7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30
The Loft Cinema
3233 E. Speedway Blvd.
795-0844;loftcinema.com
The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, has become this country's most buzzy and influential cinema event, drawing thousands of movie lovers (not to mention droves of celebrities) to the mountains outside Salt Lake City for 10 days each January to preview some of the world's hottest new independent films. Over the last few years, this event has extended its reach outward to art houses throughout the U.S., including The Loft. "This is our third year participating," Loft program director Jeff Yanc said. "We're one of nine theaters that's been invited to join this collaborative effort. We're very excited about it." The 2014 Sundance ended Jan. 26 and films that debuted there are being sent to the affiliated theaters for local premieres. For Tucson, the film is Young Ones, a post-apocalyptic tale of a man raising a family in a barren world overrun with bandits. The film was written and directed by Jake Paltrow and stars Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Paltrow is scheduled to attend the screening and participate in a post-film Q&A, and other special guests are expected. Previous Sundance films to screen here include Goats, which was written by Tucsonan Mark Poirier and filmed locally, and The Spectacular Now. Yanc said that being part of Sundance's satellite operation is a natural fit for The Loft, which shows Sundance's short-films package in the summer and last year saw a locally made short, Catnip: Egress to Oblivion, go from The Loft's First Friday Shorts competition to a featured showing in Utah. Tickets for the Young Ones showing are $15.
