I just received this newsletter from the Sundance Institute and saw that many of the films i watched at Sundance 2008 and 2009 are being shown in theaters. Go to Sundance.org for detailed locations.

For the east coasters who could not make it to Utah for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, this month is your chance to catch these buzz-worthy works at the New Directors/New Films series which runs March 25-April 5 in New York City.

My comments on the films as stated in my Sundance recap last month are copied below:

• The Cove: This is by far the most important film at the festival. A must see for anyone on the planet. Anti-dolphin slave trade activist Ric O’Barry, the original trainer of Flipper dophins in the 60’s uncovers the horrifying truth of dolphin killing in Japan and its impact on our eco-system. Q&A on Qik video.
• Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire: A powerful film about a 15 year old girl, pregnant for the 2nd time with her father’s child, who is also dealing with physical abuse by her mother and no education. An amazing performance by a new actor Gabourey Sidibe. I look forward to seeing her in future films. Director and Cast Q&A on Qik video.

_________________

Many films from the 2008 Sundance Film Festival are playing nationwide in theaters this month including Christine Jeffs’ Sunshine Cleaning (pictured left), Daniel Barnz’s Phoebe in Wonderland, Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River, and Ole Bornedal’s Just Another Love Story. From the 2009 Festival, Greg Mottola’s Adventureland will be premiering in theaters later this month. Several Sundance-supported plays continue their stage runs including, 33 Variations (’04 Theatre Lab) directed by Moises Kaufman and starring Jane Fonda, as well as The Good Negro (Theatre Lab 2006) written by Tracey Scott Wilson and directed by Leisl Tommy.

__________________

Congratulations to the following Sundance artists for their Oscar nominations: Posted on Sundance.org by Bridgette Bates on Feb 20, 2009 at 06:02 pm.

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary:

• James Marsh’s Man on Wire

Best Documentary Feature:

• The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)? 2008 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Documentary Competition
• Man on Wire? 2008 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Competition; World Cinema Jury Prize Winner: Documentary; World Cinema Audience Award Winner: Documentary
• Trouble the Water?2008 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Documentary Competition; Grand Jury Prize Winner: Documentary

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

• Melissa Leo in Frozen River? 2008 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Competition

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

• Richard Jenkins in The Visitor? 2008 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Competition

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

• Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road. Shannon appears in two 2009 Sundance Film Festival films: The Missing Person and The Greatest

Best Original Screenplay:

• Frozen River (Written by Courtney Hunt) ? 2008 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Winner
• In Bruges (Written by Martin McDonagh) ? 2008 Sundance Film Festival Opening Night Film

Best Animated Short Film:

• This Way Up ? 2009 Sundance Film Festival Shorts Program