2014 Sundance Film Festival: Portraits By Derek Kettela

What It's About

: Maggie (Saldana) goes to New York for business school and leaves her two young daughters with their manic-depressive father, Cam (Ruffalo).
The Scoop: ?I lost my father when I was 9, so anytime I get to work on a project exploring a father-daughter relationship, it hits me in the gut,? says Saldana.

What It's About

: In his first directorial endeavor since Garden State, Braff brought together an all-star cast (Greene, Hudson, Gad, Jim Parsons, Mandy Patinkin, and more) for a comic tearjerker touching on faith and family.
The Scoop: ?Watching Zach work was a dream,? says Hudson. ?I knew he was a wonderful actor, but as a director he was brilliant.?

What It's About

: Chronicling the hardships that shaped President Abraham Lincoln, this black-and-white feature focuses on those who were influences in his life, including his stepmother (Kruger) and his first teacher (Bentley).
The Scoop: ?I find the message so inspirational: If you encourage children in their natural talents, no matter how rich or how poor, they can become great,? says Kruger.

What It's About

: Arquette and Hawke play the divorced parents of Mason (Coltrane) in this emotional drama that traces the boy’s life from childhood to college.
The Scoop: “The process of making this film over a dozen years was joyous. Whenever you’re around kids, you’re inspired to be on your best behavior,” says Hawke.

What It's About

: In Macy’s directorial debut, Sam (Crudup) finds hope after the death of his son by starting a band to perform the child’s music.
The Scoop: “Before filming, I spent a few weeks practicing with the other musicians just to create the nuances of what a real group is like,” says Crudup.

What It's About

: After breaking up with her boyfriend, Jenny (Kendrick) moves into her brother and sister-in-law’s (Swanberg and Lynskey) Chicago basement to get her self-destructive life back on track.
The Scoop: “This styling was very DIY. In one scene I had to look hungover and disheveled, so I slept in my makeup and woke up looking rough. It worked beautifully,” says Kendrick.

What It's About

: A German spy (Hoffman) works to track down a suspected terrorist, using a lawyer (McAdams) and banker (Dafoe) in a scheme to take him down.
The Scoop: "I loved the tangled web of the story, and the cast was incredible," says McAdams.

What It's About

: After joining the army to find meaning, Amy Cole (Stewart) is stationed at Guantánamo Bay and develops a unique relationship with a detainee (Mooadi).
The Scoop: ?We shot this in an abandoned prison near L.A. I went outside one night and got so spooked, I ran back to my trailer freaking out,? Stewart says.

What It's About

: Despite the title, you won’t find poultry with plumes. This is the story of what happens to Kat Connors (Woodley) when her mother (Eva Green) disappears.
The Scoop: “The film takes place in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and I loved the clothes. I wore Doc Martens all the time,” says Woodley.

What It's About

: Mickey (Philip Seymour Hoffman) tries to cover-up the accidental death of his stepson, but gets in over his head when an unhappy wife (Hendricks) and a reporter begin to uncover the truth.
The Scoop: "It was a really intense movie, so there was a lot of crying on my part," Hendricks divulges.

What It's About

: Aspiring singer Eve (Browning) forms a band in this coming-of-age musical.
The Scoop: ?I wanted to go to a singing teacher to prepare, but my director said no, he liked my raw voice. He promised me I wouldn?t sound stupid,? says Browning.

What It's About

: Widowed father Hollis (Paul) struggles to keep his two sons together (Garner and Wiggins) after the younger one is removed from his custody.
The Scoop: ?Jumping from Breaking Bad to Hellion was the perfect move,? says Paul. ?I play a dad for the first time. It?s great, but it means I?m getting older!?

What It's About

: While molecular biologist Ian (Pitt) loves his wife and lab partner Karen (Marling), he reminisces about a flame from his past (Bergès-Frisbey).
The Scoop: ?This movie explores whether monogamy is even possible. It?s a big, epic question I think we all wrestle with,? says Marling.

What It's About

: A fatal accident in a coal-mining town brings together three unlikely people (Lofland, Holbrook, and Banks) and exposes their secrets.
The Scoop: ?A lot of locals from West Virginia are in the movie,? says Banks. ?We wanted to capture a sense of Americana that?s vanishing right now.?

