Sundance announces slate of 64

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival will boast documentary features about human-rights and environmental issues, profiles of well-known attorneys and music artists, as well as other nonfiction and dramatic films with big-name actors.

On Wednesday the festival announced the slate of 64 films that will play in its dramatic and documentary competitions, which include both United States and World Cinema categories. (The more star-studded premiere films and other, noncompetition features will be unveiled Thursday.)

Highlights of the dramatic competition include an adaptation of best-selling author Sapphire ("Push") and a coming-of-age tale penned by novelist Nick Hornby ("An Education"), the political thriller "Five Minutes of Heaven" and the domestic drama "The Greatest."

That latter film stars Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon, while "Five Minutes of Heaven" stars Liam Neeson. Up-and-coming actors Michael Cera and John Krasinski are featured in films as well — the comedies "Paper Heart" and "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men," respectively.

Documentary competition features include new films by Sundance alums Liz Garbus ("Shooting Fire: Stories From the Edge of Free Speech"), Ondi Timoner ("We Live in Public"), Doug Pray ("Art & Copy") and Joe Berlinger ("Crude").

Also, comedian Chris Rock looks at black hairstyles in "Good Hair," and "Afghan Star" investigates a Middle Eastern reality television contest. "When You're Strange" is a profile of influential music group the Doors.

Sundance's programming staff selected the full slate of films from more than 3,600 submissions. Festival director Geoffrey Gilmore and director of programming John Cooper said the process was difficult, as always.

However, Cooper added that "audiences may be surprised by how much emotion this year's films evoke."

"We are seeing the next evolution of the independent film movement where films focus on storytelling with a sense of connection and purpose," he said.

Competition films are eligible for both Grand Jury and audience-voted awards, in a variety of technical and other categories.

Last month, Sundance announced the 2009 event will kick off in Park City with "Mary and Max," a clay-animated feature about the pen-pal relationship between a lonely young Australian girl and a middle-age New Yorker.

(That film comes from the makers of the Oscar-winning short "Harvie Krumpet" and features the voices of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Toni Collette.)

The Sundance Film Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2009 and is the premier U.S. showcase for independently produced features and short films from the United States and around the world. The event runs Jan. 15-25.

In addition to Salt Lake City and Park City, screenings and other events will also take place in Ogden and at the Sundance resort in Provo Canyon.

For more information on the 2009 festival, browse the official Web site, www.sundance.org/festival. Or for ticket information, call 435-776-7878 or e-mail

festivaltickets@sundance.org.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com