Keepin' it reel

Each January, celebrities, trailed by entourages and stalked by the omnipresent paparazzi, invade Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. This event, which boasts designer giveaways and illicit star trysts, puts the “festivus” into film festival. But why is Sundance so spectacular?

Merging mediums

During the past decade, documentaries have evolved from good-for-you educational footage to “it” films. Watching a documentary used to be viewed as an intellectual experience, i.e. boring and weird. Fast forward to the present, where going to see an indie film, especially a documentary, has become just as common as $5 coffee.

Multiple choice

If you’ve ever sat in a dark theater, touched by a film so much that you feel if you so much as move, the film’s spell will be broken, then keep reading. Maybe you’re the type of person who sits through all of the credits, glued to your seat way past when the key grip’s name scrolls across the screen, until they’re sweeping popcorn from between your feet. Or perhaps it’s the director’s cuts on DVDs that leave you mesmerized. Either way, if you’ve got a fever and it’s spelled F-I-L-M-S, the countless hours of documentary footage at True/False might still leave you jonesing for more.

Vox picks

With 72 films showing at True/False, it might be difficult to pick which ones to see. Harder still is having to agree with your date, friend, mom or anyone lacking your impeccable taste. Fortunately, Vox makes it easy by handpicking five films perfect for you and whomever accompanies you to the festival. That’s right, we’ve done the dirty work so you can kick back, relax and enjoy the flicks.