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2011 Sundance Predictions: Jacob Aaron Estes’ The Details
After no mention of the film during the 2010 film festival calendar year, my hunch is Jacob Aaron Estes might unveil The Details as a highly sought-after acquisitions title for back to back festivals located in Park City and Berlin. It would be a return to the place that helped launched his career - Estes premiered Mean Creek in Sundance back in '04, and with his long awaited and highly anticipated sophomore feature we find Sundance alumni in Elizabeth Banks, Tobey Maguire and Laura Linney.
2011 Sundance Predictions: Tony Kaye’s Detachment
With Black Water Transit no longer tied up in a legal tussle, though we gladly take in a Tony Kaye double bill, if we had to choose, we'd go with Detachment - a film that could send buyers into one of those legendary Park City frenzies. Filmed over the summer, if ready in time, we could get a school drama from the POV of the teachers and principles: Adrien Brody, Christina Hendricks, James Caan, Lucy Liu, Marcia Gay Harden, Bryan Cranston, William Petersen, Blythe Danner and Tim Blake Nelson star.
2011 Sundance Predictions: Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza’s Dear Mandela
Proving that there is a dark side to major international sporting events in host countries with atrocious human rights records, I think that this IFP and Sundance supported feature-length documentary from filmmaker tandem Dara Kell (an editor on Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's Jesus Camp and 2009 Sundance title, The Reckoning) and Christopher Nizza (an Emmy Award-winner) might find a welcoming slot in Sundance's Documentary Competition. Update: This much anticipated doc is still in post-production and I'm told hasn't been submitted to the festival.
2011 Sundance Predictions: Derek Cianfrance’s Cagefighter
Despite it premiering almost 10 months ago in Park City, we are very much in Blue Valentine mode in the award season portion of 2010, and if we have it our way, Sundance would somehow put a chokehold on Derek Cianfrance's Cagefighter. The 56 minute docu-essay would be an ideal candidate for a birth in the New Frontier section - which takes on docs that "bend" the form.
2011 Sundance Predictions: Jonathan Teplitzky’s Burning Man
After Animal Kingdom, could Australia have another breakout film at the festival? THR says Jonathan Teplitzky's third film, which is currently being sold at the AFM, is being billed as "a reckless, sexy, provocative and ultimately tear-jerking father and son tale". Looking for a North American distributor, Burning Man would benefit from a film festival premiere showing. I think it may fit the festival bill or trickle into Tribeca's line-up.
