The schedule is out for next month’s Sundance NEXT Fest—or at least mostly out, aside from a few surprises they’re still keeping to themselves. As in each of the previous three years, the concise weekend-long festival picks some of the most promising and buzzy new independent films to screen at the Theater at Ace Hotel, making them available to LA audiences months before they become the movies that everyone is chatting about. Then, they add to the film festival experience by pairing the screenings with music and comedic performances that build off of what viewers have just seen.
Kicking off the festival on Aug 12 is Lovesong, a critics favorite in Park City this year, the film is the work of an Asian-American woman writer-director with a story focusing on the complexities of female friendships and sexuality, it’s just the type of work that Sundance is known for championing even if the Hollywood studio machines would be unlikely to take it on. Filmmaker So Yong Kim, who back in 2006 won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize with her debut feature In Between Days, works here with a cast including Rosanna Arquette, Brooklyn Decker and Jena Malone. Following the film, the audience will be treated to music by Shamir, who made waves with his own mainstream debut in 2015, Ratchet, thanks to his distinctive, androgynous countertenor voice and fluid blending of pop, R&B and dance genres.
Saturday at NEXT Fest brings three events. First, at noon, the screening is Morris from America, a humorous coming-of-age story in which a 13-year-old African American boy, played by Markees Christmas, moves to Heidelberg, Germany with this father, played by Craig Robinson, which forces him to confront the trickiness of tweendom in a foreign land. After Morris from America, co-star Robinson will take the stage to host a talent show with young performers from local youth arts programs. Later in the afternoon is White Girl, a provocative film—VICE is calling it “The most explosive portrait of NYC youth since Kids”—by young writer-director Elizabeth Wood, who will be on-hand after the showing to lead a conversation with one of her own filmmaking inspirations. Saturday ends with the somber Goat, a piece about assault, frat-hazing, masculinity, and the difficult relationship between two brothers—starring Nick Jonas, of Jonas Brothers fame. The night concludes with a musical performance by one of New York’s most beloved bands of the moment, Sunflower Bean, who have sold out all of their LA shows so far this year.
The Sunday program begins with a master class for industry pros and a program of short comedy films accompanied by stand-up hosted by comedian Nick Kroll. The first feature-length screening of the day is Under the Shadow, a horror film set against a backdrop of Iranian-Revolution-era Tehran, followed by a conversation led by filmmaker Babak Anvari. The festival closes out Sunday night with The Greasy Strangler. This quirky piece, listed on IMDB as comedy, horror and thriller all in one, tells the story of a love triangle, a disco walking tour and a suspicious stranger. Before the feature, a new short film by Flying Lotus will also screen, which may give some tip to who the “mystery musical guest” will be to finish out the show, but Sundance isn’t saying just yet.
