READ MORE: 10 More Hidden Gems from the 2016 Sundance Lineup
The Sundance Film Festival isn’t yet finished announcing their lineup picks for the January event, but a brand new batch of just-announced additions was worth waiting for. The festival has now added a pair of full-length documentaries in both the World Cinema Documentary Competition section and the Documentary Premieres section, along with unveiling three From the Collection archival screenings, including Kelly Reichardt’s “River of Grass” and Nicole Holofcener’s “Walking and Talking.”
Most exciting, however, is a new Special Event that will feature a screening of Sundance mainstay Richard Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused,” kitted out with live commentary from both the filmmaker and his friend Jason Reitman. It’s sounds more than just alright, alright, alright.
The festival takes place January 21-31, 2016. Below are the latest batch of titles announced today by Sundance, including some exciting late additions. Synopses provided by Sundance.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
“Tickled” / New Zealand (Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve) — A journalist
stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition. As he delves deeper into the
event, he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn’t stop him from
getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction. World Premiere
DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
“Becoming
Mike Nichols” / U.S.A. (Director:
Douglas McGrath) — This intimate portrait of director, producer, and
improvisational comedy icon Mike Nichols shows his final and historic
interviews filmed just months before his death. Director Douglas McGrath
documents Nichols’s early life, as he opens up to his friend and director Jack
O’Brien about the storied beginnings of his career. World Premiere
SPECIAL EVENTS
“American Epic” / U.S.A.,
United Kingdom (Director: Bernard MacMahon) — Take a journey across time to the
birth of modern music, when the musical strands of a diverse nation were first
combined, thereby sparking a cultural revolution that forever transformed the
future of music and the world. The event will include clips of the film, an
extended conversation with the creators including executive producers Robert
Redford, T Bone Burnett and Jack White, and live performances featuring The
Avett Brothers and other special music guests.
“‘Dazed and Confused’ with live
commentary by Richard Linklater and Jason Reitman” / U.S.A. (Director: Richard Linklater) — Get
insider information on one of the most quotable films of all time, which
boasted an incredible cast of mostly unknowns who later went on to become
household names. As the film screens, Richard Linklater and Jason Reitman will
share fun stories, behind-the-scenes details, and filmmaker insights in real
time.
FROM THE COLLECTION
“City of Hope” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: John Sayles)
— A city pulses with racial problems, political corruption, and small-time
crime in this ambitious microcosm of urban life. Nick Rinaldi seeks a sense of
control and a way out of the network of greed and influence surrounding an
urban development plan, which affects the innocent and guilty alike. Cast: Vincent Spano, Tony Lo Bianco, Joe
Morton, Todd Graff, David Strathairn, Anthony John Denison. Premiered at the 1991 Sundance Film
Festival. Digitally preserved by Sony Pictures Entertainment in conjunction with Sundance
Institute and the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
“River of Grass” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kelly
Reichardt) — River of Grass, Kelly
Reichardt’s debut feature, chronicles the misadventures of disaffected
housewife Cozy and her lover, the aimless layabout Lee. Reichardt describes the
film, shot on 16mm, as “a road movie without the road, a love story without the
love, and a crime story without the crime.” Cast:
Lisa Bowman, Larry Fessenden, Dick Russell, Stan Kaplan, Michael Buscemi. Premiered
at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. Preserved by Sundance Institute,
Oscilloscope Laboratories, the UCLA Film & Television Archive and TIFF.
“Walking and Talking” / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicole
Holofcener) — Laura and Amelia are best friends living in New York City. When
Laura gets engaged, they must navigate the realities of marriage versus
independence, loyalty, and the sometimes rough terrain of an evolving but
enduring friendship. This hilarious, touching film explores love, friendship,
and the relationships that can come in between. Cast: Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Todd Field, Liev Schreiber, Kevin
Corrigan. Premiered at the 1996
Sundance Film Festival. New print created by Sundance Institute and the UCLA Film
& Television Archive. Shown by permission of Miramax.
READ MORE: The Complete 2016 Sundance Film Festival Lineup
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