Sundance Film Festival has commenced in Park City, Utah and as many as 12 Canadian films shall be screened over the forthcoming days including the highly appreciated film Incendies by Denis Villeneuve. Another acclaimed feature is Hobo with a Shotgun by Jason Eisener of Dartmouth. This film is the debut feature of Eisener and has already sold out its first 4 midnight showings.

The film starring Rutger Hauer revolves around a hobo who is revengeful and shoots down the bad guys meeting out his own justice. For Jason Eisener, this is the 2nd time that his work shall be showed on Sundance. Treevenge, a short film by him, was screened in Sundance 3 years back.

Another poignant and promising movie is Le Vendeur that has been helmed by director Sebastien Pilote and stars Gilbert Sicotte and the Montreal actress Nathalie Cavezzali. It weaves a moving story spinning around a car salesman and poverty. It is socially relevant as it shows how livelihood of the common man can be affected by poverty and sickness of industries.

Some of the other Canadian features that will premiere in Sundance are:

1. I Melt with You

2. The Salesman

3. Vampire

4. Family Portrait in Black and White

3 of the Canadian film directors have been placed in Sundance presentation of films by aboriginal film makers as well as in the overall short film competition. Among them is Danis Goulet's Wapawekka that has its roots in Goulet's own personal life experiences.

The native film program also includes Helen Haig-Brown's The Cave that is a tale of a hunter who bumps into discovery of portal to afterlife. In all, the Sundance shall be screening 120 feature films and 80 shorts in the next 11 days.

The festival is expected to be a starry affair with stars like Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Katie Holmes and Tobey Maguire slated to grace the occasion.

--Sampurn Wire