$25 million Apple paid for “CODA,” the $15 million Netflix paid for “Passing” or documentary-record $15 million Searchlight/Hulu paid for “Summer of Soul.” There’s still plenty of time for dealmaking, but not much time for new films to grab the spotlight: All of the festival’s movies were programmed to launch in the first five days, with Monday’s lineup – which included “Emily the Criminal,” “The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales,” “Dos Estaciones,” “The Janes” and “Am I OK?” – scheduled as the last of this year’s premieres.
On Monday afternoon, Sundance added one final film, the documentary “Navalny” – but apart from its Tuesday debut, the final six days of the 11-day festival will consist of repeat screenings of films that have already bowed.That will give viewers time to see more of the films that have drawn praise over the first five days, a group that includes the understated drama “A Love Song,” with Dale Dickey; the timely thrillers “Emergency” and “892”; Sophie Hyde’s “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” with Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack as the festival’s most deliciously unlikely couple; Juan Pablo Gonzalez’ melancholy “Dos Estaciones”; and “S—house” director Cooper Raiff’s follow-up to that Sundance award winner, “Cha Cha Real Smooth.”As usual for Sundance, the documentary lineup is particularly strong, with many highlights from female directors, among them Margaret Brown’s haunted and haunting “Descendant,” about the discovery of the wreck of the final slave ship to come to America (but also about a lot more than that); Amy Berg’s “Phoenix Rising,” with Evan Rachel Wood detailing her abusive relationship with Marilyn Manson; “Lucy and Desi,” Amy Poehler’s affectionate study of Lucille Ball; “Jihad Rehab,”.
Read more on thewrap.com