CHICAGO – An overarching feeling of optimism seemed to permeate throughout the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Studios purchased the distribution rights to roughly 30 movies, nearly double the number of films that sold last year. Several of the festival’s most buzzed-about discoveries could easily find a sizable audience outside of the festival circuit, either in theaters or on VOD.
Paramount and Indian Paintbrush certainly appeared confident in their purchase of “Like Crazy,” the latest film from “Douchebag” director Drake Doremus, which flew under nearly everyone’s radar before claiming the festival’s top prize. It follows a young couple, played by Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones, as they attempt to maintain a long distance relationship between America and Britain. The largely improvised film has already been compared to bittersweet romances such as “Before Sunrise” and “Blue Valentine.” Jones is quickly emerging as an actress to watch, a fact solidified by the special jury prize she won for her performance.
Peter D. Richardson claimed the festival’s other grand jury prize for his HBO documentary about physician-assisted suicide titled “How to Die in Oregon.” Another nonfiction film sure to ride a tidal wave of critical acclaim is “Project Nim,” director James Marsh’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning “Man on Wire,” which snagged the World Cinema Directing Award for documentary, and will be distributed by Roadside Attractions. This year’s planned resurrection of the Muppets got off to a smashing start when Constance Marks’ “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey,” a profile of veteran Muppeteer Kevin Clash, won the special jury prize for documentary.
Though “Crazy” star Jones
was hailed as a major discovery at the festival, she wasn’t the only actress garnering attention. Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley, earned early Oscar buzz for her performance in Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” a disturbing thriller about cults that won the U.S. dramatic directing award. Fox Searchlight picked up the film, along with Mike Cahill’s tear-jerking drama, “Another Earth,” which was the subject of much media attention mainly focusing on its co-writer/producer/lead actress Brit Marling (“Boxers and Ballerinas”). “Earth” became the recipient of both a special jury prize and the Alfred P. Sloan prize.
hollywoodchicago to read the rest
xoxo
Carrie
0 comments:
Post a Comment