Focus on the 'smaller' offerings at Sundance

Attention, Sundance Film Festivalgoers: Don't worry about it if you couldn't get tickets to "Black Snake Moan," the new Deep South redemption tale starring Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake.

That film will be opening at local theaters om Feb. 23, so you can see it then — and cheaper than the $10 Sundance asking price.

The same goes for "Fido," a zombie comedy starring Billy Connolly and Carrie-Anne Moss, which is being compared to the 2004 hit "Shaun of the Dead." "Fido" opens March 2.

Festival screenings for those two movies have already sold out, as have a number of much-in-demand, celebrity-laden films. But I've always maintained that you're better off avoiding those films anyway; you should instead concentrate on documentaries, World Cinema and other, smaller independent productions.

Sundance may be your only chance to see some of them.

• AUTISM EVERY DAY (plays Jan. 21 and 22 in Park City; Jan. 27 in Salt Lake City). Lauren Thierry's documentary examines the increase in autism diagnoses. Plus, it's showing with the short documentary "Mother Superior," which was produced by the local Spy Hop program.

• BUGMASTER (MUSHISHI) (Jan. 19 in Salt Lake City; Jan. 22, 23 and 27 in Park City). The second live-action film from animator/artist Katsuhiro Otomo ("Akira") is a fantasy that does feature some CGI animation as well.

• EAGLE VS. SHARK (Jan. 23, 24 and 25 in Park City; Jan. 26 in Ogden; Jan. 28 in Salt Lake City). Like the 2002 festival hit "Whale Rider," this tale of misfits in love comes from New Zealand.

• THE HERITAGE (L'HERITAGE) (Jan. 19 in Salt Lake City; Jan. 21, 23 and 24 in Park City). The Soviet Georgian Babluani family debuted their riveting thriller "13 Tzameti" at Sundance and even got Hollywood's attention (an Americanized remake is in the works). This is their follow-up to that film.

• IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON (Jan. 19, 20 and 21 in Park City; Jan. 21 in Salt Lake City). Of interest to space-exploration fans (like myself), this includes never-seen-before footage of Apollo space missions, courtesy of NASA.

• JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN (Jan. 20, 22 and 23 in Park City; Jan. 21 in Salt Lake City). Filmmaker Julien Temple's intimate portrait of the late punk-rock legend is already being touted as being this year's "New York Doll."