British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Photo: AFP
The renowned Sundance Film Festival unveiled its diverse lineup on Wednesday, bringing together Hollywood stars and emerging filmmakers from around the globe. Lily Gladstone, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Melanie Griffith are among the prominent names set to attend Utah's influential independent film event in January. Alongside a collection of previously unseen feature films, the festival will also showcase innovative documentaries from the US and beyond.
"The Sundance Film Festival remains committed to highlighting unique and compelling voices in independent storytelling. Audiences can anticipate a 2025 program that reflects the rich diversity of global filmmaking," said Robert Redford, founder and president of the Sundance Institute.
The feature film category will include the world premiere of The Thing with Feathers, a story about a young father grappling with the sudden death of his wife. Additionally, festival-goers will get a first glimpse of Gladstone in The Wedding Banquet, following her success in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Griffith will star alongside Juliette Lewis in By Design, a film about a woman who swaps bodies with a chair and discovers that people prefer her as furniture.
The festival will also feature a selection of innovative documentaries, including two that explore America's relationship with law and order. The Perfect Neighbor examines how a minor neighborhood dispute in Florida spirals into fatal violence, using police bodycam footage and interviews to highlight the consequences of Florida's "stand your ground" laws. Meanwhile, Predators delves into the rise and fall of a TV show where child abusers were lured to a film set, interviewed, and arrested.
Scheduled from January 23 to February 2 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, the festival will showcase 87 feature-length films representing 33 countries and territories. Over 40 percent of these films are directed by first-time feature filmmakers, according to organizers.
"This year's program addresses many pressing issues of our time, urging us to reflect both inwardly and outwardly," said Kim Yutani, director of programming for the Sundance Film Festival. "As always, we're thrilled to introduce audiences to new voices and new works from familiar names." Attendees can expect to be entertained, challenged, and deeply moved by the films presented this year.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
