As you know its Sundance season and all the indie flicks are hitting the stage for the masses to come and see. I have highlighted a few that I personally would like to see and some that just might surprise us and get some nationwide pub, its happened before!! Take a look and see what Sundance has to offer for the indie lover!
*Beats, Rhymes, & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
-Michael Rapaport 2011
Having forged a 20-year run as one of the most innovative and influential hip-hop bands of all time, A Tribe Called Quest has kept a generation hungry for more of its groundbreaking music since the group’s much-publicized breakup in 1998. The band shaped a unique sound by wedding jazz-infused musicscapes to Afrocentric rhymes espousing unity and community. Its music became the anthem for cool and broke down barriers for people who had never before connected with hip-hop. In spite of unparalleled artistic success, however, the group encountered pitfalls that eventually caused its tumultuous breakup.
Beats, Rhymes & Life, the feature directorial debut of acclaimed actor Michael Rapaport, documents the inner workings and behind-the-scenes drama that follow the band even today and explores what's next for a group many claim are the pioneers of alternative rap. Rapaport’s passion for his subjects allows them to open up to the camera, resulting in a remarkably honest, emotional portrait that does justice to this seminal band.
Film Contact
Edward Parks, Rival PicturesEmail: edparks@rivalpictures.net
*An African Election
-Jarreth Merz 2010
In a world plagued by stolen elections, secret government agendas, and a renewed interest in the exploitation of African natural resources, what value does democracy offer, particularly in the tumultuous region of West Africa? For Ghana, a nation that has been Africa’s barometer of political stability, democracy may mean the difference between peace and prosperity—and murderous chaos under military coup.
An African Election is a remarkable documentary that grants viewers unprecedented access to the anatomy of Ghana’s 2008 presidential elections. Capturing the intrigue of electioneering, the intensity of the vote-counting process, and the mood of the countrymen whose fate lies precariously in the balance, director Jarreth Merz’s coverage unfolds with all the tension of a political thriller, revealing the emotions, passions, and ethical decisions that both threaten—and maintain—the integrity of the democratic process. An African Election illuminates a beacon of hope for Africa and for the value and vitality of democracy today.
Film Contact
Jarreth Merz, Urban RepublicEmail: info@urbanrepublic.org
*All Your Dead Ones
-Carlos Moreno 2010
In this eerie and fantastically shot tragicomic satire, an ordinary farmer’s morning routine is interrupted when he makes a grim discovery in the middle of his cornfield—a huge pile of dead bodies. Aghast, he reports the mysterious massacre on what happens to be Election Day. When the small-town mayor and police lieutenant take notice, fearful of unleashing a public scandal, they stall and intimidate the farmer and his family. Meanwhile, the sun beats down, and the eerie corpses remain, refusing to be ignored.
All Your Dead Ones unspools a disquieting allegory, a silent indictment of Colombia’s ongoing civil war. The imagery and sound, crafted with unsettling intensity, illustrate a frightening crisis of social conscience. Tinged with mordant surrealism, director Carlos Moreno’s return to Sundance (Perro Come Perro screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival) demonstrates a rare ability to transcend genre and a remarkable storytelling vigor, anchored within a haunting and arresting visual motif.
Film Contact
Diego RamÃrez
Email: diego@64afilms.com
*The Guard
-John Michael McDonagh 2010
Sergeant Gerry Boyle, a salty village cop in Ireland, has a subversive sense of humor, a caustic wit, and an uncanny knack for keeping people at arm’s length. When a straitlaced FBI agent chasing an international drug-smuggling ring hits town, Boyle has no intention of letting the arrival disrupt his routine of hookers and wisecracks. Initially, he relishes offending and ridiculing the agent, but a murder and a series of peculiar events draw the reluctant sergeant into the investigation.
John Michael McDonagh’s crisply written debut feature transcends the rules of the buddy cop comedy, wryly offering genuine humor and thrills against an unexpectedly moving portrait of its protagonist. Brendan Gleeson’s beguiling portrayal of Boyle defies easy definition as hero or buffoon, hinting instead at the lonely, intelligent man behind the sharp retorts. The Guard is a clever, fresh character study, as well as a snappy joyride of an action comedy.
Film Contact
Chris ClarkEmail: chris@reprisalfilms.com
*Another Happy Day
- Sam Levinson 2011
A wedding at her parents’ Annapolis estate hurls high-strung Lynn into the fire of primal, Byzantine family dynamics. It’s the wedding of Lynn’s son, whom she was deprived of raising because of her acrimonious divorce, and a feud still rages between Lynn and her ex-husband’s hot-tempered wife. Meanwhile, the three children Lynn did raise display a panoply of disturbing behaviors like cutting and drug addiction, which Lynn’s mother and sisters alternately ridicule and blame her for. As Lynn attempts catharsis, her mother sweeps issues under the rug, but painful truths bubble and spurt. Clan members deploy ricocheting arrows to protect themselves—and wound others—as the fine lines between victims and perpetrators blur.
Film Contact
Celine Rattray, Mandalay VisionPhone: (212) 725-3550
Email: celiner@mandalay.com
*The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
-Gail Dolgin, Robin Fryday 2010
An African American barber in Birmingham, Alabama, experiences the fulfillment of an unimaginable dream: the election of the first African American president.Film Contact
Robin Fryday, Purposeful Productions, Inc.
Email: tgirfryday@aol.com
*Becoming Chaz
-Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato 2010
Chaz Bono was a male trapped in a female shell for as long as he can remember. Growing up as Sonny and Cher’s adorable golden-haired daughter in a body he felt wasn’t his own was a crucible it took years to transcend. Now, as he undertakes gender reassignment, he’s bravely decided to share the process on camera. Becoming Chaz invites us along on Chaz’s remarkable journey of transformation. As hormone shots give way to top surgery, down-to-earth, unflappable Chaz beams with a sense of liberation and goes public with his story to put a face on a misunderstood issue. Meanwhile, his gregarious girlfriend grapples with the realities of suddenly living with a man, and it’s clear sex change isn’t solely a physical transition. Intimate and nakedly honest, the film reveals the humanity and courage it takes for Chaz to ultimately embrace his true self. His moving struggle will reverberate profoundly for anyone to whom authenticity matters.
Film Contact
Mona Card, World Of WonderEmail: mcard@worldofwonder.net
For more information about the festival and to check out more films, please go to http://www.sundance.org/festival/
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