Let's see, a U.S. film festival that opens with the world premiere of a film by a British director. The event in question has to be the Sundance Film Festival.
Continuing a trend it has followed for five of the past six years, the 1998 Sundance Film Festival will begin Jan. 15 with "Sliding Doors," the debut of English filmmaker Peter Howitt. The romantic comedy-drama stars Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah ("Four Weddings and a Funeral"), and is just one of 103 feature films to be screened at the festival, which runs through Jan. 25.Still, despite the decided British flair to the opening night festivies, 11 of the 16 world premiere films are by U.S. directors, four of whom are returning Sundance veterans with new projects.
Tom DiCillo ("Box of Moonlight," "Living in Oblivion") will bring his contemporary comedy "The Real Blonde," while Boaz Yakin ("Fresh") has a new drama, "A Price Above Rubies." Brad Anderson ("The Darien Gap") returns with the comedy "Next Stop, Wonderland," and Michael Moore ("Roger & Me") has a comedic documentary based on his experiences during a book-signing tour, "The Big One."
In all, the 11-day festival will feature 61 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 25 U.S. premieres, as well as 67 short film works. It will also showcase the Independent Feature Film Competition, World Cinema, tributes and panel discussions with leading figures from the film industry.
According to Geoffrey Gilmore, the festival's programming director, the 1998 film schedule "reflects the aesthetic and artistic depth of independent filmmakers in America.
"We are very excited to be showcasing an array of dramatic works, personal stories, comedic stories and experimental films that were produced in the independent arena this year."
Name directors with new films on the festival schedule include Paul Schrader ("Affliction"), Ernest Dickerson ("Blind Faith") and playwright David Mamet ("The Spanish Prisoner"). Three actors, Timothy Hutton, Saul Rubinek and Vincent Gallo, make their directorial debuts with festival selections, "Digging to China," "Jerry and Tom" and "Buffalo 66," respectively.
Returning stars include Parker Posey ("The Misadventures of Margaret"), John Turturro ("Animals"), Stanley Tucci ("Montana," "Life during WarTime"), Gabriel Byrne ("Polish Wedding") and Renee Zellweger ("A Price Above Rubies"). Veteran actor Ben Gazzara stars in three films, "Buffalo 66," "Too Tired to Die" and "The Spanish Prisoner."
Two of the festival's 16 documentary competition works have Utah ties: Jeff Dupre's "Out of the Past," about the debate over gay clubs in Utah high schools, and "Baby, It's You," Anne Makepeace's autobiographical work about fertility drugs.
Other competition documentaries include "Frank Lloyd Wright" by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick and "The Decline of Western Civilization, Part III" by Penelope Spheeris, as well as "Modulations" by Iara Lee and "Slavegirls" by Ellen Bruno, two returning filmmakers.
Among the festival's dramatic competition selections are "I Married a Strange Person," an animated comedy by Bill Plympton; "Slam," an urban prison drama from documentary director Marc Levin; and Laurie Weltz's "Wrestling with Alligators."
The American Spectrum Program, devoted to independent cinema, will feature "A, B, C . . . Manhattan," the second part of Amir Naderi's Manhattan trilogy; the dark comedy "Dead Man's Curve" by Dan Rosen; the documentary "Melvin Van Peebles' Classified X"; and "Gods and Monsters," a dramatic portrait of "Frankenstein" director James Whale.
World cinema selections include "Girls' Night" with Brenda Blethyn, the Japanese crime drama "Fireworks (Hanabi)" and the Canadian surrealist drama "The Hanging Garden."
Other screening categories include the Park City at Midnight cult film series; the Frontier Section, devoted similarly unique visions and the Native Visions showcase.
Screenings will be held in a variety of sites in Park City, as well as in Salt Lake City at the Cineplex Odeon Trolley Square Mall Cinemas and the Tower Theatre and the SCERA Showhouse in Orem.
Tickets go on sale at outlets and by phone Jan. 10. Larger ticket packages have been sold out since the start of the month.