March Of The Penguins - one of last year's hits
It's just a few days to go before the ski resort steps into the film industry spotlight. We preview the films that have the potential to make it big in the coming 12 months. Remember to visit us regularly from January 19, when we'll be bringing you daily reports on what's going on in Park City.
Some of last year's successes included Brit flick On A Clear Day, nature movie March Of The Penguins and Slamdance sleeper hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom
Peter Mullan, who starred as the redundant channel swimmer in On A Clear Day is back again for more this year in Spanish/British co-production Cargo. Written by long-time Ken Loach collaborator Paul Laverty and directed by comparative newcomer Clive Gordon, it has potential. At last year's festival Peter told me it is "about a group of men on a cargo ship with a stowaway. He's caught and is eventually integrated into this little community and there are dark goings on."
He added: "It crosses genres, like horror with a social conscience. That's unusual and Paul's been quite brave about it. "
Also, putting on a show for Britain is comedy drama Kinky Boots, which receives its US premiere, and Lucky Number Slevin, a film noir helmed by Scots director Paul McGuigan and starring Josh Hartnett and Lucy Liu, which will open in the UK next month. A Supermarket Love Song, a short film directed by Daniel Outram, will also be flying the flag for Britain with an offbeat tale of a old man's relationship with a girl on community service. And Ireland's Ken Wardrop sees his excellent short Undressing My Mother make an appearance.
The opening night film is the star-studded Friends With Money, featuring Joan Cusack, Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand. It is a drama about women's relationships, directed by Sex And The City's Nicole Holofcener.
Also premiering is Nick Cassavetes' Alpha Dog, based on the true story of a mid-level drug dealer, which boasts the you-couldn't- make-it-up cast combination of Justin Timberlake, Emile Hirsch, Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone. Other premieres include Jason Reitman's first full-length feature about the culture of spin, Thank You For Smoking, starring Rob Lowe and William H Macy, and The Illusionist, a turn-of-the century romantic drama, with Edward Norton.
Films vying for glory in the American dramatic competition include male-oriented drama Steel City, relationship drama Sherrybaby, starring Secretary's Maggie Gyllenhaal, and screwball comedy Puccini For Beginners.
World dramatic contenders include epic drama The House Of Sand, pictured below, (as opposed to House Of Sand And Fog), Korean coming of age drama The Peter Pan Formula and an African take on Jesus's story, Son Of Man.
Over in the world documentary competition, UK's Glastonbury, which documents the rise and rise of the mud festival, is vying for contention alongside 5 Days, a look at the evacuation of the Gaza Strip, and fellow Brit Brian Hill's documentary musical - yes, you read me right - about Surrey women in prison.
The American documentary strand has religion and war at its heart, with offerings including God Grew Tired Of Us, the story of a group of Sudanese boys' journey from civil war to a new life in the US, Iraq In Fragments, an investigation of the diverse stories in three Iraqi enclaves, and The Ground Truth: After The Killing Ends, which looks at the effects of the Iraq war on the combatants. On a lighter note, The World According To Sesame Street reveals the behind-the-scenes effort, which goes into adapting one of the world's most famous kids shows for countries as diverse as Bangladesh and Kosovo.
Neil Marshall's UK sleeper smash The Descent hits the US as part of the Park City At Midnight strand and there are also experimental films shown as part of the Frontier section and a wealth of new voices in the Spectrum segment.
Even if you aren't going, you can catch up with all the action via our daily reports and even watch some of the short films online at www.sundance.org
We'd like to say a big thank you to Alamo who are this year helping us out with our car hire. To make a reservation log on to www.alamo.co.uk or call 0870 400 4596
Read more from our Sundance Film Festival coverage.
