Week Two of The Sundance Film Festival 2014 from Lucy Shaw

Lucy Shaw, Research and Insight Executive, Digital Cinema Media, continues her report from the Sundance Film Festival 2014 and shares her thoughts on the first week in Park City, Utah.

Before each screening at the festival, there is a short film highlighting some of the most famous films that have screened here in the past thirty years. Did you know that Shallow Grave, The Full Monty and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels premièred here in Park City? Which films from this year might make that coveted list? Here is my "best of  the fest” so far.

Zach Braff's directorial debut Garden State premiered here a decade ago and last Saturday I sat in line for two and a half hours to guarantee a seat at the premiere of his second film, Wish I Was Here. I don't regret a second of it. Part-funded by a kick-starter campaign, Wish I Was Here is a bittersweet comedy delivering laughs and tears in equal measure. Braff plays Aidan, a thirty-something father with a struggling acting career, troublesome children and a disapproving father (played by Mandy Patinkin from Homeland). The cast also features a great performance from Kate Hudson as Aidan's suffering wife and Josh Gad as his slightly odd younger brother.

Another director returning to Sundance with his follow-up feature is Henry Cahill. Another Earth, premiered in 2011, and I Origins once again takes a realistic look at the sci-fi genre. Michael Pitt plays Ian Gray - a scientist studying the evolution of the human eye whose beliefs in science are challenged by the mysterious, enigmatic Sofi (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey). Brit Marling, star of Another Earth, completes the stellar cast. Being a fan of Another Earth I was worried my high expectations wouldn't be met, but they were surpassed with a unique story, excellent cast and great visuals.

Finally on my list of festival highlights, Whiplash, directed and written by Damian Chazelle. Originally screened as a short last year, this feature is the story of Andrew (Miles Teller) a jazz-drummer at a New York music college. JK Simmons plays the teacher who effectively bullies him into greatness. This was my first film of the festival and it set the bar high. The two lead performances are both fantastically written and acted. The final scenes are the best ending to a film I have seen in a while. This is one of the most talked about films of the festival and I would be surprised if it didn't win the audience award in the US dramatic feature competition. I for one gave it 4/4.

So Sundance 2014 is halfway through, and the celebrities might have gone home, but there is still plenty more to see. The second half of the festival will bring the premières of The Raid 2, The Voices, starring Ryan Reynolds, and Rudderless with Anton Yelchin, as well as opportunities to see everything else I've missed so far.  Once I'm back across the pond I'll be back to give you a roundup of what might make it onto UK cinema screens.