NEW YORK: Sundance Institute at BAM (May 29--June 8) gives audiences at the Brooklyn Academy of Music the chance to see what all the fuss was about at this year's Sundance Film Festival, with screenings of 22 features--including American Teen, Ballast, and Alex Gibney's new documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson-- and 36 short films that fared well in the thin air of Aspen. Also: performances of music by Sundance-sponsored composers, by the time-tested Canadian heavy metal band Anvil (stars of their own documentary feature), monologuist Josh Kornbluth, and work sponsored by the Institute's New Frontier program, which is dedicated to celebrating "the convergence of film and art as a hotbed for new ideas and experimentation."
"Israel at 60" at the Film Society of Lincoln Center (May 28--June 5)--part of a city-wide cultural celebration--includes a number of notable films made in Israel in the last decade by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, including the stinger-laden comedy Late Marriage, the docmentary Checkpoint, the affecting The Inner Tour and the cult smash and traditional folk comedy Ushpizin.