What It's About

: Based on a true story, it follows Amy (Fanning) as she grows up in L.A. with a father who’s a jazz musician and a junkie.
The Scoop: “Flea brought his instruments to the set and played all the time. It was such a musical environment,” says Fanning.

What It's About

: The grumpy and egomaniacal New York novelist Philip (Schwartzman) gets a negative book review, and his relationship with girlfriend Ashley (Moss) starts to deteriorate.
The Scoop: ?I?d have to say such hurtful things in my scenes that I?d apologize after. I want people to like me!? says Schwartzman.

What It's About

: Based on the cult novel of the same name by Joe R. Lansdale, Richard (Hall) must join forces with the ex-con father of a man he killed to get to the bottom of a deeper conspiracy in a criminal case.
The Scoop: "I was really taken with the script. I read the novel and was even more appreciative of how well translated the story was," says Hall.

What It's About

: Elementary school students terrorize their teachers (Pill, Wood, and McBrayer included) after virus-ridden chicken nuggets from the cafeteria turn them into ravenous flesh-eating zombies.
The Scoop: ?Working with budding adolescents wasn?t so terrifying, in my opinion,? says Wood. ?High schoolers would definitely have been scarier.?

What It's About

: After obsessively watching Fargo on VHS, Kumiko (Kikuchi) is convinced the story is real and travels to the American tundra on a quest to dig up the money-filled briefcase.
The Scoop: ?We shot this in Minnesota in the dead of winter. It was freezing,? says Kikuchi.

What It's About

: A married couple's (Huntington and Rath) romantic weekend goes awry when the husband's old girlfriend (Chriqui) is running the ski lodge where they're staying.
The Scoop: "The mood on set was hilarious. Our chemistry as a group was fantastic," Chriqui states.

What It's About

: Franny (Anne Hathaway), a young archaeologist, returns home to visit her injured brother and mom (Steenburgen), who are angry at her for not keeping in touch. She soon falls for her brother's favorite musician, and family chaos ensues.
The Scoop: "It was a very musical set, which was great," states Steenburgen.

What It's About

: A young couple, Kaia (Gitte Witt) and Andrew (Abbott), are renovating her family's secluded home when their lives are disrupted by her unstable sister, and dark family secrets come to light.
The Scoop: "There was one day when no one could figure out who turned a light on above the house's garage," Abbott says. "We think we had a ghost."

What It's About

: A documentary directed by Chapman and Maclain Way (Bing Russell's grandsons) about the rise of the Portland Mavericks in 1973, a baseball team owned by Bing Russell (Kurt Russell's father) that operated outside the confines of major-league baseball.
The Scoop: "Our family was good at baseball. I was brought up from an early age playing the game, so we felt this story was necessary to tell," Russell says.

What It's About

: A family vacation during the summer of 1985 to Ocean City, Maryland changes the life of a teenage boy (Conte) who is attempting to win the affections of his crush (Shockley) through a ping pong battle.
The Scoop: "It?s shocking because the 1980s feel like yesterday, but at the same time they don't," Thompson, who plays Conte's mother, says.

What It's About

: A mixup in Mumbai's famous lunchbox delivery system connects a man (Khan) to a young housewife as they exchange notes through a lunchbox.
The Scoop: "The love story of this film immediately struck me. It has old passion, old charm, and romance," says Khan.

What It's About

: Kennedy, the youngest daughter of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy, directs this compelling documentary that focuses on the final days of the chaotic Vietnam War.
The Scoop: "I think it?s a fascinating time in our nation?s history," Kennedy says.

What It's About

: A journalist-turned-murderer (Antara) in Jakarta uploads videos of his bloody acts online, where he connects with another killer, and the two soon face off in a violent competition of bloodiest acts.
The Scoop: "It?s exciting to play a role that continually escalates throughout the film," Antara says.

What It's About

: A 21-year-old reformed gangster's (Boyega) devotion to turning his life around is put to the test after he's released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles.
The Scoop: "I think it?s so important that we remember to laud people who have made their lives better," Rose states.

