One of the only two films selected for the Spotlight section (films that have premiered elsewhere on the festival circuit), Georgian filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili continues to distinguish herself with international programmers and audiences – the Park City splash for April serves as a nice boost for the eventual April set release date by the Metrograph folks. Here was the Q&A at the Egyptian on Day 1…
…Later on we’d be venturing the the Eccles theatre for a cleverly convinced bromance American comedy in James Sweeney‘s Twinless which stars the filmmaker and Dylan O’Brien in double roles. This is one of the ten selections in the U.S Dramatic competition…
…Day 2 began with the highly anticipated If I Had Legs I’d Kick You by Mary Bronstein – an unrelenting showcase on the cruelty of motherhood with a honest performance by Rose Byrne. The screening at the Library played like gangbusters – A24 have a hit on their hands and the Premiere section title will next move over to the Berlinale competition…
Perhaps in the vein of the Zellner Bros.’ – this stoner flick reeks of cabbage. Evan Twohy‘s Bubble & Squeak is one of the ten selections in the U.S Dramatic competition…
To cap off the evening, we grabbed the Midnight screening of Rabbit Trap (at the Eccles for a change) – Bryn Chainey’s highly polished, sound-spectacle tense film more height than fright.
Our Day 3 began with the off-kilter, many payoffs type funny comedy titled Atropia – the directorial debut by Hailey Gates — based on a short she tested out with Alia Shawkat. The Eccles premiere played well – this is one of the ten selections in the U.S Dramatic competition…
…Micro-indie filmmaker Albert Birney returns to Sundance following Strawberry Mansion with the highly inventive, low-fi, anamorphic, Eraserhead-influenced OBEX…one of the offerings in the NEXT section….
…Katarina Zhu arrives with her directorial debut Bunnylovr — a lightweight dramatic NYC-scape portrait about a struggling cam girl who doesn’t where to (or who) to turn to next. Payed at the Library with a lot of fanfare, this is one of the ten selections in the U.S Dramatic competition…
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist, and critic at IONCINEMA.com, established in 2000. A regular at Sundance, Cannes, and Venice, Eric holds a BFA in film studies from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013, he served on the narrative competition jury at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson’s "This Teacher" (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). He is a Golden Globes Voter, member of the ICS (International Cinephile Society) and AQCC (Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma).
