Slamdance announces 2009 features

photo by Glenn McQuaid

In an answer to last week's announcement of Sundance's 2009 line-up, its little sibling Slamdance has now announced its own film slate. Slamdance was founded under the auspices that Sundance had become too commercial and features films that aren't really independent. Its requirements include a $1 million or smaller budget and no contract for theatrical distribution. Because of this, it's rare to be aware of the directors or actors unless you know them personally. There's usually less polish, but far more variety than what gets shown at Sundance.

This year marks the 15th anniversary for the festival, which, if anything, is more competitive than ever this year. The festival lasts from Jan. 15-23 in Park City, Utah. Check out the features in competition below:

Narrative Feature Competition:

The Ante, Max Perrier (Director), Danek S. Kaus, James Chancellor & Simon Perrier (Writers) West Coast Premiere, Black Comedy/Thriller, 2006, CANADA, 82 minutes. An innocent man becomes the killer everyone wants him to be when he gambles with his freedom in order to save it.

A Quiet Little Marriage, Mo Perkins (Director/Writer) Utah Premiere, Drama, 2008, USA, 83 minutes. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Cy Carter, Jimmi Simpson. A loving young couple square off against each other in a covert, domestic battleground of their own making.

City Rats, Steve M. Kelly (Director), Simon Fantauzzo (Writer) World Premiere, Drama, 2008, UK, 96 minutes. Cast: Susan Lynch, Kenny Doughty, Tamer Hassan. A modern day Dickensian tale of eight haunted people who meet and fall apart while searching for redemption in each other.

I Sell the Dead, Glenn McQuaid (Director/Writer) US Premiere, Horror/Black Comedy, 2008, USA, 85 minutes. Cast: Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman, Angus Scrimm, Larry Fessenden. Set in the late 1800s, a duo of bumbling graverobbers begin to unearth peculiar corpses. (Opening Night Film)

Mississippi Damned, Tina Mabry (Director/Writer) World Premiere, Drama, 2009, USA, 120 minutes. Cast: DB Woodside, Malcolm David Kelly, Malcolm Goodwin, Tessa Thompson, Michael Hyatt. Three poor kids in rural Mississippi reap the consequences of their family's cycle of abuse, addiction and violence.

Only, Ingrid Veninger & Simon Reynolds (Directors/Writers) US Premiere, Coming of Age Drama, 2008, CANADA, 74 minutes. One day shared between a young boy and girl, whose story unfolds as a luminous and lyrical study of pre-teen ennui and loneliness.

Punching the Clown, Gregori Viens (Director), Henry Phillips & Gregori Viens (Writers) World Premiere, Comedy, 2008, USA, 90 minutes. Cast: Henry Phillips. A satirical songwriter comes to L.A. and puts his life's work in jeopardy.

Son of the Sunshine, Ryan Ward (Director/Writer) World Premiere, Drama, 2008, CANADA, 95 minutes. Cast: Ryan Ward. After an experimental surgery seems to curb the symptoms of his Tourette's Syndrome, a young man (played by writer/director Ryan Ward) must confront the complexities of his life head on.

Spooner, Drake Doremus (Director), Lindsay Stidham (Writer) World Premiere, Comedy, 2008, USA, 83 minutes. Cast: Matthew Lillard, Nora Zehetner, Shea Whigham, Christopher MacDonald. Facing eviction from his parent's home on his 30th birthday, a thoroughly average guy meets the girl of his dreams and creates his own rules for growing up.

You Might As Well Live, Simon Ennis (Director), Simon Ennis & Josh Peace (Writers) World Premiere, Comedy, 2008, CANADA, 82 minutes. Cast: Michael Madsen, Stephen McHattie, Joshua Peace. Robert R. Mutt, town loser, sets out to attain the three keys to success - money, a girl, and a championship ring.

Documentary Feature Competition:

Graphic Sexual Horror, Barbara Bell & Anna Lorentzon (Directors/Writers) World Premiere, 2009, USA, 85 minutes. A look behind the terrifying facade of InSex.com, the most notorious of the 'violent porn' websites, while exploring the dark mind of its artistic creator and asking hard questions about personal responsibility.

Hard To Be An Indian, Beth Toni Kruvant (Director), Jonah Kruvant (Writer) World Premiere, 2007, USA, 84 minutes. The trials and tribulations of an inner city school and the principal, Jewish alumni and gang members who return it to safety and restore its former glory.

Lost Sparrow, Chris Billing (Director/Writer) World Premiere, 2009, USA, 78 minutes. Filmmaker Chris Billing probes at his family history while investigating the tragic 1978 deaths of his adopted Crow Indian brothers.

Oh My God, It's Harrod Blank, David Silverberg (Director/Writer) World Premiere, 2008, USA, 75 minutes. A portrait of the eccentric art-car artist Harrod Blank, following him from his youth in the woods to his current multi-faceted career as creator and head of a nationwide art- car movement. With appearances by his father, filmmaker Les Blank.

The Road to Fallujah, Mark Manning (Director/Writer) World Premiere, 2009, USA, 85 minutes. Exploring Mark Manning's unique access as the only westerner to live with the people of Fallujah immediately following the November 2004 battle that destroyed their ancient and holy city, offering an in-depth and humanizing look at current issues in Iraq.

Second Sight, Alison McAlpine (Director/Writer) US Premiere, 2008, SCOTLAND/CANADA, 51 minutes. A cinematic, non-fiction ghost story featuring the last generation of Gaelic storytellers on Scotland's Isle of Skye.

Smile Til It Hurts, Lee Storey (Director/Writer) North American Premiere, 2009, USA, 81 minutes. The amazing true story of Up With People, the singing group that represented an establishment-friendly alternative to the counter-culture.

Strongman, Zachary Levy (Director/Writer) World Premiere, 2008, USA, 113 minutes. A man strong enough to bend a penny with just his fingers, Stanless Steel reaches middle age, career disappointments and difficult personal relationships that begin to test his strengths and force him to struggle with the weaknesses around him--including his own.

Unwanted Witness, Juan Jose Lozano (Director/Writer) US Premiere, 2008, SWITZERLAND/FRANCE, 87 minutes. In the middle of Colombia's humanitarian tragedy, a journalist fights to report and disclose the barbarity of the conflict.

Zombie Girl, Justin Johnson, Aaron Marshall, Erik Mauck (Directors/Writers) Utah Premiere, 2008, USA, 91 minutes. An inside look at the two years that it took 12-year-old Emily Hagins to write and direct her feature-length zombie movie, Pathogen.