{"id":149526,"date":"2021-01-24T11:41:19","date_gmt":"2021-01-24T16:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/?p=149526"},"modified":"2021-01-24T14:10:05","modified_gmt":"2021-01-24T19:10:05","slug":"ellens-top-sundance-2021-film-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/ellens-top-sundance-2021-film-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"Ellen’s Top Sundance 2021 Film Picks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My blackfilm.com Sundance 2021 Film Festival<\/a> <\/strong>press credentials <\/strong>have been secured, a concerning amount of truffle popcorn has been ordered, and my living room-couch ensembles are waiting to be worn over the course of seven days. Suffice it to say, I am treating this eventful occasion as if I were going to Park City, UT to attend in person. This must be what Charlie Bucket felt like when he got his Golden Ticket! The 2021 Festival will take place digitally via a feature-rich, Sundance-built online platform\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0in person on Satellite Screens across the country (public health permitting) from January 28-February 3, 2021. Ellen’s Top Sundance 2021 Film Picks<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a list of films I’ll be reviewing within the U.S. Dramatic Competition & Premieres Category<\/strong>, as well as a list of bonus films I’ll be watching (for fun and virtual discussion with fellow festival attendees) in the U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, Premieres, & Spotlight categories<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see the full Sundance 2021 program click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 5 U.S. Dramatic & Premiere Films <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the Count of Three<\/strong> \/ U.S.A. (Director: Jerrod Carmichael, Screenwriters: Ari Katcher, Ryan Welch, Producers: David Carrico, Adam Paulsen, Tom Werner, Jake Densen, Ari Katcher, Jimmy Price) \u2014 Two guns. Two best friends. And a pact to end their lives when the day is done. Cast: Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Tiffany Haddish, J.B. Smoove, Lavell Crawford, Henry Winkler. <\/em><\/strong>World Premiere<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Christopher
Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichael appear in On the Count of Three<\/i> by Jerrod Carmichael, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Marshall Adams. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Passing<\/strong> \/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Rebecca Hall, Producers: Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Margot Hand, Rebecca Hall) \u2014 Two African-American women who can \u201cpass\u201d as white choose to live on opposite sides of the color line in 1929 New York in an exploration of racial and gender identity, performance, obsession and repression. Based on the novella by Nella Larsen. Cast: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, Andr\u00e9 Holland, Alexander Skarsg\u00e5rd, Bill Camp.<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ruth
Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson appear in Passing<\/i> by Rebecca Hall, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Edu Grau. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Judas and the Black Messiah<\/em><\/strong> \/ U.S.A. (Director: Shaka King, Screenwriters: Will Berson, Shaka King, Producers: Ryan Coogler, Charles D. King, Shaka King) \u2014 FBI informant William O\u2019Neal infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther party when J. Edgar Hoover fears charismatic leader Chairman Fred Hampton will emerge as a Black Messiah. O\u2019Neal lives in fear of discovery and cannot escape the deadly trajectory of his betrayal. Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Lil Rel Howery, Martin Sheen. <\/em><\/strong>World Premiere<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Darrel
Darrel Britt-Gibson, Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield appear in Judas and the Black Messiah<\/i> by Shaka King, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Glen Wilson. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wild Indian<\/strong> \/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr., Producers: Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr., Thomas Mahoney, Eric Tavitian) \u2014 Two men are inextricably bound together after covering up the savage murder of a schoolmate. After years of separation following wildly divergent paths, they must finally confront how their traumatic secret has irrevocably shaped their lives. Cast: Michael Greyeyes, Chaske Spencer, Jesse Eisenberg, Kate Bosworth, Phoenix Wilson, Julian Gopal.<\/em><\/strong> World Premiere<\/em> Ellen’s Top Sundance 2021 Film Picks<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Michael
Michael Greyeyes appears in Wild Indian<\/i> by Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr., an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Eli Born. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mayday<\/strong> \/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Karen Cinorre, Producers: Jonah Disend, Lucas Joaquin, Karen Cinorre, Sam Levy) \u2014 Ana is transported to a dreamlike and dangerous land where she joins a team of female soldiers engaged in a never-ending war along a rugged coast. Though she finds strength in this exhilarating world, she comes to realize that she\u2019s not the killer they want her to be. Cast: Grace Van Patten, Mia Goth, Havana Rose Liu, Soko, Th\u00e9odore Pellerin, Juliette Lewis.<\/em><\/strong> World Premiere<\/em> Ellen’s Top Sundance 2021 U.S. Dramatic Picks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Grace
