Are you a film buff with a taste for edgy, thought-provoking films with often weird angles and turns? Do you consider watching movies all week long a fun holiday? Then you should visit Park City in Utah on January 19 to 29, 2017 for the Sundance Film Festival 2017. There, you can feast your eyes and your mind on some of the edgiest and most thought-provoking films of the year.
The Sundance Film Festival 2017 lineup offers a fresh look at familiar themes.
The 2017 lineup for the Sundance Film Festival is composed of 113 feature films, encompassing a wealth of genres. In each of the Festival’s four juried categories, 16 films will be competing for prizes. Eight of the films to be screened are debut features by American directors.
Included in the Sundance Film Festival 2017 lineup are:
Patti Cake$
Music video director Geremy Jasper tries his hand at feature film directing for the first time with Patti Cake$. Patti Cake$ tells the story of Patricia Dombrowski, an aspiring female rapper from New Jersey fighting her way to fame. Australian actress Danielle Macdonald plays the titular Patti.
Ingrid Goes West
Another directorial debut, this time by Matt Spicer, Ingrid Goes West is a tale of obsession, where a young woman played by Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) moves to California to stalk and befriend an Instagram blogger played by Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Mercy May Marlene).
To the Bone
Starring Lily Collins, Carrie Preston, and Keanu Reaves, To the Bone delivers an intimate look at anorexia and uses the disease to answer the question of whether life is truly worth living. This drama is written and directed by Marti Noxon.
Casting JonBenet
The documentary film Casting JonBenet explores the story and the myths behind the long-unsolved and long-sensationalized murder case of six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey. The film is directed by Kitty Green.
Chasing Coral
A team of divers, scientists, and photographers attempts to find explanations as to why coral reefs are vanishing all over the world. This documentary is helmed by Jeff Orlowski.
The Sundance Film Festival carries a long tradition of exploring excellence in filmmaking.
The Sundance Film Festival 2017 is the 33rd iteration of the event that brings Hollywood bigwigs, independent filmmakers, and film enthusiasts from all over the world to Utah every winter. Founded by a group led by actor Robert Redford and named after Redford’s film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Sundance started out as the Utah/US Film Festival in 1978. It was an event originally conceived as a venue to showcase American films and bring Hollywood to Utah. Its debut screened films that are now considered classics of American cinema, such as Mean Streets, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Sweet Smell of Success.
Today, Sundance has evolved into one of the biggest film festivals in the world. The event has become a major springboard for up-and-coming filmmakers to wider recognition. Over the years, the festival has yielded filmmaking gems such as Kevin Smith’s Clerks, Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Jared Hess’ Napoleon Dynamite, and Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ Little Miss Sunshine.
Sundance has also become present in many parts of the world. On June 2017, Sundance will screen its entries in London’s Picture House cinemas. The Festival recently ended its 2016 screening in Hong Kong and its NextFest event in Los Angeles.
Tickets to the upcoming Sundance Film Festival 2017 are now available on the Sundance website.
What else can you do at Park City, Utah in January?
Aside from binge-watching would-be cult-film classics at the Sundance Film Festival, there are plenty of things you can do in Park City, Utah for your holiday. Park City, after all, is a popular ski town, the venue of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
So, in between watching films at the local Park City cinemas for Sundance, you can spend time bobsledding at Utah Olympic Park. You can ski at Deer Valley Resort or Park City Mountain Resort. There are also opportunities for dog-sledding, sleigh riding, hiking, and other outdoor activities in the woodlands surrounding the city. If you don’t feel up to leaving downtown, you can always spend time strolling down Park City’s Historic Main Street for a bit of shopping, gallery browsing, and food tripping.
Search for hotels in Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival 2017 and enjoy your winter cineaste holiday.
