Predictions 2010 Sundance Film Festival: Agrelo, D’Arienzo, Gibney

What do docs The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters and Mad Hat Ballroom have in common? Both films received their world premiere in Park City, but not at Redford’s festival but the other main street venue the hosts Slamdance. If I’m on target with my predictions, we’ll be seeing the filmmakers of these docs, Seth Gordon (as a producer) and Marilyn Agrelo in Park City once again, but with Sundance credentials.

An Invisible Sign of My Own – For those who don’t know the story, Mad Hat Ballroom, Marilyn Agrelo’s doc film wasn’t good enough to get into Sundance, but was the hot title pick up from Slamdance. Based on Aimee Bender’s book, Jessica Alba, J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina and Sonia Braga star in the film that “centers around Mona Gray (Alba) is a 20-year-old loner who, as a child, turned to math for salvation after her father became ill (Simmons). As an adult, Mona now teaches the subject and must help her students through their own crises”. Sundance Selection Forecast: 70% Chance. With Alba in a parka, Kimmel International will want to use the fest to close up final sales and production co. Silverwood Films have been provided Sundance fair since 2006. (ioncinema.com Preview/IMDB Link) 

Barry Munday – The fest can’t be all about dark dramas and shoestring, another novel to screen project, this comedy stands a good chance at being included in the premieres section as a sought after sales title. Patrick Wilson leads a fairly big cast of players including indie girl Chloë Sevigny in a pic based on Frank Turner Hollon’s novel “Life Is a Strange Place”. Wilson is a womanizer (Wilson) who wakes up sans his “family jewels” after an irate father attacks him with a trumpet. Things go from bad to worse for the title character when he learns that he’s being sued for paternity by a woman (Judy Greer) he can’t even remember having sex with. Sundance Selection Forecast: 70% Chance. Chris D’Arienzo’s directing debut is seeking a domestic sale – perfect lieu if you ask me. (ioncinema.com Preview/IMDB Link) 

Bitter Feast – Indie film vets Joshua Leonard and James LeGros star in a comic crime thriller about a New York City chef who takes revenge on one of his critics sees. Joe Maggio’s short film (Milk and Honey) was a Sundance selection, so perhaps his feature could perhaps make it into the Midnight Madness screenings or be shown down the mainstreet in Park City at Slamdance. Sundance Selection Forecast: 25% Chance. (IMDB Link)

Blue Valentine – If Ryan Gosling swings by for All Good Things, he could very well extend his stay with filmmaker Derek Cianfrance’s long awaited pic which was once set up with Thinkfilm. Co-starring Michelle Williams, during the most tragic time of their lives, they remember back to when they were younger and falling in love. The film juxtaposes dualities – love versus hatred, the past versus the present, fantasy versus reality, youth versus adulthood, man versus woman – and presents a complex portrait of a modern day marriage. Sundance Selection Forecast: 75% Chance. Not sure how far they’re into post-production, but AFM stills seem to point to a “yes” possibility. Cianfrance won an award at Sundance as a DP in 2003. (ioncinema.com Preview/IMDB Link)

Casino Jack – The tale of the two Casino Jacks (George Hickenlooper directed a feature film version about Abramoff) should be resolved the moment that Alex Gibney gets to premiere his highly anticipated doc. This is about the murky world of political lobbying, this is a subject that has caused huge controversy in the US since political lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sent to prison after being convicted on a series of criminal felony counts relating to his lobbying activities. Sundance Selection Forecast: 80% Chance. Gibney preemed Gonzo in Park City, so he has a good rapport with Sundance and Tribeca. He might be hand with not one, but two films this year. I’ve included the other title in the 45 predictions. (ioncinema.com Preview/IMDB Link) 

Look for Part III at noon.