By Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) --Most of the 117 feature films screening at this year's Sundance Film Festival were missing just one thing: Distribution.
As a showcase for independent cinema, the Sundance festival shows movies made outside the studio system through private financing. Without studio distribution, the festival is often the only place to see these films.
But distributors and exhibitors come to the festival in droves, looking for hot properties that will resonate with moviegoers across the country and around the world.
Below is a list of some of the films that found distribution at Sundance and will be coming to theaters (or computer screens) near you:
— "Whiplash," director Damien Chazelle's debut feature starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics for distribution in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Germany.
— "Wish I Was Here," the film Zach Braff co-wrote, directed and stars in with Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin, Josh Gad and Ashley Greene, will be distributed in North America, Poland and South Africa by Focus Features.
— "I Origins," an existential drama by writer-director Mike Cahill that stars Michael Pitt and Brit Marling, found worldwide distribution with Fox Searchlight Pictures.
— "The Skeleton Twins," which reunites "Saturday Night Live" alums Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, was acquired by three companies: Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will handle U.S. distribution and Sony Pictures Worldwide is taking care of international territories.
— "God's Pocket," John Slattery's directorial debut starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks and John Turturro, was picked up by IFC Films for U.S. audiences.
— "Calvary," writer-director John Michael McDonagh's dramedy about a well-meaning priest, will reach U.S. theaters and some international territories thanks to Fox Searchlight Pictures.
— "Cooties," starring Rainn Wilson, Elijah Wood and Jack McBrayer, secured North American distribution through Lionsgate.
— "Land Ho!" a road-trip comedy about Reykjavik nightlife, will reach worldwide audiences through Sony Pictures Classics.
— "Dinosaur 13," a documentary about the discovery of the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex, was picked up by Lionsgate and CNN Films for North American distribution.
— "Cesar's Last Fast," a documentary about Cesar Chavez's 36-day water-only fast to draw attention to the plight of farm workers, will air on TV in English and Spanish thanks to Pivot and Univison News.
— "Sepideh: Reaching for the Stars," a documentary about an Iranian girl who wants to be an astronaut, is available in the U.S. and Canada on iTunes.
— "MITT," Greg Whiteley's documentary about the former Republican presidential candidate, will premiere on Netflix on Friday.
Review: Director Morgan Neville’s “Piece by Piece”
A movie documentary that uses only Lego pieces might seem an unconventional choice. When that documentary is about renowned musician-producer Pharrell Williams, it's actually sort of on-brand.
"Piece by Piece" is a bright, clever song-filled biopic that pretends it's a behind-the-scenes documentary using small plastic bricks, angles and curves to celebrate an artist known for his quirky soul. It is deep and surreal and often adorable. Is it high concept or low? Like Williams, it's a bit of both.
Director Morgan Neville — who has gotten more and more experimental exploring other celebrity lives like Fred Rogers in "Won't You Be My Neighbor?,""Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" and "Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in Two Pieces" — this time uses real interviews but masks them under little Lego figurines with animated faces. Call this one a documentary in a million pieces.
The filmmakers try to explain their device — "What if nothing is real? What if life is like a Lego set?" Williams says at the beginning — but it's very tenuous. Just submit and enjoy the ride of a poor kid from Virginia Beach, Virginia, who rose to dominate music and become a creative director at Louis Vuitton.
Williams, by his own admission, is a little detached, a little odd. Music triggers colors in his brain — he has synesthesia, beautifully portrayed here — and it's his forward-looking musical brain that will make him a star, first as part of the producing team The Neptunes and then as an in-demand solo producer and songwriter.
There are highs and lows and then highs again. A verse Williams wrote for "Rump Shaker" by Wreckx-N-Effect when he was making a living selling beats would lead to superstars demanding to work with him and partner... Read More