The Premieres program showcases some of the most highly anticipated films of the coming year. Catch world premieres and the latest work from established directors at the Sundance Film Festival before they create a splash at local theatres. Cedar Rapids DIRECTOR: Miguel Arteta SCREENWRITER: Phil Johnston U.S.A., 2010, 86 min., color Miguel Arteta returns to the Sundance Film Festival with a comedy about a group of Premieres insurance salesmen who use the opportunity PRESENTED BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY to attend an annual convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as a way to escape their doleful existence . like Vegas but with corn. Tim Lippe has been living in a small town his whole life and gets a rude awakening when he arrives in the “giant” metropolis of Cedar Rapids. However, his boyish charm and innocence eventually win over his fellow conventioneers, but he becomes disheartened when he uncovers corporate corruption. When it seems his life—and chances to succeed—are completely topsy-turvy, he finds his own unjaded way to turn things around. Cedar Rapids deftly straddles that line between laughing at and with its subjects thanks to Arteta’s skilled direction and Ed Helms’s hilarious, yet thoughtful, performance. John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. play off Helms perfectly to fashion characters that are eccentric, yet honest. Filled with quotable dialogue and unforgettable scenes, Cedar Rapids achieves the impossible: it makes insurance fun.—T.G. Pr: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Principal Cast: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver Sunday, January 23, 9:30 p.m. - CEDAR23CN Eccles Theatre, Park City Monday, January 24, 9:15 a.m. - CEDAR24CM Eccles Theatre, Park City Saturday, January 29, 6:30 p.m. - CEDAR29GE Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, SLC 36 2011 Sundance Film Festival Casting Ca: Costume Designer CoD: Music Mu: The Convincer The Details The Devil's Double Sound So: DIRECTOR: Jill Sprecher DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Jacob Aaron Estes DIRECTOR: Lee Tamahori SCREENWRITERS: Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher U.S.A., 2010, 91 min., color SCREENWRITER: Michael Thomas U.S.A., 2010, 114 min., color Belgium, 2010, 108 min., color It all started with the raccoons. After 10 years Art Director An insurance agent is looking for a way to of marriage, Jeff and Nealy have a young son, Based on actual events, The Devil’s Double ArD: jump-start his business, reunite with his an idyllic suburban life, and a marriage that’s recounts the remarkable tale of Latif Yahia, estranged wife, and escape the dismal stuck. Accordingly, Jeff decides to plant a an Iraqi army lieutenant who was summoned midwestern weather. This self-proclaimed perfect backyard lawn. Enter the raccoons, to Saddam Hussein’s palace in 1987 and master of duplicity believes that salesmanship who repeatedly tear up his grass. When Jeff ordered to become the fiday, or body double, is all about selling a story—all he needs is a tries to eradicate these meddlesome vandals, of his notorious eldest son, Uday. Many of Production Designer sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with his efforts initiate a bewildering chain reaction his countrymen might have considered this a PrD: a lonely retired farmer, who is sitting on involving a crazy cat lady, multiple infidelities, great honor, but it was merely the beginning Editor something much bigger than an insurance extortion, organ donation, and somebody on of a hellish nightmare for Latif. Under the Ed: commission: a rare violin collecting dust in the wrong end of a bow and arrow. constant threat of harm to his family, he the corner of the farmhouse. His attempt to had no choice but to play the role of silent Devilish throughout, is both a con the old man spins out of control, however, The Details witness while his nefarious captor indulged love story and a horror story (of the trapping him in a web of deceit and in countless brutal and depraved fantasies existential kind). The root of Jeff’s dread Cinematographer moral ambiguity. with no regard for human life. Ci: (and subsequent misdeeds) is that he wants The A-team of the Sprecher sisters—director to love his wife but no longer knows how. In a brilliant turn, Dominic Cooper portrays Jill and cowriter Karen—know how to Filmmaker Jacob Aaron Estes plays with the both Uday and Latif with impressive ease, transform a tall tale into cinematic magic notion that the tiniest thing can unravel our transitioning seamlessly between the convincingly. The outstanding cast creates a lives. His narrative spontaneity and anarchic personae of ruthless madman and disgusted Associate Producer collection of oddball characters that are spirit allow characters to keep digging observer. Director Lee Tamahori (Once Were AsP: as charming as they are calculating. What themselves into deeper moral holes to see Warriors) makes his return to the Sundance seems simple turns complicated, and The if the universe will punish them. The result Film Festival with this unimaginable true story Convincer develops into a thoroughly straight from Saddam’s Iraq.