The 2016 Sundance Film Festival has just ended, and it was quite an interesting year! Records were broken. Streaming services not only entered the game, but shocked studios with the money they were willing to spend. Films about farting corpses, a lady with a sexual relationship with a wolf, and Nick Jonas beating the shit out of fraternity pledges all premiered this year and many films (including two of those^^^^^) were picked up for US distribution, so we'll probably see them some time this year.
Here are the 10 films from this year's festival I am most excited and/or intrigued to see...
(in alphabetical order)
The Birth of a Nation (dir. Nate Parker)
Earning a standing ovation both before AND after its premiere, The Birth of a Nation broke the record for the highest bid not only at Sundance, but at any film festival in history with the $17.5 MILLION purchase from Fox Searchlight. Netflix actually bid $20 million, but Fox has the better track record with the Oscars, so writer/director/actor/producer Nate Parker went with them instead. This film about real life slave revolt leader Nat Turner was definitely the most talked about film at the festival, and I am very curious to see how this long-in-production film plays when released nationwide. It's already won the two biggest prizes at this year's festival (previous double winners include Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), so it's an early example of what we could be looking at for the 2017 Academy Awards. Other cast members include Aunjanue Ellis, Jackie Earle Haley, Armie Hammer, Roger Guenveur Smith, and Gabrielle Union.
Acquired by Fox Searchlight ($17.5 million).
Certain Women (dir. Kelly Reichardt)
This film didn't generate that much buzz at the festival (though early reviews are very positive), but I love Kelly Reichardt, so I'm definitely excited for this one. Set in Montana, this film is made up of three semi-connected stories about three flawed and ambiguous women all longing for something better in their lives. It's not a super flashy or exhilarating premise (no Reichardt film has one), but she's an interesting filmmaker and one who greatly understands the mundaneness of humanity, so I'm definitely in. The cast includes Michelle Williams, Laura Dern, Lily Gladstone, Kristen Stewart, Jared Harris, and James Le Gros.
Already had a worldwide distribution deal with Sony Pictures.
Christine (dir. Antonio Campos)
This is the story of the 1970s TV reporter, Christine Chubbuck, who killed herself on air... that's some heavy shit right there and it's said to be a pretty heavy film as well. Critics are calling this a role of a lifetime for Rebecca Hall, a respected actress who has appeared in many films but hasn't been given much of an opportunity to shine. I'm totally prepared to be emotionally destroyed. Oh, I'm ready... The rest of cast includes Michael C. Hall, Maria Dizzia, Stacy Hall, and Kimberley Drummond.
Unfortunately, no US distribution yet.
Goat (dir. Andrew Neel)
I fucking hate fraternities, so this part-horror, almost documentary-esque drama about greek life and the violent side of masculinity (all in the name for "BROTHERHOOD"!!!) is fascinating and terrifying to me... I just feel like I have to see it. Virginia Gardner, Danny Flaherty, Austin Lyon, and the most successful JoBro, Nick, lead the cast, so we'll see with this one. I can easily see myself hating it, but you never know...
Acquired by MTV/Paramount Pictures (~$3 million).
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (dir. Taika Waititi)
Taika Waititi is on quite a high right now. His previous film What We Do in the Shadows was a critical hit, Hunt for the Wilderpeople played well at this year's festival, and now he's off to direct the similarly small-scaled Marvel movie Thor: Ragnarok... This apparently very sweet film about a national New Zealand manhunt for a young rebellious boy and his foster uncle is said to be just a really good time, so it should be fun. The cast includes Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rima Te Miata, Rachel House, and Oscar Kightley.
Acquired by The Orchard (~$2 million).
Little Men (dir. Ira Sachs)
Ira Sachs' last two films Keep the Lights On and Love Is Strange are just really, really good, so he'll always be on my radar. This film about gentrification in Brooklyn and how it's causing friction between the parents of two young best friends will likely be frustrating and feature a lot terrible luck, but that's what Sachs does best. The cast includes Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, Theo Taplitz, and Michael Barbieri.
