If Sundance head honcho Robert Redford isn’t a big-enough star for you, the 2014 Sundance Film Festival may also boast guest appearances by actors Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, William H. Macy and Paul Rudd, comedians/comic actors David Cross, Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler, former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and Star Trek legend and entertaining online media presence George Takei.
And perhaps best of all, the festival will be paying tribute to the beloved and influential film critic Roger Ebert, who was a regular staple at Sundance until health issues curtailed his social and professional activities. Ebert is the subject of “Life Itself,” a documentary from Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve James that will be premiering at Sundance during the event, widely regarded the premier showcase for both international and domestic independent film.
As for the others, all of them are featured in, or were involved in the production of, movies that will be featured in next year’s event. So, most, if not all, of them are expected to attend Sundance 2014, which runs Jan. 16-26 in a variety of Park City and Salt Lake City locations.
The festival already announced its in-competition features and documentaries, as well as edgier Park City at Midnight, NEXT <=> and Spotlight sections, last week, but waited until Monday to announce the more star-studded Premieres and Documentary Premiere selections. Among the highlights:
— Fassbender stars in the Irish comedy “Frank,” about an avant-garde rock band.
— Takei is profiled in the nonfiction feature “To Be Takei,” part of Sundance’s Documentary Premieres section slate.
— Another documentary feature, “Mitt,” from “New York Doll” filmmaker Greg Whiteley, looks at LDS politician Mitt Romney, who served as Massachusetts governor and Olympic Games organizer, before he unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Presidency.
— Knightley plays a “perpetual adolescent” in writer/director Lynn Shelton’s “Laggies.”
— “Parks and Recreation” stars Offerman and Poehler have their own creator-related projects, “Nick Offerman: American Ham” and “They Came Together,” a romantic comedy pairing Poehler and Paul Rudd.
— Macy co-wrote and directed “Rudderless,” a musical drama that will be featured as part of the festival’s Closing Night festivities in Park City.
— Speaking of actors-turned-filmmakers, Cross wrote and director the social media spoof “Hits.”
— “Finding Fela,” a music documentary that profiles Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the influential Nigerian musician and activist.
— “The Raid 2,” a martial-arts/action-thriller that’s a follow-up to the 2011 Sundance Film Fesitval hit.
.While most of the premieres do have some star power, festival director John Cooper and director of programming Trevor Groth say the films were selected for their artistic merit, not because of any perceived commercial appeal.
“We see fascinating characters and subjects throughout,” Groth said. “Whether portrayed by recognized actors taking on more challenging and diverse roles, or in the stranger-than-fiction reality of our documentaries, we look forward to sharing these incredible stories with audiences at our Festival.”
Cooper added that the features bring back many earlier Sundance favorites, such as Shelton, Macy and James. “The Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival feature new work from many established independent filmmakers who began their careers at our Festival years ago, which allows us to reflect on the impact, legacy and growth of the independent film movement over the past 30 years.”
Sundance earlier announced the slate of multimedia artists who will perform at or show off their works at its New Frontier on Main location, and announced two features that will play in the new Sundance Kids section, a collaboration with the Utah Film Center.
The Sundance Film Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2014 and is the premier U.S. showcase for independently produced features and short films from the United States and around the world. The event runs Jan. 16-26 in a variety of locations in both Salt Lake City and Park City. Screenings and other events will also take place in Ogden and at the Sundance resort in Provo Canyon.
Sundance 2014 will kick off in Park City Jan. 16, with screenings of four of those in-competition films: the documentaries “Dinosaur 13” and “The Green Prince” and the features films “Lilting” and “Whiplash.” And as usual, the festival will feature panel discussions, a music cafe, parties (both official and unofficial) and much more during its 10-day run.
For a full list of films scheduled to play during the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and ticket information, go to www.sundance.org/festival.