Starry Sundance fest moves ahead in wake of LA fires

Los Angeles — 

The U.S. movie industry's archetypal large gathering since fires devastated Los Angeles volition statesman Thursday astatine the Sundance festival, wherever highlights see a glitzy caller Jennifer Lopez philharmonic and a acheronian Benedict Cumberbatch drama.

Hollywood's yearly pilgrimage to the Rocky Mountains to premiere the coming year's most-anticipated indie films is taking spot successful somber circumstances, aft the blazes that killed astatine slightest 27 radical and brought the amusement superior to a halt.

Festival chiefs held lengthy talks with filmmakers, including those "who mislaid homes oregon were displaced" by the blazes, earlier deciding to property ahead, said Sundance manager Eugene Hernandez.

Organizers heard "harrowing stories of radical moving retired of their homes, evacuating... with their hard drives nether their arms" to guarantee their films survived, helium told AFP.

"Everybody to a idiosyncratic conscionable wants to look guardant and wants to look ahead... it'll beryllium a bully infinitesimal of reunion and community."

Among the 88 features being screened successful Utah's Park City is "Rebuilding," astir a rancher who loses everything successful a wildfire.

"It takes connected an added poignance, for those who volition ticker it adjacent week," said Hernandez.

Josh O'Connor, known for "The Crown" and "Challengers," plays the pb role.

"It's an unthinkable film, and 1 that we felt was important to show, based connected that tone of resilience," said Sundance programming manager Kim Yutani.

"I deliberation it volition beryllium a peculiarly moving 1 for radical to see."

J-Lo, Cumberbatch

A-lister Lopez brings her archetypal movie to Sundance, with "Kiss of the Spider Woman."

From "Dreamgirls" manager Bill Condon, the movie is based connected the Broadway adaptation of Argentine writer Manuel Puig's celebrated novel.

Lopez plays Aurora, a silver-screen diva whose beingness and roles are discussed by 2 mismatched prisoners arsenic they signifier an improbable enslaved successful their grim cell.

While harking backmost to expansive Golden Age Hollywood musicals with its fabulous costumes and Lopez's "knockout philharmonic performance," the movie is simply a much melodramatic and autarkic instrumentality connected the genre, said Hernandez.

Cumberbatch stars successful different literate adaptation, "The Thing With Feathers," based connected Max Porter's experimental and poetic caller astir a grieving hubby and 2 young sons.

"It's 1 of these juicy roles that large actors relish taking a wound retired of," said Yutani.

Family calamity and fatherhood are besides the themes of "Omaha," with John Magaro ("Past Lives") delivering "an affectional gut punch of a role" that could spell awards, according to Yutani.

Elsewhere, Olivia Colman plays a parent taking her non-binary teen to sojourn their cheery gramps (John Lithgow) successful "Jimpa."

Rapper A$AP Rocky and late-night big Conan O'Brien marque up the eclectic formed of enigma "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You."

And "The Bear" prima Ayo Edebiri teams up with John Malkovich for thriller "Opus," astir a young writer investigating the mysterious disappearance of a legendary popular star.

Music, politics

Music is besides a salient taxable of Sundance's documentary selection, which has launched respective of the astir caller Oscar-winning non-fiction films.

A caller "must-see" Jeff Buckley documentary features never-before-seen footage from "three precise important women successful his life, including his mother," said Yutani.

Elegance Bratton explores the Chicago roots of location euphony with "Move Ya Body: The Birth of House," portion Oscar-winning manager Questlove examines funk pioneer Sly Stone successful "Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)."

Politics volition again beryllium prominent.

Former New Zealand person Jacinda Ardern is expected successful municipality to beforehand behind-the-scenes documentary "Prime Minister."

"The Jinx" manager Andrew Jarecki explores unit and corruption successful the U.S. situation strategy with "The Alabama Solution."

And, days aft the Gaza ceasefire statement took effect, Palestinian-American manager Cherien Dabis volition unveil her "groundbreaking" caller movie "All That's Left of You," which has been fixed a highly salient Saturday evening premiere astatine Sundance's biggest venue.

"That is not an accident. This is simply a truly peculiar one," said Yutani.

"I person not seen a movie astir a Palestinian household told successful rather this way."

The 2025 Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 23 done Feb. 2.