"Cedar Rapids": Think of it as a mid-western version of "The Hangover." Only this go round, Ed Helms plays a sexless insurance agent who is taught to loosen up by John C. Reilly's hard-living salesman during a business convention. Much drinking ensues. "The Good Girl"'s Miguel Arteta directs.
"Red State": A horror film set in the world of Christian fundamentalism. Kevin Smith's latest should play like gangbusters with Fox News fans. It is, however, building some serious buzz among festival-goers. It doesn't hurt that the blue-chip cast includes Melissa Leo, John Goodman, and Michael Angarano.
"Page One": A year in the life of the New York Times. The film chronicles "The Gray Lady" as she lays off 100 staffers, struggles with plummeting ad revenues, and weighs the merits of printing the Wikileaks documents.
"My Idiot Brother": Selling pot to a police officer gets Paul Rudd a jail sentence in a comedy that many are predicting will be one of the festival's breakout hits. His post-incarceration visits with friends and family members played by Elizabeth Banks and Emily Mortimer don't end well.
"Hobo With a Shotgun": Think of it as this year's "Precious," only ten times more heartwarming. Ok, we're joking. This grindhouse feature won't win many critical plaudits, but it will be fun to see Rutger Hauer as the titular hobo kicking butt "Machete" style.
"Life In a Day": It's a true crowd sourced documentary. In an effort to embrace new media, Sundance encouraged folks from around the world to submit footage from a day in their lives over Youtube. Spliced together by "Last King of Scotland" director and Oscar winning documentary maker Kevin MacDonald, the social media experiment will premiere both at the festival and via livestream.
"Higher Ground": Vera Farmiga is no stranger to Sundance when it comes to her in-front of the camera work, but this year the Oscar nominee is bringing her directorial debut to the Park City festival. The gritty film looks a woman suffering a crisis of faith in a small community.
"I Melt With You": A group of college buddies (Jeremy Piven, Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe), many in the throes of a mid-life crisis, go on their annual barbecue. The official plot summary is vague, but apparently something psychologically thrilling takes place.
From star-driven indies to edgy documentaries to sure-fire Oscar contenders, Sundance offers something for every film lover. The Park City, Utah festival is also the place where some of the buzziest films of any year invariably make their debuts. What will be this year's "Blue Valentine" or "The Kids Are All Right"?
With that question in mind, TheWrap takes a look at some of the new offerings from Kevin Smith, Ewan McGregor, Rutger Hauer and Paul Rudd to find out what films are most likely to be crowd favorites and the subject of major bidding wars.
