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| Author | Mia Blakeney |
This year’s Sundance Film Festival took place from Thursday 19 to Sunday 29 January in Utah, USA. The festival returned to in-person viewing after two years of being presented mostly virtually. Audiences were thrilled to be back, and the roster of independent films on show did not disappoint.
Among the films showcased to festival-goers, many gems have been picked up by distributors and are preparing for theatrical releases:
A Little Prayer
Angus MacLachlan’s A Little Prayer was bought by Sony Pictures Classics. The distributors previously purchased the rights to MacLachlan’s film Junebug.
A Little Prayer tells the story of husband and wife Tammy and David, who live with in North Carolina with David’s parents, Bill and Venida. The film navigates relationships, patriarchal influence, and generational behaviour patterns with empathy, counteracted with wit and charm.
Passages
MUBI picked up Ira Sachs’ (Forty Shades of Blue, 2005 U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize) film Passages.
Set in Paris, the film grapples with contradicting emotions, impulsivity, and the complexity of relationships. Passages is described as “an intensely intimate piece that refuses to shy away from the messiness of life.”
Talk To Me
Talk To Me is a modern-day horror movie, written and directed by filmmaking duo (and twin brothers) Danny and Michael Philippou. Unsurprisingly, the film was bought by A24, and looks to be a perfect addition to their roster.
Teenage Mia is determined to get involved with the latest craze of conjuring spirits. As the boundaries between the human and spirit world blur, Mia rushes to undo the horrific damage before it becomes irreversible.
Theater Camp
Searchlight Pictures purchased the mockumentary-style film Theater Camp from first-time feature directorial duo Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman.
When the founder of a New York based theatre camp unexpectedly falls into a coma, her clueless “crypto-bro” son Troy must keep the business running, despite financial ruin looming.
Alongside the deals made at the festival, many other films shown at Sundance are already preparing for their theatrical release:
Raine Allen-Miller’s directorial debut Rye Lane has received overwhelming praise since its preview at Sundance Festival. Described by critics as “sunny, irreverent” and “infinitely rewatchable”, the film follows two twenty-something Londoners through Peckham, as they navigate breakups and the possibility of opening their hearts again.
Rye Lane will be released in UK cinemas from 17 March this year.
Infinity Pool is the latest hedonistic monstrosity from infamous writer and director Brandon Cronenberg. Starring Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård as a couple on vacation, the film takes a trip through the wicked exploits of foreigners abroad – which critics are loving!
Infinity Pool will be available to watch in UK cinemas from 24 March 2023.
Earth Mama
From Olympian to award-winning filmmaker, Savanah Leaf’s Earth Mama tackles the struggles of a single mother’s fear and love when trying to bring her children out of the foster care system. Newcomer Tia Nomore, who plays the lead, Gia, has been praised for her acting, and the “compelling tension” she creates between her and the audience.
Past Lives
Past Lives, written and directed by Celine Song, is “an aching, deeply romantic debut feature” that explores love, identity and “In Yun,” a Korean notion of fate stemming from two people’s connection in a past life. Childhood sweethearts Nora and HaeSung are separated when Nora’s family emigrates to Canada. The two reconnect online and meet again, years later, in New York.
If you'd like to hear more information and updates on any of these film releases, contact your DCM rep.