ID films at the Sundance Film Festival

December 17, 2009 by J!-ENT 

The following schedule is for 2010 Sundance feature ID Films who are presenting: “The Company Men” and “The Imperialists Are Still Alive!”‘

THE COMPANY MEN – World Premiere

Director: John Wells
Writer: John Wells
Producers: John Wells, Claire Rudnick Polstein, Paula Weinstein
Principal Cast: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello, Rosemarie DeWitt
Running Time: 113 minutes

One of the first casualties of a corporate downsize is Bobby Walker, (Ben Affleck) a hot-shot sales executive who is living the idyllic life—complete with two kids and a mortgaged picket fence. He learns quickly that some choices are out of his hands, and this is only the beginning. We embark on a journey that is all too familiar in today’s recessionary economy: one that will test friendships, loyalties, and family bonds.

John Wells explores the powerlessness of losing one’s job while examining how anger, fear, and forced humility can replace the security of “normal.” The inspired casting of great actors, lending their formidable insight to this timely story, makes The Company Men a tribute to America’s unsung heroes: hard-working men caught in life’s unexpected misfortunes.

Public Screenings:
Friday, January 22, 9:30 PM / Location: Eccles Center, Park City
Saturday, January 23, 9:15 AM / Location: Eccles Center, Park City
Sunday, January 24, 3:00 PM / Location: Rose Wagner, Salt Lake City
Thursday, January 28, 7:00 PM / Location: Sundance USA – Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA
Saturday, January 30, 6:15 PM / Location: Eccles Center, Park City

Expected Talent:
Writer/Director John Wells, Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Maria Bello

THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE! – US Dramatic Competition (World Premiere)

Director: Zeina Durra
Writer: Zeina Durra
Producers: Vanessa Hope, Rami Makhzoumi, Matthew Chausse, Joel Blanco
Principal Cast: Elodie Bouchez, Jose Maria de Tavira, Karim Saleh
Running Time: 90 minutes

A successful visual artist working in post-9/11 Manhattan, Asya lives the life of the hip and glamorous, replete with exclusive art parties, supermodels, and stretch limousines while she carefully follows the situation in the Middle East on television. Asya learns that her childhood friend, Faisal, has disappeared—the victim of a purported CIA abduction. That same night, she meets Javier, a sexy Mexican PhD student, and romance blossoms. Javier finds Asya’s conspiracy theories overly paranoid—but nothing in Asya’s world is as it seems. Asya’s life is reflective of the textural themes of cultural fusion, and the complications and humor that arise out of everyday life.

Zeina Durra’s atmospheric debut feature is a splendidly alluring and intelligent look at the way the war on terror seeps into the texture of everyday American life. Gorgeous 16 mm grain imbues the film with an anachronistic feel that interestingly evokes times past. The Imperialists Are Still Alive! is an exceptional work and heralds the arrival of Durra as an exciting new directorial talent.

Public Screenings:
Monday, January 25, 12:30 PM / Location: Eccles Theater
Tuesday, January 26, 11:30 AM / Location: Holiday Village II (P&I Screening)
Tuesday, January 26, 5:15 PM / Location: Racquet Club
Thursday, January 28, 8:30 AM / Location: Racquet Club
Thursday, January 28, 9:30 PM / Location: Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
Friday, January 29, 8:30 PM / Location: Library Center Theater

Expected Talent: Zeina Durra, Elodie Bouchez, Jose Maria de Tavira