This week, Sundance will kick off ten days of new independent films from around the world and set the pace for a new festival year. In anticipation for the event, the web has provided a look at some of featured selections, including trailers for four diverse works.
From Iran comes A Girl Walks Home At Night, a black-and-white vampire western directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. The country isn’t exactly known for producing horror films, especially ones helmed by women, which makes this a very intriguing selection. Plus, it looks creepy as hell. Check out the teaser and synopsis below:
Synopsis:
Strange things are afoot in Bad City. The Iranian ghost town, home to prostitutes, junkies, pimps and other sordid souls, is a bastion of depravity and hopelessness where a lonely vampire stalks its most unsavory inhabitants. But when boy meets girl, an unusual love story begins to blossom… blood red.
A trailer for the Spanish feature Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang also dropped. The film – which made its world premiere at TIFF – was adapted from one of the nation’s most popular comic books series, and its footage suggests a kid-friendly adventure in the vein of The Goonies. Check out the trailer and synopsis below:
Synopsis:
Two of Spains most beloved comic-book characters—Zip and Zap—come to life in this rollicking adventure. With summer coming, the twin brothers are caught stealing the answers to their final exams, so instead of having a fun-filled vacation, Zip and Zap are sent to a strict boarding school run by a no-nonsense headmaster named Falconetti. The school is worse than they could have imagined. Fun is absolutely forbidden, and the suspicious Falconetti and his security guards seem to watch their every move. But that doesnt stop the brothers from enjoying their summer. After making new friends, they form the Marble Gang, and their ongoing mischief and resistance to authority lead them to discover a mysterious secret—one begging to be solved
Up next is Killers, an action thriller set in the capital cities of Japan and Indonesia. Considering that the film was co-directed by Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto, the filmmakers who delivered the standout V/H/S/2 vignette Safe Haven, this should make for an intense experience. See trailer and synopsis below:
Synopsis:
Mr. Nomura is an eerily handsome, sharply dressed, sociopathic serial killer who preys on the women of Tokyo. In Jakarta, a world-weary journalist named Bayu finds himself unexpectedly falling into vigilantism after brutally killing two sadistic robbers. When each posts videos of his violent sprees online, the pair find one another on the Internet and begin a toxic and competitive duel. While Bayu clings to the hope that he can resume a normal life, Nomura continues to spill blood without remorse. Killing, advises Nomura, is something everyone ought to consider.
Last but certainly not least is a look at director Tim Sutton’s domestic drama Memphis. Starring Chicago R&B musician Willis Earl Beal in the lead role, the film has already garnered some attention at the Venice Film Festival for its pleasing blend of documentary and narrative style filmmaking. The love letter its titular city’s vibrant culture should turn some heads at Sundance. See trailer and synopsis below:
Synopsis:
A strange singer drifts through the mythic city of Memphis, surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold hustler, a righteous preacher, and a wolf pack of kids. Under a canopy of ancient oak trees and burning spirituality, his doomed journey breaks from conformity and reaches out for glory.
Sundance 2014 begins on Jan. 16th and continues through Jan. 26th. make sure to stay tuned to all of our coverage here and follow @TheFilmStage, @jpraup, @djmecca, and @zaffi for instant updates from Park City, as well as our Facebook page.