Sundance Film Festival unveils short films slate

PanARMENIAN.Net - Wrapping up its series of lineup announcements, the Sundance Film Festival unveiled its slate of short films that will be highlighted next month, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

This year’s festival — which runs Jan. 22-Feb. 1 in and around Park City, Utah — will feature 60 short films culled from a record-high 8,061 submissions. Among the highlights are Jennifer Reeder’s A Million Miles Away (screening in the U.S. section) about a woman and a group of teenage girls who simultaneously experience a supernatural coming-of-age, and Mike Forshaw’s Saturday (international), a fictional account of the real-life story of a U.K. soccer match that turned deadly when 96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death. And one of the catchiest titles of the festival is Frankie Shaw’s SMILF (U.S.), which centers on a young single mother who struggles to balance her old life of freedom with her new one as mom.

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On the documentary front is Kitty Green’s The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul set against the backdrop of an audition to play the role of the famed Olympic figure skater, whose gold medal showing once united the troubled country.

“This year's short filmmakers have broken through their limited timeframe with a high level of artistry and story that will resonate with audiences long after each film has ended,” Sundance senior programmer Mike Plante said.