PARK CITY, Utah: The Sundance Film Festival opened Thursday night with a new look - four feature films instead of only one, including a documentary about calypso singer Harry Belafonte and a teen girl drama. The documentary, “Sing Your Song,” follows the social activism of the 83-year-old singer of “Banana Boat Song” and “Scarlet Ribbons.” Belafonte has been at the vanguard of the US civil rights movement, anti-apartheid efforts in South Africa and ending gang violence on the streets of Los Angeles. Sundance founder Robert Redford called Belafonte's tale “a story about a man whose story should be told for generations to come,” and the documentary earned a standing ovation. The other screenings included: “Pariah,” the tale of a young black girl who yearns to come out of the closet; “The Guard,” an Irish buddy-cop comedy starring Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson; and “Project Nim,” a British documentary about a chimpanzee raised as a human being in an ethically questionable experiment. The annual showcase for independent movies runs through Jan. 30, and takes place as bold discoveries from last year's event, including “The Kids Are All Right” and “Winter's Bone,” vie for attention during Hollywood's awards season. Sundance chief programmer John Cooper, in his second year at the helm, told Reuters that this year's selection of some 115 feature films reflects a desire among directors to look at reality squarely in the face and build stories around how they fit into that world. Coming into the festival there are, as always, movies generating industry buzz, including “Little Birds,” about two teenage girls (portrayed by Juno Temple and Kay Panabaker) learning about life, and “The Ledge” in which two men are forced to examine their lives. Oprah Winfrey is expected to promote documentaries on her new TV network.
