Sundance London returns

Sixth edition will open with Sparks documentary

by Amber Wilkinson

The Sparks Brothers
The Sparks Brothers Photo: Jake Polonsky

Sundance Film Festival: London is to return for a sixth edition, after its pandemic hiatus last year - opening with the UK premiere of Edgar Wright's debut documentary The Sparks Brothers on July 29 and running across the weekend to August 1.

Wright said: “I was just five years old when I was hypnotised by Ron and Russell Mael (collectively Sparks) staring at me from the telly on a 1979 episode of Top Of The Pops. Over the next four decades, their music has been a riddle turned full on obsession. The final destination of my fascination has been to make what I believe is the only thing stopping them from being as big as they deserve to be; a document of their incredible journey in music and everyone they’ve inspired along the way.

"It’s very exciting for me to finally bring The Sparks Brothers to Sundance London since, as the UK were the first country to embrace Sparks genius. I look forward to everyone falling in love all over again or being as amazed as I was when I first saw and heard them.”

The festival will take place at the capital's Picturehouse Central and include in the region of 12 features along with panel discussions and question and answer sessions. Simulcasts of The Sparks Brothers and its Q&A will take place in cinemas across the UK.

Sundance Film Festival director Tabitha Jackson said: “We’re thrilled to return to London and expand across the UK with an exciting program of films that tell fresh, independent stories - stories which are essential as we endeavour to understand our past while we reimagine our present and future.”

Joint managing director of Picturehouse Cinemas Clare Binns added: “It’s great to be back working with all of our friends at the Sundance Film Festival. We’re so excited to bring back inspiring independent films to the big screen - during this year’s Sundance London we will come together to watch, discuss, and immerse ourselves in an art form which has since been lost to us for over a year.”

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