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 The coveted premieres slot, usually reserved for more
seasoned directors, will showcase 17 feature films, several of
which are by directors who have gained prior success at
Sundance.
Filmmaker Mike Cahill, who garnered critical praise in 2011 at
Sundance as the writer-director of "Another Earth," returns in
2014 with "I Origins," a film about scientists who make a
life-changing discovery starring Brit Marling and Michael Pitt.
Writer-director Ira Sachs, who won the annual festival's grand
jury drama prize in 2005 with "Forty Shades of Blue," will
premiere his latest film, "Love Is Strange," starring John
Lithgow and Alfred Molina.
"Discovering the talent ... is a big part of what the festival
does and is about, and to help them with their careers as they
make their features," said Trevor Groth, the director of
programming for the Sundance Film Festival. "It's great to have
them back."
The Sundance Film Festival, backed by actor and director Robert
Redford's Sundance Institute, is the top U.S. festival for
independent cinema, and often selects films that go on to become
strong contenders in Hollywood's annual awards race.
Previous selections include 2006's "Little Miss Sunshine," which
won two Oscars, and 2012's "Beasts of the Southern Wild," which
was nominated for four Oscars.
Eleven documentaries also will be shown in the premieres
category, many of which focus on the journey of notable
individuals. Highlights include "Mitt" by Greg Whiteley, which
followed Governor Mitt Romney on his failed 2012 U.S.
presidential campaign.
Oscar-winning documentary director Alex Gibney returns with
"Finding Fela," based on the life of Nigerian musician and
activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti, while "To Be Takei" by Jennifer
Kroot documents the life of "Star Trek" actor George Takei.
DRAWING TALENT
The festival, now in its 30th year, is held in snow-covered ski
resort town of Park City, Utah, Jan. 16-26.
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 The premieres category spotlights feature films and
documentaries that often draw bigger names among the acting and
directing talent. British actress Keira Knightley stars as a young
woman with arrested development in Lynn Shelton's "Laggies"
alongside Sam Rockwell and Chloe Grace Moretz.
Dutch director Anton Corbijn will bring his
adaptation of John le Carre's best-selling thriller novel "A Most
Wanted Man," with an all-star cast featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman,
Rachel McAdams and Willem Dafoe.
"It's refreshing and exciting to think of (these actors) all in this
realm and lending their talent, because talent makes for good
films," said John Cooper, director of Sundance.
The theme of genre-bending films, which dominated the previously
announced slate of competition features for the 2014 festival,
continues within the premieres category, as directors blur the lines
between conventional genres.
Oscar-nominated actor William H. Macy makes his
directorial debut with "Rudderless," a story of a grieving father
who forms a rock and roll band to perform his late son's songs,
starring Billy Crudup and Anton Yelchin that will close out
Sundance.
"Arrested Development" star David Cross also makes his directorial
debut with dark comedy "Hits," described as exploring the nature of
fame in today's society and the YouTube generation.
On the lighter-hearted side of the festival premieres, British
director Michael Winterbottom, who premiered "The Look of Love" at
the 2013 festival, will return to Sundance with his latest, "The
Trip to Italy," a follow-up to 2010's "The Trip" which saw actors
Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan travel around Britain in search for the
best restaurants.
Comedian Nick Offerman will debut his one-man show "American Ham,"
which will see the mustachioed actor dole out anecdotes and advice
from woodworking to sex techniques.
(Editing by Eric Kelsey and Lisa Shumaker)
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