2010 Sundance Film Festival

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up! Step right up, folks, and be the first to catch a glimpse of the finest animated oddities under the big top tonight! Bold! Daring! Shocking! True! That’s right, a thousand thrills await! You’ll see horrifying visions plucked from the future and mined from the past! We’ve got the exclusive reincarnation of Bruce Lee! Visit exotic locales on runaway trains! Tremble to lonely love songs! Look upon terrifying beasts and experience torrential downpours never before seen! All things Beautiful, Bizarre, and Barbaric can be found within. Void where prohibited, satisfaction guaranteed!

For years, John, an insurance executive living in the suburbs, has secretly wanted to have his arms chopped off. Finally, he gathers the courage to leave his loving wife, Anna, and travel to the city to find a physician willing to amputate. When Anna’s mother-in-law (in an attempt to calm her down) convinces Anna that John is simply having an affair, Anna becomes enraged and determines to find John—and cut off his balls. So begins director Habib Azar’s delightful debut feature Armless, a deliciously twisted romp of comedic drama filled with mistaken identities, missed chances, and revealing consequences. Azar deftly crafts a thoughtful, off-kilter farce out of Kyle Jarrow’s tautly written play by the same name. Armless offers a dark, philosophical fable about marriage and acceptance—speaking to those who fake it and still make it, and perhaps especially to those who want to change but still stay the same. Film Contact Habib Azar Email: razini@hotmail.com

Eleven year-old Aaron plays a game of Hide and Seek where his friend Tony is never found. The mystery of their relationship—and their queer attachment to the armoire in Aaron's bedroom—can only be revealed, it turns out, through hypnosis. Film Contact Jamie Travis Phone: (416) 910-1592 Email: jamie@modernfamily.ca

Civilization and culture are inexorably linked; the impact of art reaches beyond communicating human experiences and exploring ideas at the core of our society. Its ability to bridge understanding, provide a vision for social change, and drive the economy is too often lost. Join us for a lively discussion about the way to rethink the relevance of film and art in the national dialogue. Compelled by the potential of a new era in arts policy, what role should government play in the arts? And how can art foster permanent change in a disposable culture? Join Moises Kaufman, Bob Lynch (Americans for the Arts), Anne Radice (Institute of Museum and Library Services) and moderator Rachel Goslins (President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities).

Pondering the possibilities that await us at the end of the line. Film Contact Diego Maclean Phone: (778) 835-1695 Email: me@diegomaclean.com

WAITING FOR SUPERMAN For a nation that proudly declared it would leave no child behind, America continues to do so at alarming rates. Despite increased spending and politicians’ promises, our buckling public-education system, once the best in the world, routinely forsakes the education of millions of children. Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim reminds us that education “statistics” have names: Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, whose stories make up the engrossing foundation of WAITING FOR SUPERMAN. As he follows a handful of promising kids through a system that inhibits, rather than encourages, academic growth, Guggenheim undertakes an exhaustive review of public education, surveying “drop-out factories” and “academic sinkholes,” methodically dissecting the system and its seemingly intractable problems. However, embracing the belief that good teachers make good schools, and ultimately questioning the role of unions in maintaining the status quo, Guggenheim offers hope by exploring innovative approaches taken by education reformers and charter schools that have—in reshaping the culture—refused to leave their students behind.

HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE Six New Yorkers juggle love, friendship, and the keenly challenging specter of adulthood. Sam Wexler is a struggling writer who's having a particularly bad day. When a young boy gets separated from his family on the subway, Sam makes the questionable decision to bring the child back to his apartment and thus begins a rewarding, yet complicated, friendship. Sam’s life revolves around his friends—Annie, whose self-image keeps her from commitment; Charlie and Mary Catherine, a couple whose possible move to Los Angeles tests their relationship; and Mississippi, a cabaret singer who catches Sam’s eye. Written, directed, and starring Josh Radnor (CBS's How I Met Your Mother), happythankyoumoreplease boasts a wryly funny script and engaging performances from its ensemble cast. With honesty and humor, Radnor captures a generational moment—young people on the cusp of truly growing up, struggling for connection, and hoping to define what it means to love and be loved.

10.30 a.m. Award Winner TBA Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work LIBRARY 11.00 a.m. Award Winner TBA His & Hers HOL III 1:00 p.m. Award Winner TBA The Man Next Door HOL I 2:00 p.m. Award Winner TBA Grown Up Movie Star HOL. III 2:30 p.m. Award Winner TBA Gasland HOL. IV 3:30 p.m. Award Winner TBA 3 Backyards PROSPECTOR 4:30 p.m. Award Winner TBA Enemies of the People HOL. II 5:00 p.m. Award Winner TBA A Film Unfinished HOL. III

Yes, in Bass Ackwards, a man drives a ’76 Volkswagen van across America. No, the film isn’t mired with the tired mechanics of a typical “road movie.” This utterly original, lyrical, and visually exciting adventure has such a light touch that it quietly sneaks up and tugs you into an overpowering appreciation of being human. When humble Linas, kicked off of his friend’s couch and spurned by his lover, finds a forgotten van on a llama farm outside Seattle, he begins lurching east with nothing to lose. Slowly, the road eases him out of his relentless longing and into the moment. As his encounters with enigmatic characters take on subtly transcendent qualities, his shame and discomfort at being alone gradually give way to self-acceptance and connection. The dented, off-kilter vehicle, which valiantly, amazingly endures the journey, becomes a colorful metaphor for the human condition—our tenacity and hopefulness always tinged with imperfection. Film Contact George Nicholis, ZipLine Entertainment LLC Email: george@ziplineentertainment.com