Unfortunately, no US distribution yet.
Love & Friendship (dir. Whit Stillman)
Whit Stillman reunites his The Last Days of Disco stars (a film I have not seen, but have been meaning to for a while) in this costume period drama and Jane Austen adaptation. I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of period pieces or Jane Austen, but I like Stillman's Metropolitan and I also enjoyed the pilot for his sadly failed Amazon pilot, The Cosmopolitans, so I'm curious. The cast includes Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Xavier Samuel, Emma Greenwell, Tom Bennett, Stephen Fry.
Acquired by Amazon (financial terms not disclosed), will be released theatrically through Roadside Attractions.
Manchester By the Sea (dir. Kenneth Lonergan)
Considered by most to be the best film at this year's festival, I'm insanely excited for Manchester By the Sea! I love both of Lonergan's other films, You Can Count on Me and Margaret, plus he wrote the now classic play This Is Our Youth, so I've been anticipated his newest film for a while now and could not be more happy with the unanimous acclaim. The film stars Casey Affleck, Kyle Chandler, and Michelle Williams, and it's basically just about a complicated and broken New England family and the conflicts that exist among them and I just want this fucking thing to be released already!
Acquired by Amazon ($10 million), will partner with a distributor for a traditional theatrical release.
Wiener-Dog (dir. Todd Solondz)
Todd Solondz is just a fascinating artist. Of the films I've seen from him, I can't really say I've enjoyed any of them, but they are all thought-provoking and instantly memorable. They often feature foul characters and super depressing tones, but humor is always present, which makes his films almost painful because no decently good person should be laughing at some of the awful situations he presents... Wiener-Dog, a film following a wiener-dog as he moves from family to family, features one of Solondz's most iconic characters, Dawn Weiner from Welcome to the Dollhouse (though Greta Gerwig takes over the role from Heather Matarazzo). It'll probably make me feel sad and maybe even a little gross, but I know for a fact (like 1000%) that I will be seeing it. The cast includes Kieran Culkin, Danny DeVito, Greta Gerwig, Zosia Mamet, Julie Delpy and Ellen Burstyn.
Acquired by Amazon (financial terms not disclosed).
Yoga Hosers (dir. Kevin Smith)
Oh, Kevin Smith... how to describe my feelings about him...? I really like Clerks, but have only really half-watched most of his other earlier work. Tusk, his last Canadian-horror film, was one of the most polarizing things I saw in 2014. It was really fucking stupid, surprisingly disgusting, and even somewhat poignant (?)... it was just bizarre, but I'm still thinking about it, so that has to mean something, right? Smith is more of a personality at this point, but that's making me a bit more interested in his work because I actually think he seems pretty cool. This film is about 15-year-old yoga enthusiasts who have to battle some sort of "ancient evil" and it's gonna be stupid, but I'll probably see it. The cast is shockingly stacked: Harley Quinn Smith, Lily-Rose Melody Depp, Johnny Depp (unfortunately reprising his terrible Tusk character), Austin Butler, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Natasha Lyonne, Tyler Posey, Genesis Rodriguez, and Adam Brody.
Surprisingly, no US distribution yet, but it's definitely coming.
Other Buzzed About Films:
- Morris From America (dir. Chad Hartigan) [Acquired by A24]
- Tallulah (dir. Sian Heder) [Acquired by Netflix]
- The Fundamentals of Caring (dir. Rob Burnett) [Acquired by Netflix]
- Sing Street (dir. John Carney) [Acquires by the Weinstein Company]
- Sothside With You (dir. Richard Tanne)
- Under the Shadow (dir. Babak Anvari) [Acquired by Netflix]
- Author: The JT LeRoy Story (dir. Jeff Feuerzeig) [Acquired by Amazon]
- Swiss Army Man (dir. Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan) [Acquired by A24]
- Under the Gun (dir. Stephanie Soechtig)
- Newtown (dir. Kim A. Snyder)
To see a list of every film picked up for US distribution at this year's festival, click HERE.
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