Jonas Åkerlund’s Lords Of Chaos, a drama about the tumultuous career of Norwegian black metal band Mayhem, is one of eight features announced on Tuesday (December 19) as late additions to the Sundance Film festival line-up.
Festival top brass are adding a VR experience and said RuPaul will serve as the inaugural and sole NEXT Innovator Award juror, and convene a retrospective of VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race on the heels of its 10th season and host a panel alongside executive producers and Sundance veterans Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey.
Hearts Beat Loud, announced previously in thePremieres section, is now confirmed as a closing night film.
The additions bring the number of features in play to 121, representing 29 countries and 53 first-time filmmakers, including 30 in competition. Selections were culled from 13,468 submissions including 3,901 feature-length films and 8,740 short films. The Sundance Film Festival is set to run from January 18-28.
The late additions appear below. All synopses provided by the festival. All films hail from the US and are world premieres unless indicated otherwise
FROM THE COLLECTION
An Evening with Todd Haynes
In the 30 years since he burst onto the indie scene, Todd Haynes has established himself as one of most distinctive voices in American cinema. A special conversation with Haynes and longtime collaborator, producer Christine Vachon, explores Haynes’ early work, including clips from notable, recently restored gems.
Smoke Signals
Chris Eyre
When Victor’s estranged father Arnold dies in Arizona, he must leave his home on an Idaho reservation to retrieve Arnold’s ashes. Victor’s friend Thomas offers to fund the trip, but only if he can accompany Victor. Together they undertake a journey filled with discovery about their personal and cultural identities.
Cast: Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, Tantoo Cardinal.
DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
Akicita.: The Battle Of Standing Rock
Cody Lucich
Standing Rock, 2016: the largest Native American occupation since Wounded Knee. Thousands of activists, environmentalists and militarized police descend on the Dakota Access Pipeline in a standoff between oil corporations and a new generation of Native Warriors. This chronicle captures the sweeping struggle, spirit and havoc of a People’s uprising.
THE NEW CLIMATE
MIDNIGHT
Hereditary
Ari Aster
After their reclusive grandmother passes away, the Graham family tries to escape the dark fate they’ve inherited. Cast: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd, Milly Shapiro.
Lords Of Chaos (pictured)
Jonas Åkerlund
Based on truth (and lies), Lords of Chaos is a dark drama about a precocious teenager, Euronymous, who wants to spread evil, chaos, and true Norwegian black metal. When Euronymous invites a mysterious loner, Varg, to join his “Black Circle,” a rivalry sparks, leading to unexpected consequences. Cast: Rory Culkin, Emory Cohen, Sky Ferreira, Jack Kilmer, Valter Skarsgård.
NEW FRONTIER
Isle Of Dogs Behind The Scenes (in Virtual Reality)
Lead Artists: A collaboration between Felix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphael and the Isle Of Dogs production team.
This virtual reality experience places the viewer inside the miniature world of Wes Anderson’s upcoming stop-motion animated film, face to face with the cast of dogs as they are interviewed on set, while the crew of the film works around you to create the animation you are seeing.
Cast: A selection of actors from the cast of Isle Of Dogs.
PREMIERES
The Long Dumb Road
Hannah Fidell
Two very different men, at personal crossroads, meet serendipitously and take an unpredictable journey through the American Southwest.
Cast: Tony Revolori, Jason Mantzoukas, Taissa Farmiga, Grace Gummer, Ron Livingston, Casey Wilson.
Private Life
Tamara Jenkins
A couple in the throes of infertility try to maintain their marriage as they descend deeper into the weird world of assisted reproduction and domestic adoption. When their doctor suggests third-party reproduction, they bristle. But when Sadie, a recent college dropout, re-enters their life, they reconsider.
Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Paul Giamatti, Molly Shannon, John Carroll Lynch, Kayli Carter.
SPECIAL EVENTS
“RuPaul’s Drag Race:” A Retrospective Of The Cultural Phenomenon
Lead Artist: RuPaul Charles
A retrospective of VH1’s Emmy-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on the heels of its10th season, and a panel hosted by RuPaul with executive producers Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, along with Tom Campbell and Pamela Post, senior vice president of Original Programming for MTV, VH1 and Logo.
Cast: RuPaul Charles, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews.
SPOTLIGHT
You Were Never Really Here
Lynne Ramsay
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe’s nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Alessandro Nivola, Judith Roberts, Ekaterina Samsonov, John Doman, Alex Manette.
North American Premiere
Sweet Country (Australia)
Warwick Thornton
In 1920s Australia, a middle-aged Aboriginal man’s comfortable life is upended by a newcomer’s arrival. Wanted for murder in the bloody aftermath of a violent shootout, he must flee into the dangerous outback with his wife.
Cast: Bryan Brown, Sam Neill, Hamilton Morris, Ewen Leslie, Thomas M. Wright, Matt Day.
Utah Premiere.
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