Grace Van Patten appears in Mayday<\/i> by Karen Cinorre, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Tja\u0161a Kalkan. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bonus Films in the U.S. & World Cinema Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, Premieres, & Spotlight Categories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Summer Of Soul (\u2026Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)<\/em><\/strong> \/ U.S.A. (Director: Ahmir \u201cQuestlove\u201d Thompson<\/strong>, Producers: David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel) \u2014 During the same summer as Woodstock, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity. The footage from the festival sat in a basement, unseen for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America\u2019s history lost \u2013 until now. World Premiere.<\/em> Ellen’s Top Sundance 2021 Film Picks<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A still from Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)<\/i> by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, an official selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Mass Distraction Media. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Night of the Kings<\/strong> \/ France, Ivory Coast, Canada, Senegal (Director and Screenwriter: Philippe Lac\u00f4te, Producers: Delphine Jaquet, Yanick L\u00e9tourneau, Ernest Konan, Yoro Mbaye) \u2014 A young man is sent to La Maca, a prison on the Ivory Coast in the middle of the forest ruled by its prisoners. With the red moon rising, he is designated by the Boss to be the new \u201cRoman\u201d and must tell a story to the other prisoners. Cast: Kon\u00e9 Bakary, Steve Tientcheu, Digbeu Jean Cyrille, Rasman\u00e9 Ou\u00e9draogo, Issaka Sawadogo, Denis Lavant.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kone\u0301
Kone\u0301 Bakary and Anzian Marcel appear in Night of the Kings<\/i> by Philippe Lac\u00f4te, an official selection of the Spotlight section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Land <\/em><\/strong>\/ U.S.A. (Director: Robin Wright, Screenwriters: Jesse Chatham, Erin Dignam, Producers: Allyn Stewart, Lora Kennedy, Leah Holzer, Peter Saraf) \u2013 The poignant story of one woman\u2019s search, in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, for meaning in the vast and harsh American wilderness. Cast: Robin Wright, Demi\u00e1n Bichir, Kim Dickens. <\/em><\/strong>World Premiere, Narrative<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Robin
Robin Wright appears in Land<\/i> by Robin Wright, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Daniel Power. Copyright Focus Features LLC 2020. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Superior<\/em><\/strong> \/ U.S.A. (Director: Erin Vassilopoulos, Screenwriters: Erin Vassilopoulos, Alessandra Mesa, Producers: Benjamin Cohen, Grant Curatola, Patrick Donovan) \u2014 On the run, Marian returns to her hometown in upstate New York to hide out with her estranged identical twin sister, Vivian. Struggling to put the past behind her, Marian lies about the reason for her return, leaving her sister in the dark until their two worlds begin to collide. Cast: Alessandra Mesa, Ani Mesa, Pico Alexander, Jake Hoffman, Stanley Simons. World Premiere<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ani Mesa appears in Superior<\/i> by Erin Vassilopoulos, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Mia Cioffi Henry. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Human Factors<\/strong> \/ Germany, Italy, Denmark (Director and Screenwriter: Ronny Trocker, Producers: Susanne Mann, Paul Zischler, Martin Rehbock) \u2014 A mysterious housebreaking exposes the agony of an exemplary middle class family. Cast: Sabine Timoteo, Mark Waschke, Jule Hermann, Wanja Valentin Kube, Hannes Perkmann, Daniel S\u00e9journ\u00e9.<\/strong> World Premiere<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sabine Timoteo, Wanja Valentin Kube and Mark Waschke appear in Human Factors<\/i> by Ronny Trocker, an official selection of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. | photo by Klemens Hufnagl. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Pink Cloud<\/strong> \/ Brazil (Director and Screenwriter: Iuli Gerbase, Producer: Patricia Barbieri) \u2014 A mysterious and deadly pink cloud appears across the globe, forcing everyone to stay home. Strangers at the outset, Giovana and Yago try to invent themselves as a couple as years of shared lockdown pass. While Yago is living in his own utopia, Giovana feels trapped deep inside. Cast: Renata de L\u00e9lis, Eduardo Mendon\u00e7a.<\/strong> World Premiere<\/em> Ellen’s Top Sundance 2021 Picks<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Eduardo Mendon\u00e7a appears in The Pink Cloud<\/i> by Iuli Gerbase, an official selection of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sundance \u201921 Goes Beyond Film<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My blackfilm.com Sundance 2021 Film Festival press credentials have been secured, a concerning amount of truffle popcorn has been ordered, and my living room-couch ensembles are waiting to be worn over the course of seven days. Suffice it to say, I am treating this eventful occasion as if I were going to Park City, UT […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":149460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[145,16,143],"tags":[32189,2071,27248,3806,15493,5917,12362,25818,13579,32206,7169,17584,275,9731,31664,32186,3636,20295,21989,8543,5308,32209,26944,32193,32179,32180,32185,4146,32188,32205,32210,32212,18128,32184],"reaction":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-149526","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured","8":"category-news","9":"category-read","10":"tag-ahmir-questlove-thompson-3","11":"tag-black-film","12":"tag-black-filmmakers","13":"tag-blackfilm","14":"tag-chaske-spencer","15":"tag-christopher-abbott","16":"tag-daniel-kaluuya","17":"tag-dominique-fishback","18":"tag-henry-winkler","19":"tag-human-factors","20":"tag-j-b-smoove","21":"tag-jerrod-carmichael","22":"tag-jesse-eisenberg","23":"tag-jesse-plemons","24":"tag-judas-and-the-black-messiah","25":"tag-julian-gopal","26":"tag-kate-bosworth","27":"tag-lakeith-stanfield","28":"tag-lavell-crawford","29":"tag-lil-rel-howery","30":"tag-martin-sheen","31":"tag-mayday","32":"tag-michael-greyeyes","33":"tag-night-of-the-kings","34":"tag-on-the-count-of-three","35":"tag-passing","36":"tag-phoenix-wilson","37":"tag-robin-wright","38":"tag-summer-of-soul","39":"tag-sundance-2021-film-festival","40":"tag-superior","41":"tag-the-pink-cloud","42":"tag-tiffany-haddish","43":"tag-wild-indian"},"yoast_head":"\nEllen's Top Sundance 2021 Film Picks - blackfilm.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ellen's Top Sundance 2021 film picks from the U.S. Dramatic Competition & Premieres Category. 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