Why We Go To The Sundance Film Festival | /Film

TheSundance Film Festivalis the best known film festival in the United States. Say the word“Sundance” to anyone, film lover or not, and chances are they’ve heard of the festival. As a movie blog though, the problem with covering Sundance is that virtually all of the movies are brand new. We haven’t heard of them, you haven’t heard of them, so why would you even care about them?

More than any of the casting news, trailer or film stills that we post on a daily basis, what happens in that small corner of Utah for a little over a week in January is probably the most important movie event of the year. Even so, talk to the most seasoned movie fan and they don’t spend half as much time focusing on what’s going on at Sundance as they do bitching about movies that came out three years ago. Plain and simple, the best films that you will see in theaters for the next 12 months are being shown at Sundance now. And while you probably haven’t heard of them in January, you’ll definitely have heard of them by December. Don’t you want in on the ground floor?

For the next 10 days, some combination of myself, Peter Sciretta and David Chen will be in Park City, Utah at the Sundance Film Festival. And while you might not be eager to click and read about a movie you haven’t heard of yet, we urge you to do so. Some of the films that people hadn’t heard of when they played Sundance in the past are films likeSaw, The Blair Witch Project, Donnie Darko,28 Days Later, Napoleon Dynamite, Memento, Bottle Rocket, Clerks, Reservoir DogsandThe Usual Suspects. Think of all the movies that have been made since because filmmakers likeChristopher Nolan, Wes Anderson, Kevin Smith, Quentin TarantinoandBryan Singerbroke out at the Sundance Film Festival. Who is the breakout star this year? You’ll have to follow our coverage to find out.

Still not convinced? We’ve compiled even more films that you know and love that got their start at Sundance after the jump.

At this time last year, the films screening at Sundance includedCatfish, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Blue Valentine, Winter’s Bone, Restrepo, Animal Kingdom, Waiting for Superman, Four Lions, The Kids Are All Rightand more. And that’s just last year.

In previous years (besides the huge ones we mentioned above) films as diverse as The Cove, Precious, Moon, 500 Days of Summer, In Bruges, Time Crimes, Half Nelson, Little Miss Sunshine, The Descent, Hustle and Flow, Foot Fist Way, Primer, Better Luck Tomorrow, You Can Count on Me, The Squid and the Whale, American Splendor, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Super TroopersandAmerican Psychoall played at Sundance.

It’s notThe Dark KnightorTransformers, we know, but that’s a pretty solid list of movies and you can guarantee that in 2011, we’ll be adding to it.

Peter, David and I will seeing as many movies as possible and, when we have a few moments between that, eating and sleeping, even writing about them. And while not everything that plays in Park City is guaranteed to be a classic, most of the stuff becomes well-known.

What movies playing at Sundance this year are you most excited to see?

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