Utah is not normally a place you'd associate with glamour, but once a year it becomes the centre of the movie world as Robert Redford hosts the Sundance Film Festival. And for the past few days Hollywood's leading movers-and-shakers have been pouring into the sleepy ski resort of Park City, Utah, to take part in the event.
Now in its 22nd year, the festival aims to showcase the talent of independent filmmakers who wouldn't otherwise get a chance to show their work. It offers a unique opportunity for unknowns to meet with Tinseltown bosses, and needless to say there is no shortage of aspiring directors in attendance.
The opening night was dominated by some rather more established figures, however, as Morgan Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton and Holly Hunter arrived for the screening of their new movie Levity.
The film follows the story of a murderer trying to make his way in the world after 20 years in prison. Its screenwriter, Ed Solomon, is already attracting the attention of studio heavyweights. "Levity is an exceptional work," said festival organiser Geoffrey Gilmore. "He's a filmmaker I'm sure we'll hear from."
Also expected in the coming days are Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey and Mel Gibson, who all have films premiering. Matt Dillon and Salma Hayek will meanwhile make their directorial debuts with The Maldonado Miracle and City Of Ghosts respectively.
Last year's festival gave In The Bedroom and Jennifer Aniston's The Good Girl the push they needed to storm box offices around the world. Over the next ten days some 210 films (selected around 3,000 submissions) will be screened as Hollywood bosses search for the next Martin Scorsese.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
