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Mary and Max Kicks Off the 25th Sundance Film Festival

by Alex Billington
November 20, 2008

For the first time in Sundance history, a stop-motion animation movie will headline this year's festival. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival kicks off on January 15th, 2009 early next year and will mark the 25th anniversary of the greatest film festival in the world. The remaining line-up for this year's Sundance will be announced on December 3rd and 4th. The opening night film at Sundance is usually one that would otherwise go unnoticed during the fest but is chosen to be in the spotlight. This year Mary and Max, a clay animation feature film from Oscar winning short film creator Adam Elliot, will kick off the fest.

Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Toni Collette and narrated by Barry Humphries, Mary and Max is the tale of two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York. The story is based on the director's own pen-friendship that has lasted over twenty years. "Mary and Max is the first film of its kind to open the Festival and we anticipate audiences will embrace Adam Elliot's feature-length directorial debut for its poignant story, exceptional voice talent and technological creativity," said festival director Geoffrey Gilmore.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Sundance Film Festival runs January 15th to 25th, 2009 in Park City, Utah. As always, we will definitely be in attendance. For more info, head over to sundance.org.

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