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2012 Sundance Predictions: Brian Dannelly’s Struck by Lightning
After blasting onto the indie scene with Saved! at the Sundance Film Festival's 2004 edition, helmer Brian Dannelly gravitated towards television and perhaps it make sense that his sophomore pic works from Glee's Chris Colfer's screenplay, and sees Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) with Colfer toplining (see set pic above). I'd peg Struck by Lightning as a possible selection in the Premieres category and worth noting: cinematographer Bobby Bukowski.
2012 Sundance Predictions: Alonso Filomeno Mayo’s The Story of Luke
What's a Sundance Film Festival without Lou Pucci Taylor? I can't remember an edition without his presence. Production may have wrapped up a couple of months ago, but Alonso Filomeno Mayo's feature debut The Story of Luke could be a lock for U.S Dramatic Comp or Premieres slot.
2012 Sundance Predictions: Patricia Benoit’s Stones in the Sun
Known as "Haiti Cherie" back when it was in 2007 Screenwriters and Directors Lab at Sundance, it has since picked up an Annenberg Film Fellowship Grant in 2009 and changed its name to Stones in the Sun. A longtime in the works, Patricia Benoit's debut should be a good fit for the U.S Dramatic Comp or the NEXT section.
2012 Sundance Predictions: Roberto Faenza’s Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
I'd normally wouldn't associate a veteran Italian filmmaker such as Roberto Faenza with the festival - but this shot in NYC, coming-of-age indie drama based on the novel by the same name features a mix of the next generation of actors (Toby Regbo and Deborah Ann Woll) along with some stellar actresses in the biz (Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Gay Harden) and is backed by producers who've been to the fest with some recent indie items Allen Bain (The Missing Person) and Ron Stein (The Romantics). Premieres category a possibility.
2012 Sundance Predictions: James Ponsoldt’s Smashed
An integral part of the indie filmmaking scene, when not contributing to Filmmaker Magazine helmer James Ponsoldt appears to be busy mounting his next project and five yearsafter his breakout debut Off the Black (a Sundance entry in 2006) we now have his sophomore pic - a dramedy featuring Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul along with Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Look for Smashed to grab a U.S Dramatic or Premieres spot.