What It's About

: After a riot breaks out at an Ivy League college over a popular African American themed party thrown by white students, the campus and its students (including Williams and Thompson) must tackle racism head-on.
The Scoop: "This screenplay was a new, fresh perspective that I hadn?t heard before," says Williams.

What It's About

: Struggling with a failing marriage, a couple (Duplass and Moss) goes on a weekend getaway with the hopes of fixing their broken relationship.
The Scoop: "We were in Ohio on location, all living together, so that was a nice experience," Moss states.

What It's About

: In Somalia, Abdi (Muktar) turns to piracy to support his family. He strikes up a friendship with one of his hostages a French oil tanker, and when some of the other pirates resort to violence, he must decide what to do.
The Scoop: "I'm really happy about the fact that I'm a part of this film," says Muktar.
(Seen with Producer Victor Shapiro, Abu Bakr Mirre, Producer John Hibey, Director Cutter Hodierne, Executive Producer Eddy Moretti, and Producer Raphael Swann.)

What It's About

: A documentary that gives a behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage.
The Scoop: "We care a lot about this issue and it's such a fascinating legal case," Cotner says.

What It's About

: A good-natured priest is threatened by an unseen man during confession, and attempts to minister to the members of his dysfunctional flock, like the local butcher (O'Dowd), in what he believes are his last days.
The Scoop: "The film is set in Sligo, Ireland, incredibly close to where I?m from. That really made it easy to shoot," O'Dowd says.

What It's About

: Zach (Dane DeHaan) is devastated after his girlfriend, Beth (Plaza), dies of an apparent snake bite. But a few days later, she has freakishly returned from the dead to reignite their passionate relationship.
The Scoop: ?I smile more in this movie than in any other I?ve been in,? says Plaza. ?There?s no better moment to act happy than when you?re playing a zombie trying to eat people.?

What It's About

: The body of teenager Jamie Marks (Silver) is found by the river, and his ghost begins to appear to fellow students Adam (Monaghan) and Gracie (Saylor) who must come to terms with his death.
The Scoop: "The young cast is so talented. They had this freshness and rawness to them," says Carter Smith, the film's director.

What It's About

: McGowan makes her directorial debut in this film about Dawn, a quiet young teenager who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life.
The Scoop: "I wanted the audience to laugh and get slightly uncomfortable, and then be horrified," McGowan says.

What It's About

: Game of Thrones alum Momoa plays a member of an unrecognized Native American tribe that clashes with a local community in this provocative Sundance Channel original series.
The Scoop: ?People have never seen this vulnerable side of me before. Or me wearing so many clothes,? says Momoa.

What It's About

: An insider's look at the history, the lives, and the culture of the most popular male strip club in the world, La Bare Dallas.
The Scoop: "You get to see these big, strong guys really open up to you and pour their hearts out on camera, which you would never expect," Manganiello says of the documentary, which he directed.

What It's About

: The Peterson family takes in David (Stevens), a soldier who was recently discharged, and a mysterious chain of events leads them question whether he is actually who he claims to be.
The Scoop: "This film is definitely something new, and that's what pushed me to take the role," Stevens states.

What It's About

: Simon (Eisenberg) is driven crazy by the appearance of his doppelgänger, James (also Eisenberg), a man much more personable and assertive than himself.
The Scoop: "It was interesting to play these two characters side-by-side who have a split psyche and are on opposite sides of the same conflicted mind," says Eisenberg.

What It's About

: Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern's (Slate) life is in shambles after she gets dumped, fired, and pregnant right before the worst and best Valentine's Day of her life.
The Scoop: "This is by far the best thing I?ve done in my career," Slate says.

What It's About

: Obsessive jazz drummer Andrew (Teller) attends a cutthroat music conservatory, and will stop at nothing to be the best after his father's (Reiser) writing career fails.
The Scoop: ?I?m just good enough at drumming to fake that I?m really good,? Teller says.

What It's About

: A gay married couple (Molina and Lithgow) in New York are forced to live apart after one is fired from his job at a Catholic school, and living apart in two very different households tests the strength of their relationship.
The Scoop: "What?s extraordinary about the film is how ordinary it is," Lithgow states.