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Sundance redux: the best of the fest

Sundance began as an American independent cinema showcase but judging by the eclectic line-up for the eight-film "Hong Kong Selects" season, that's no longer the case. Take , for instance. The directorial debut of Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian's lead singer Stuart Murdoch, it's a gentle Glasgow-set musical that's far removed from your usual Hollywood sing-a-longs, with its deeply personal story of the troubled Eve (Emily Browning, above), who breaks out of hospital to form a band.


is a US-Somalia-Kenya co-production directed by Cutter Hodierne. Dealing with Somali piracy, it tells the story of Abdi (Abdikani Muktar), a young fisherman who reluctantly turns to piracy to support his family. Shot with non-actors, and very much through the eyes of the perpetrators, it is a fascinating companion piece to last year's and 2012 Danish thriller .

The only non-fiction offering in the festival's Hong Kong Selects programme is . Following the ultimately successful fight to have California's anti-gay marriage law overturned as unconstitutional, it focuses with great care on the team that took this battle to the courts, from the legal reps to the plaintiffs. An earnest, well-intentioned documentary shot over five years by Ben Cotner and Ryan White, it claimed the directing award in the US Documentary section at Sundance this year.


Also set in sunny California, is directed by and stars Zach Braff (holding jar) as an out-of-work actor and family man whose life gradually unravels after his father is diagnosed with cancer. He took some considerable flak after launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the film via online donations. Fans of his brand of sentimental life-lessons should warm to this drama which also has Kate Hudson in its cast.

Like Braff, Mark Ruffalo also plays an erratic father in . Maya Forbes' potent directorial debut centres on Ruffalo's character Cam, from his nervous breakdown to his subsequent recovery, when he takes on sole parental duties for his two daughters, while wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana) hot-foots it to New York to earn her degree.

Mental instability features in Craig Johnson's . This year's winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance stars former alumni Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig (left with Hader) as estranged twins Milo and Maggie, who haven't spoken in a decade but are brought back together when Milo slits his wrists in a bath. With Luke Wilson and 's Ty Burrell on board, it's a delicious ensemble.


Another sitcom star, 's Aubrey Plaza, headlines , a smart tweak on the zombie movie from first-time director Jeff Baena. Plaza plays a young Los Angeles girl who loses her life, then gets resurrected, much to the shock of her boyfriend (Dane DeHaan, left with Plaza). Featuring turns from John C. Reilly and Anna Kendrick, it's a sneaky blend of horror and comedy — and, like so many of these films, a genuine crowd-pleaser.
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