American Premiere

 

Tibet in Song / USA (Director: Ngawang Choephel)—Through the story of Tibetan music, this film depicts the determined efforts of Tibetan people, both in Tibet and in exile, to preserve their unique cultural identity. Choephel served six years of an 18-year prison sentence for filming in Tibet. World Premiere

 

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION

This year's 16 films were selected from a record 1,012 submissions.

 

Films screening in World Cinema Dramatic Competition are:

 

Before Tomorrow (Le Jour Avant Lendemain) / Canada (Directors: Madeline Piujuq & Marie-Helene Cousineau)—A wise old woman fights to survive impossible circumstances with her young grandson in the Canadian arctic. Cast: Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Paul-Dylan Ivalu, Madeline Piujuq Ivalu, Mary Qulitalik, Tumasie Sivuarapik. U.S. Premiere

 

Bronson / UK (Director: Nicolas Winding Refn; Screenwriter: Brock Norman Brock)—Bronson traces the transformation of Mickey Peterson into Britain's most notorious, dangerous, and charismatic prisoner, Charles Bronson. Cast: Tom Hardy.  North American Premiere

 

Carmo, Hit the Road / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Murilo Pasta)— A lonely, handicapped smuggler and a beautiful girl embark on a reckless ride through a South American border landscape. Cast: Mariana Loureiro, Fele Martínez, Seu Jorge. World Premiere

 

The Clone Returns (Kuron Wa Kokyo-Wo Mezasu)/ Japan (Director and Screenwriter: Kanji Nakajima) —A Japanese astronaut who dies during a mission is subsequently resurrected as a clone and returns to his childhood home. Cast: Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Eri Ishida, Hiromi Nagasaku. North American Premiere

 

Dada's Dance / China (Director: Zhang Yuan; Screenwriter: Li Xiaofeng)—Dada is a flirtatious young woman who lives with her mother in a small town. Having to fend off the constant advances of her mother's boyfriend who tells her she is adopted, she undertakes a journey in search of her birth mother. Cast: Li Xinyun, Li Xiaofeng, Gai Ge, Chen Jun.  North American Premiere.

 

An Education / UK (Director: Lone Scherfig; Screenwriter: Nick Hornby)—In the early 60s, a sharp 16-year-old with sights set on Oxford meets a handsome older man whose sophistication enraptures and sidetracks both her and her parents. Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson.  World Premiere

 

Five Minutes of Heaven / UK / (Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel; Screenwriter: Guy Hibbert)—Two men from the same town but from different sides of the Irish political divide discover that the past is never dead--in fact it isn't even past. Cast: Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt, Anamaria Marinca.  World Premiere.

 

A French Gigolo (Cliente) / France (Director and Screenwriter: Josiane Balasko)—An attractive, successful 50-something woman regularly treats herself to the sexual services of young men selected on Internet sites. When one particular escort becomes a habit, the relationship gets a bit more complicated. Cast: Nathalie Baye, Eric Caravaca, Isabelle Carré, Josiane Balasko.  North American Premiere.

 

Heart of Time (Corazon Del Tiempo) / Mexico (Director and Screenwriter: Alberto Cortes)—In La Esperanza de San Pedro, Chiapas, in the midst of the Zapatista struggle, a young woman makes serious waves when she falls in love with a revolutionary fighter from the mountains. Cast: Rocío Barrios. North American Premiere

 

Louise-Michel / France (Directors: Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern)—When a French factory is abruptly closed by its corrupt management, a group of disgruntled female workers pool their paltry compensation money and hire a hit man to knock off the corrupt executive behind the closure. Cast: Yolande Moreau, Bouli Lanners. North American Premiere.

 

Lulu and Jim (Lulu und Jimi) / Germany (Director: Oskar Roehler)—Bright garish colors, rock and roll and wild dance numbers mark this road movie about lovers fleeing from the evil powers of a 1950s deeply bigoted German society. Cast: Jennifer Decker, Ray Fearon, Katrin Saß, Rolf Zacher, Udo Kier. World Premiere.

Maid (La Nana) / Chile (Director and Screenwriter: Sebastian Silva)—When her mistress brings on another servant to help with the chores, a bitter and introverted maid wreaks havoc on the household. Cast: Catalina Saavedra, Claudia Celedón, Mariana Loyola, Alejandro Goic, Andrea García-Huidobro. North American Premiere.

One Day in a Life (Un Altro Pianeta) / Italy (Director and Screenwriter: Stefano Tummolini)— One languid summer day, a man heads to the beach in search of sunshine and bit of peace, but finds himself tangled up in the dramas of an eclectic group of nearby sunbathers.Cast: Antonio Merone, Lucia Mascino.  World Premiere.

 

Unmade Beds / UK (Director and Screenwriter: Alexis Dos Santos)—Two young foreigners find romance in the vibrant, artistic underground of London's East End. Cast: Deborah Francois, Fernando Tielve. World Premiere.

 

Victoria Day / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: David Bezmozgis)—Over the course of one week in 1988, the search for a missing teammate, parental expectations, a burgeoning sexual awakening and the rock concert of the century all threaten to jolt a sixteen year old into adulthood. Cast: Mark Rendall, Sergiy Kotelenets, Nataliya Alyexeyenko, Holly Deveaux, John Mavrogiannis. World Premiere.

 

Zion and His Brother (Zion Ve-Achiv)/ France / Israel (Director and Screenwriter: Eran Merav) The disappearance of a young boy sends a wedge between two teenage brothers whose loyalty had been unshakeable, in this gritty story of a working class Tel Aviv single-parent family. Cast: Reuven Badalov, Ronit Elkabetz, Tzahi Grad. World Premiere.