At Sundance ‘07, what made the cut

THE debut feature from Zoe Cassavetes, documentaries about a long-term extramarital relationship and Abu Ghraib, and an as-yet untitled Dakota Fanning movie provide only a mere taste of the wide variety of competition entries for the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, which runs Jan. 18 to 28 in Park City, Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah.

A selection of 122 feature films will be shown out of 3,287 that were submitted. This year’s lineup includes 82 world premieres and films from 25 countries.

The documentary competition will include 16 films culled from 856 submissions. Among the notable entries are “Crazy Love,” directed by Dan Klores; “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” directed by Rory Kennedy; “Girl 27,” directed by David Stenn; “Protagonist,” directed by Jessica Yu; and “Zoo,” directed by Robinson Devor.

The 16 films in the dramatic competition were chosen from 996 submissions. “Broken English,” the feature debut from writer and director Cassavetes, features her mother, Gena Rowlands, alongside Sundance perennial Parker Posey and Melvil Poupaud. Other entries of note are “Joshua,” directed by George Ratliff; “The Pool,” directed by Chris Smith; “Rocket Science,” directed by Jeffrey Blitz; and “Snow Angels,” directed by David Gordon Green. Rounding out the competition is a film directed by Deborah Kampmeier known simply, for now, as “The Untitled Dakota Fanning Project.”

The world cinema dramatic competition films were selected from 929 entries and represent 13 countries. Among the films screening will be “Driving With My Wife’s Lover,” directed by Kim Tai-sik; “Ghosts,” directed by Nick Broomfield; and “Khadak,” written and directed by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth.

Chosen from 506 submissions, the world cinema documentary competition represents 13 countries. Among the selections is “The Future Is Unwritten,” a look at the life of musician Joe Strummer, directed by Julien Temple.

American films screening in the dramatic and documentary competitions are eligible for grand jury prizes, cinematography and directing awards.

The films in the world cinema dramatic and documentary competition are eligible for their own jury prizes. Films in the independent and world cinema competitions are also eligible for audience awards.

The remainder of the films screening at the festival will be announced today.