The features are all revealed! In the third of four program announcements, Sundance Institute today announced the line-up of films screening in the out-of-competition Premieres Section of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 19-29, 2006, in Park City, Utah.
The Festival opens on January 19, 2006 in Park City with the World Premiere of FRIENDS WITH MONEY, written and directed by Nicole Holofcener and starring an ensemble cast that includes Jennifer Aniston, Scott Caan, Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener and Frances McDormand.
The Closing Film on Friday, January 27, 2006 in Park City will be the World Premiere of ALPHA DOG, written and directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone. ALPHA DOG is inspired by true events and the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a suburban drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever to be on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Other Festival highlights include the Opening Night Gala in Salt Lake City on Friday, January 20, 2006 featuring the U.S. Premiere of KINKY BOOTS, the directorial debut of Julian Jarrold, starring Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nick Frost and Sarah-Jane Potts. KINKY BOOTS is a romantic comedy about a small town shoe factory finding new ways to manufacture their product to survive and the ways the factory workers must adapt.
PREMIERES
To showcase the diversity of contemporary cinema, the Sundance Film Festival offers 17 selections of the latest work from established directors and World Premieres of highly anticipated films.
The films screening in Premieres are:
A LITTLE TRIP TO HEAVEN / Iceland/U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Baltasar Kormakur) – A husband and wife tangle with an investigator over her dead brother’s million dollar insurance policy. U.S. Premiere.
ALPHA DOG / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Nick Cassavetes) – A drama inspired by true events and the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a suburban drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever to be placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. World Premiere.
ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL / U.S.A. (Director: Terry Zwigoff; Screenwriter: Daniel Clowes) – Believing that art school will bring him success and the girl of his dreams, an untalented young man becomes embroiled in a murder that makes him a celebrity. World Premiere.
CARGO / Spain/UK (Director: Clive Gordon; Screenwriter: Paul Laverty) – After becoming mixed up in some trouble while traveling through Africa, a young backpacker stows away on a Europebound cargo ship filled with mysteries. World Premiere.
THE DARWIN AWARDS / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Finn Taylor) – A forensic detective and an insurance claims officer investigate a potential winner of a Darwin Award which honors “those who accidentally kill themselves in really stupid ways.” World Premiere.
DON’T COME KNOCKING / Germany/U.S.A (Director: Wim Wenders; Screenwriter: Sam Shephard) – A washed-up and disillusioned Western movie star returns home, where he reluctantly encounters elements of his past and an entire life that he had missed. North American Premiere.
FRIENDS WITH MONEY / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Nicole Holofcener) – A drama about three married women, their husbands, and their lone single friend. World Premiere.
KINKY BOOTS / U.K. (Director: Julian Jarrold; Screenwriter: Geoff Dean/Tim Firth) – In an effort to save his father’s small town shoe factory, a man finds an unlikely ally in Lola, a brassy cabaret singer. North American Premiere.
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE / U.S.A. (Directors: Johnathan Dayton, Valerie Faris; Screenwriter: Michael Arndt) – A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus. World Premiere.
LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN / U.S.A. (Director: Paul McGuigan; Screenwriter: Jason Smilovic) – A case of mistaken identity lands a man in the middle of a murder being plotted by one of New York City’s biggest crime bosses. World Premiere.
NEIL YOUNG HEART OF GOLD / U.S.A. (Director: Jonathan Demme) – An emotionally rich musical portrait of icon Neil Young, shot over a two-night performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. World Premiere.
THE ILLUSIONIST / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Neil Burger) – In turn-of-the-century Vienna, a magician uses his abilities to secure the love of a woman far above his social standing. World Premiere.
THE NIGHT LISTENER / U.S.A. (Director: Patrick Stettner; Screenwriter: Armistead Maupin/Terry Anderson/Patrick Stettner) – In the midst of his crumbling relationship, a radio show host begins speaking to his biggest fan, a young boy, via the telephone. But when questions about the boy’s identity arise, the host’s life is thrown into chaos. World Premiere.
THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP / France/U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Michel Gondry) – A man held captive by the people in his dreams tries to wake himself up and take control of his own imaginings. World Premiere.
THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Isabel Coixet) – A nurse forgoes her first holiday in years, opting to travel to a remote oil rig, where she cares for a man suffering from severe burns. North American Premiere.
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jason Reitman) – Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman, who manages “spin” on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son. U.S. Premiere.
THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick ) – A breakthrough investigation into Hollywood’s best-kept secret: the MPAA film ratings system and it’s profound impact on American culture. World Premiere.
Check out the Sundance 2006 Shorts line-up>>>
