Sundance. Lineup, round 1.

"While the dramatic competition lineup for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival includes a few familiar names, such as the return to Park City by Half Nelson filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden or the new film from All the Boys Love Mandy Lane director Jonathan Levine, and even an American feature by Rain director Christine Jeffs, the roster of American independent features is dominated by first timers," writes indieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez, who listens to festival director Geoff Gilmore's take on the lineup and, before unfurling today's list, notes, "The Sundance feature film roster is spread across the four competitive sections being unveiled today and five out-of-competition sections which will to be announced tomorrow."

Updated through 11/29.

Updates, 11/29: "Personal stories, individual solutions to society’s problems and an unexpected strain of optimism will supplant diatribes, exposés and gloom at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in January." An assessment from David M Halbfinger in the New York Times.

Karina Longworth plucks out a few highlights at the SpoutBlog.

The Reeler spots the New Yorkers.

Karina Longworth has several good reasons to be optimistic about Isaac Julien's Derek, an "experiment in narrative" about Derek Jarman exec produced by Tilda Swinton and produced by Colin MacCabe.

Posted by dwhudson at November 28, 2007 1:25 PM