2021 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL PREVIEW:
CLIFTON COLLINS JR., THE SPARKS BROTHERS, ROBIN WRIGHT, SESAME STREET,
KATHERINE WATERSTON, SHARKS, THE INCOMPARABLE NICOLAS CAGE AND A WHOLE LOT MORE!
Article by Adam Mast
At this point in time, it’s pretty safe to say that The Sundance Film Festival is part of my DNA. I’ve been attending since 1994. Just over half of my life. That said, given the crazy state of the world as of late, it was looking like my epic Sundance streak was going to come to an end. Given everything that’s been happening over the course of the last 12 months, I felt fairly certain Sundance would pull the plug on the 2021 festival and look towards making a triumphant return in 2022. Instead, this venerable fest is doing what a handful of other high-profile film fests have been doing; They’ve decided to try their hand at a mostly virtual festival experience.
This year, Sundance will mount live screenings in a handful of markets nationwide but very few, and their home base of Northern Utah will not be one of them. Therefore, if you don’t live in one of the handful of areas that will offer live screenings, then the virtual experience is certainly a viable option.
It’s true…Watching films online isn’t nearly as exciting as watching them with a packed house filled with like-minded lovers of cinema but quite honestly, a virtual Sundance Film Festival experience is certainly better than no Sundance Film Festival at all. And rest assured, the programming team is doing their best to make the 2021 fest every bit as exciting as years past by way of a stellar lineup, special events, and post-screening filmmaker Q&S.,
The 2021 Sundance Film Festival will take place from Thursday, January 28th thru Wednesday, February 3rd. If you’re interested in attending online or in-person at markets offering live screenings, there are still tickets available and they’re very affordable.
For all Sundance Film Festival info, CLICK HERE! It should also be noted that all necessary safety precautions will be implemented at in-person screenings. That said, Sundance is encouraging attendees to take advantage of the at home virtual experience this year.
Per usual, Cinemast will do its best to bring coverage to those of you who haven’t the time to attend. We couldn’t be any more thrilled as there are countless films we couldn’t be any more excited about! Features, shorts, and documentaries of various genres from all over the world. Some with recognizable faces in front of and behind the camera as well as talented newcomers looking to make their mark. And that’s the beauty of Sundance; It’s a grand place of discovery. And believe me when I tell you…There’s nothing more exciting than discovering that diamond in the rough. Look no further than the 2020 film fest which showcased some of the best films of the year including MINARI and HIS HOUSE!
Here’s a look at a handful of titles we’re looking forward to experiencing at one of the most legendary film festivals in the world;
THE BLAZING WORLD
Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. The film stars Dermot Mulroney.
CENSOR
After viewing a strangely familiar video, Enid–a film censor–sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister’s disappearance, embarking on a quest that blurs the line between fiction and reality.
CODA
A hearing child in a deaf family finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music and her family’s reliance on her to be their connection to the outside world.
COMING HOME IN THE DARK
A school teacher is forced to confront a brutal act from his past when a pair of ruthless drifters takes him and his family on a nightmare road-trip.
EIGHT FOR SILVER
In the late 1800s, a man arrives in a remote country village to investigate an attack by a wild animal but discovers a much deeper and sinister force that has the manor and its townspeople in its grip.
JOCKEY
An aging jockey aims for a final championship when a rookie rider arrives claiming to be his son. Starring the wonderful (and dependable) character actor, Clifton Collins Jr.
KNOCKING
A woman leaves a psychiatric ward after a nervous breakdown, only to start hearing mysterious knocking sounds in her apartment.
LAND
A bereaved woman seeks out a new life, off the grid in Wyoming. Directed by Robin Wright, who also stars.
MASS
The aftermath of a violent tragedy affects the lives of two couples in different ways. The film stars Jason Isaacs.
MISHA AND THE WOLVES
MISHA AND THE WOLVES is the dramatic tale of a woman whose holocaust memoir took the world by storm, but a fallout with her publisher – who turned detective – revealed an audacious deception created to hide a darker truth.
PLAYING WITH SHARKS
Valerie Taylor– fearless diver, marine conservationist, and Australian icon–dedicated most of her life to exploring the beauty of sharks—forming a sought-after underwater cinematography team with her husband, Ron, and even shooting the real sharks in JAWS. This intimate doc delves into her fearless passion.
PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND
A notorious criminal must break an evil curse in order to rescue an abducted girl who has mysteriously disappeared but what you really need to know about this film is that it stars the great Nicolas Cage!
THE SPARKS BROTHERS
Growing up in the ’60s, Los Angeles, brothers Ron and Russell got by on a heavy diet of popcorn matinees and pop music until the spotlight of a school talent show illuminated their way on a musical journey as the Sparks and spawned 25 studio albums. Edgar Wright’s vision brings five decades of invention to life through animations and interviews, digging deeply into the band’s rich, career-spanning archives.
STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET
A look at the history of the long-running (and iconic) children’s TV show, “Sesame Street.”
THE WORLD TO COME
Somewhere along the mid-19th century American East Coast frontier, two neighboring couples battle hardship and isolation, witnessed by a splendid yet testing landscape, challenging them both physically and psychologically. The film stars Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby.
Again, all Sundance info can be found by CLICKING HERE!
Watch for our 2021 Sundance Film Festival coverage here at the site over the next week or so.
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