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 From "The Bronze," co-written by and starring "The Big Bang
Theory" actress Melissa Rauch as an aging former gymnast, to
"Flight of the Conchords" actor Jemaine Clement switching edgy
humor for a more emotional performance in "People, Places,
Things," comedians are finding new territory in smaller films.
"Comedians have an inherent ability to observe human nature,"
Sundance Film Festival director John Cooper said. "They make it
into jokes most of the time, but now they're actually stepping
into it as a performance, and it really comes from understanding
it."
Sarah Silverman, known for her raunchy, sharp-tongued wit, will
take a dramatic turn in "I Smile Back," which Cooper described
as "an intense dark portrait of a suburban mother dealing with
pretty dark demons."
Started by actor-director Robert Redford in 1978 and going into
its 31st year, the Sundance Film Festival is the premiere
gathering of the U.S. independent film industry in snow-covered
Park City, Utah, and often launches strong awards contenders and
new film stars.
Jazz-drumming drama "Whiplash," which won the audience and grand
jury awards at this year's festival, is now part of the
Hollywood awards race, with actor J.K. Simmons one of the early
front-runners for the Oscar for best supporting actor.
The upcoming festival will run from Jan. 22 through Feb. 1.
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The drama competition will see films explore existential issues or a
bigger commentary on human nature.
"Advantageous" questions society's notions of beauty, aging and
relevance in a near-futuristic world, while "Z for Zachariah" uses a
post-apocalyptic environment to discuss the primal elements of
survival.
In the eclectic U.S. documentary competition, with films ranging
from Evel Knievel biopic "Being Evel" and "Hot Girls Wanted," an
insight into the amateur porn industry, to a white supremacist
trying to take over a small town in "Welcome to Leith," films were
selected for their innovative approach.
"There are so many interesting and important subjects, but what
elevates the ones that make it into the festival are story and how
that story is told on screen," said the festival's director of
programing, Trevor Groth. "There are some really incredible
cinematic films in this section."
(Corrects description of "Hot Girls Wanted" in paragraph 10)
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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