SUNDANCE 2023 | Pre-Fest: Must-See Films At The Festival, Part 2
We are only to days away from the start of this year’s sundance Film Festival! As the team prepares to travel to park city, I’m continuing to share films I am looking forward to at the festival. Here are a few more films I have on my radar, and perhaps you should too!
Image courtesy of Sundance Institute
Jamojaya
Sundance Program: Premieres
Director: Justin Chon
Screenwriters: Justin Chon
Synopsis
James (Brian Imanuel), an aspiring Indonesian rapper, is at a resort in Hawai‘i to cut his debut album for a major U.S. record label. Accompanying him is his father and former manager (Yayu A.W. Unru), who is still mourning the death of James’ brother and unwilling to surrender control of his career. While James sinks deeper in debt to the label, his father insists on acting as a de facto personal assistant. Caught between the music industry’s commercial demands and a power struggle with his suffocating stage dad, James is forced to find his voice. Read more of the Sundance synopsis.
Why this is on my radar
Rap in film never seems to let me down. This story stacking the odds against an underdog is interesting enough, but the additional element of family drama could make this a compelling narrative. What’s more, I love to see entertainers cross disciplines, and with Jamojaya being the debut feature performance of Brian Imanuel, I’m highly intrigued to see what talent he can bring to the big screen.
FESTIVAL AVAILABILITY
Jamojaya will be available in person and online. Find tickets and learn more.
Image courtesy of Sundance Institute
Sorcery
Sundance Program: World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Director: Christopher Murray
Screenwriter: Christopher Murray
Synopsis
Chiloé Island, 1880. After her father is murdered by a German colonist, Rosa (newcomer Valentina Véliz Caileo), a 13-year-old Huilliche girl, renounces her Christian upbringing and seeks shelter with Mateo (Daniel Antivilo), the leader of an Indigenous organization that practices witchcraft. Under Mateo’s gruff yet tender tutelage, she learns the art of sorcery and vows to settle the score. Rosa’s vengeance leads to a brutal crackdown by the island’s Chilean Christian authorities and puts her on the path to discovering her dormant powers. Read more of the Sundance synopsis.
Why this is on my radar
20 seconds of watching the trailer for Sorcery had me sold. Just the aesthetics seem akin to previous witch-themed Sundance directorial debuts like You Won’t Be Alone and The Witch - both being astonishing achievements in filmmaking. Perhaps Sorcery is the next great quasi-horror period piece for the world to indulge in. Sundance appears to have quite the nose for this niche.
FESTIVAL AVAILABILITY
Sorcery will be available online and in person. Find tickets and learn more.
Image courtesy of Sundance Institute
Radical
Sundance Program: Premieres
Director: Christopher Zalla
Screenwriter: Christopher Zalla
Synopsis
Who will the sixth grade students at Jose Urbina Lopez Elementary in Matamoros become? They are among the worst performing students in Mexico, the world they know is one of violence and hardship, and their classrooms are dominated by an atmosphere of overbearing discipline, not possibility. It might seem like a dead end… but it is also the perfect place for new teacher Sergio Juarez to try something different. There’s just one problem: Sergio (played by an amazing Eugenio Derbez) has no idea what he’s doing. Read more of the Sundance synopsis.
Why this is on my radar
Radical will likely be my first official screening at Sundance, and it seems like it’ll be a fantastic start to the festival. Described as “honest, playful, powerfully inspiring”, there’s something charming about this premise. And though it’s a little long - a 127 minute feature - that indicates to me that there’s likely a worthwhile story to tell that a brisk 90 minute version of this premise couldn’t properly encapsulate.
FESTIVAL SCREENING AVAILABILITY
Radical will be available in person only. Find tickets and learn more.
Image courtesy of Sundance Institute
Past Lives
Sundance Program: Premieres
Director: Celine Song
Screenwriter: Celine Song
Synopsis
A budding childhood romance between Nora and Hae Sung, classmates at a primary school in Seoul, ends abruptly when Nora’s family emigrates to Canada. Twelve years later, Nora, now a playwriting student in New York, notices that Hae Sung’s been searching social media for her. They reconnect online, begin talking frequently, and even imagine a reunion. But another dozen years pass before they finally meet over a few fateful days during his visit to New York. Although their lives have changed dramatically, they remain bound by a wistful connection. Read more of the Sundance synopsis.
Why this is on my radar
If you know me, you know any film labeled A24 is something I immediately get interested in. The telling of the course of a relationship over time can make for a compelling narrative, especially from a writer/director whose background is in theater where storytelling is paramount to the production. Past Lives could very well be one of the most compelling narrative features at the festival.
FESTIVAL SCREENING AVAILABILITY
Past Lives will be available in person only. Find tickets and learn more.