As the world's film business converges on Park City for the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Channel is bringing "The Festival" to Europe and Asia. The six-part mockumentary-a hilarious and all-too-realistic spoof of the film industry-will premiere on the globally distributed channel on January 21 as part of an exclusive week-long lineup celebrating all things Sundance.
Image may be NSFW.
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"The Festival" stars Nicholas Wright (The Business) as Rufus Marquez, a wide-eyed, young filmmaker whose antics are seen through the lens of fictional documentarian Cookie Armstrong. Hired by IFC, Cookie follows Rufus as he hitchhikes his way to the impossibly pretentious Mountain United Film Festival armed with the only existing copy of his first feature, "The Unreasonable Truth of Butterflies." Rufus-seeking his big break-is pushed to the edge of breakdown as he enters a zany world of bitter veteran filmmakers, self-important Hollywood executives, preening actor-gods and obnoxious groupies. Directed by Phil Price, and written by Phil Price and Myles Hainsworth, "The Festival" cast includes Miranda Handford and James A. Woods,
In addition, Sundance Channel viewers in Europe and Asia will enjoy an eclectic schedule of films that include past-year nominees and winners of coveted Sundance Film Festival honors. Among these offerings are "Loggerheads," "Unknown White Male," "Our Song," "How is Your Fish Today," "In the Realms of the Unreal," "A Flash of Green" and "Brother's Keeper."
Select film highlights include:
"Loggerheads" [2005] - Europe/Asia Air Date: January 19
In the small town of Eden, a minister's wife must confront her conservative husband, who has enforced a harsh estrangement from their adopted son since they've learned that he's gay. Listless and disappointed in life, Grace makes a last ditch decision to search for the son she gave up for adoption as a teenager. Mark, a longtime drifter who is strangely fascinated with loggerhead sea turtles, crosses paths with George, a fixture of a quiet beach community who offers Mark the support and companionship he wanted.
Cast Includes: Bonnie Hunt, Kip Pardue
Directed by: Tim Kirkman
Awards/Festivals: Sundance Film Festival, Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
"Unknown White Male" [2005] - Europe/Asia Air Date: January 20
This is the startling story of a man who, for no apparent reason, lost 37 years of life history, who lost every memory of his friends, his family and every experience he had ever known. The documentary follows Doug in the hours and months following his amnesia, as he tries to piece his life back together and discovers the world anew.
Directed by: Rupert Murray
Awards/Festivals: Sundance Film Festival: Nominated-Grand Jury Prize; British Independent Film Award: Nominated- Best British Documentary
"Our Song" [2000] - Europe/Asia Air Date: January 21
Set in modern-day Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Lanisha, Maria and Joycelyn are long-time friends and classmates facing the brink of adulthood. This trio has one very strong tie in common: they are talented, hard-working members of their school's highly regarded marching band. During the closing weeks of summer, the small moments and dramas that mean nothing and everything to young girls navigating their way into adulthood start to accumulate as the girls and their friendships begin to change forever.
Cast Includes: Kerry Washington, Anna Simpson
Directed by: Jim McKay
Awards/Festivals: Sundance Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival
"How is Your Fish Today?" [2006] - Europe/Asia Air Date: January 22
A writer's dreamed trip between city and village, reality and fiction, in chaotic contemporary China.
Directed by: Xiaolu Guo
Awards/Festivals: Sundance Film Festival: Nominated Grand Jury Prize; Creteil International Women's Film Festival: Winner-Grand Prix; Rotterdam International Film Festival: Nominated-Tiger Award.
"In the Realms of the Unreal" [2004] - Europe/Asia Air Date: January 25
Dakota Fanning narrates this documentary about Henry Darger, visionary artist, janitor, and novelist who lived and worked in obscurity until the final days of his life. Living alone and in poverty in Chicago, with no friends or family, he created a 15,000 page illustrated novel called The Realms of the Unreal.
Directed by Jessica Yu
Awards/Festivals: Sundance Film Festival: Nominated-Grand Jury Prize; Vancouver International Film Festival: Winner-National Film Board Award, Best Documentary.
"A Flash of Green" [1985] - Europe/Asia Air Date: January 26
Ed Harris plays a reporter who does one heroic thing: caring for his dying wife. This act of kindness is counterbalanced by the very unheroic act of taking bribes to help a boyhood friend, now an unscrupulous politician, to blackmail opponents of an environmentally disastrous development project.
Cast Includes: Ed Harris, Blair Brown
Directed by: Victor Nunez
Awards/Festivals: Sundance Film Festival: Nominated-Grand Jury Prize; Toronto Film Festival, New York Film Festival.
"Brother's Keeper" [1992] - Europe/Asia Air Date: January 27
A documentary that outlines the murder trial of Delbert Ward, one of four elderly brothers working as semi-literate farmers and living together in isolation from the rest of society until one of the brothers dies. A police investigation and Medical Examiner's autopsy suggested that he may not have died from natural causes and Delbert was arrested on charges of second-degree murder.
Directed by: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Awards/Festivals: Sundance Film Festival: Nominated-Grand Jury Prize for Documentary, Winner- Audience Award for Documentary; Directors Guild of America, USA; DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary/Actuality; National Board of Review: Award for Best Documentary; New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Award for Best Documentary.
Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel (http://www.sundancechannel.com/) reaches more than 33 million subscribers in the U.S. and recently launched in France, Belgium, Singapore and Korea.