—A.M. Coproducer is a darkly funny meditation on marital satisfying romp.—J.C. CoP: malaise.—J.N. ExP: Harris Tulchin, Arjan Terpstra Pr: Paul Breuls, ExP: Alan Arkin Pr: Mary Frances Budig, ExP: Mickey Liddell, Jennifer Hilton Catherine Vandeleene, Michael John Fedun, Emjay Producer Elizabeth Redleaf, Christine Walker Ed: Stephen Pr: Mark Gordon, Hagai Shaham, Bryan Zuriff Rechsteiner Ci: Sam McCurdy Ed: Luis Carballar Pr: Mirrione Com: Bela Fleck Mu: Alex Wurman Ci: Sharone Meir Ed: Madeleine Gavin PrD: Paul Kirby CoD: Anna B. Sheppard Ph: Dick Pope Principal Cast: Greg Kinnear, PrD: Toby Corbett Mu: Tomandandy Principal Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, David Harbour Principal Cast: Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Mimoun Oaissa, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert, Tuesday, January 25, 6:15 p.m. - CONVI25CE Kerry Washington Saturday, January 22, 9:30 p.m. - DEVIL22CN Executive Producer Eccles Theatre, Park City Eccles Theatre, Park City ExP: Wednesday, January 26, 8:30 a.m. - CONVI26LM Monday, January 24, 6:15 p.m. - DETAI24CE Sunday, January 23, 8:30 a.m. - DEVIL23LM Library Center Theatre, Park City Eccles Theatre, Park City Library Center Theatre, Park City Thursday, January 27, 6:00 p.m. - CONVI27SE Tuesday, January 25, 9:15 a.m. - DETAI25CM Monday, January 24, 9:00 p.m. - DEVIL24WN Credit Legend Screening Room, Sundance Resort Eccles Theatre, Park City Tower Theatre, SLC Friday, January 28, 6:30 p.m. - CONVI28GE Saturday, January 29, 9:00 p.m. - DETAI29SN Saturday, January 29, 11:30 p.m. - DEVIL29PL Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, SLC Screening Room, Sundance Resort Prospector Square Theatre, Park City Sunday, January 30, 6:30 p.m. - DETAI30GE Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, SLC Premieres sundance.org/festival 37 The Future I Melt with You Life in a Day DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Miranda July DIRECTOR: Mark Pellington DIRECTOR: Kevin Macdonald Germany/U.S.A. , 2011, 91 min., color SCREENWRITER: Glenn Porter, based on the United Kingdom, 2011, 90 min., color story by Glenn Porter and Mark Pellington Multiple languages with English subtitles The Future begins one afternoon on a sofa. Canada, U.S.A., 2011, 125 min., color Sophie and Jason, a 30-something couple in Richard, Ron, Tim, and Jonathan are friends In May 2010, Sundance Institute was invited Los Angeles, realize that in one month, their to participate in a global cinematic experiment. lives will change dramatically when they pick from college who gather for a weekend each year to celebrate their friendship and catch Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald was up a terminally ill shelter cat they’ve adopted. planning to direct a feature-length Wanting to take advantage of their fleeting up with each other. On the surface, they look like other men going through life: they have documentary shot in a single day, July 24. freedom, they quit their jobs, disconnect their Supported by YouTube, the project enlisted careers and families and responsibilities. Internet, and pursue new interests. While a global community to capture a moment of But as with many people, there is more to Sophie plans to make a dance video a day, their lives on camera. We worked together them than meets the eye. As the weekend Jason knocks on doors for a tree-planting to spread the word, and the world responded environmental group. progresses, they go down the rabbit hole of excess. Fueled by sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, with more than 80,000 submissions; over Miranda July’s work slips and slides whenever their bacchanalian reunion drives them 5,000 hours of deeply personal, powerful film you try to pin it down. A truly original voice, to an unexpected place where they are forced clips came from contributors from Australia to she has an uncanny intuition for playful, to confront themselves and the choices Zambia, from the heart of the bustling cities figurative storytelling. The Future is narrated they’ve made. to the furthest and most remote reaches of by a cat. One night Jason freezes time and the Earth. talks with the moon. Sophie decides to settle Writer/director Mark Pellington returns to the Sundance Film Festival with a riveting and Life in a Day is a compilation of the most with an older man in suburbia as if she were compelling images honed by Macdonald, shopping for a potential future: trying it on to emotionally raw story that puts the modern male psyche under the knife, opening it up executive producer Ridley Scott and his team, see if it fits. An exhilarating, funny, and wildly and a crew of talented editors from the vast inventive second feature, The Future reflects and exposing it for what it is.