2011 Sundance Festival: The Highs and the Lows


With the 2011 Sundance Film Festival over, here is a list of some of this year’s highlights.

James Franco wearing drag?  Not quite:  The soon to be Oscar host was spotted wearing a long blonde wig to a 70’s themed after party for his upcoming project Three’s Company: The Drama.  The recreation of the 70’s TV show isn’t a movie, but instead takes an analytical view at sitcoms.

The other Olsen:  Elizabeth Olsen, the Olsen twins’ younger sister, made her Sundance debut with two films.  First is the winner of U.S. dramatic directing award, Martha Marcy May Marlene, which tells the story of a woman and her struggle to cope after leaving an abusive cult.  Her second film is the psychological thriller Silent House.   She will next be featured co-staring with Robert De Niro, Signourney River, and Cillian Murphy in Rodrigo Cortes’ thriller Red Lights.  Sounds like the younger Olsen prefers the darker roles over her sisters’ cuter roles.

Another Earth: The film won the 2011 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, which includes receiving $20,000 in cash. Directed by Mike Cahill, the drama stars another break out star Brit Marling, who also co-wrote and produced the film.  The science fiction romance revolves around the discovery of a duplicate earth and the intertwining lives of two strangers.

The Son of No One, the film no one liked:  Although featuring an all-star cast including Al Pacino, Channing Tatum, and Katie Holmes, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film couldn’t even fill a theater.  The response was so negative that not only did people start leaving early but they also barely deemed it worthy of an applause.  Hopefully the film won’t be left as an orphan and will find a buyer.

Like Crazy won the grand jury dramatic prize:  Directed by Drake Doremus, the drama features a bittersweet love story between Jacob (Anton Yelchin), an American college student and Anna (Felicity Jones), a British student. Jennifer Lawrence, last year’s “it” girl at the Festival, and winner of the grand jury prize, co-stars.  Jones was also presented with a special jury award for her gritty and emotional performance.   The film will be released nationally later this year by Paramount and Indian Paintbrush.

How to Die in Oregon won the grand jury prize for U.S. documentary film:  Peter Richardson directs this rather depressing and shocking documentary that tells the story of Oregon and its decision to be the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide.  

Click here for a complete list of the 2011 Festival Award Winners.