Sundance film festival: 6 films you should know about

Get an early glimpse at some of the year's buzziest movies with our comprehensive guide to the first half of Sundance

"After Tiller"
(Image credit: Sundance/Yes and No Productions)

PARK CITY, UTAH — While the rest of the country prepared for President Barack Obama to be inaugurated for his second term, there was a very different type of inauguration going on in Park City, Utah: The inaugural season for cinema in 2013. Since it began in 1978, the Sundance Film Festival has grown into one of the largest and most important independent film festivals in the country. Every January, Sundance marks the premiere of some of the most talked-about movies for the upcoming year, including recent hits like Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, and Winter's Bone. Last year, the biggest premiere was Beasts of the Southern Wild; almost completely unknown when it premiered, it's now nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. What breakout films could emerge from this year's festival? A guide to six of the most buzz-about films from the first half of Sundance:

1. Crystal Fairy

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Matt is an arts journalist and freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. He has written about film, music, and pop culture for publications including Washington City Paper, The American Interest, Slant Magazine, DCist, and others. He is a member of the Washington D.C. Film Critics Association.