Slamdance uncovers special tests

"Old Dog" focuses on a shepherd safeguarding a valued mastiff. The Slamdance Film Festival has revealed its special tests and short programs, together with a Stan Lee documentary, Jonathan Demme's "Neil Youthful Journeys," the premiere of the never-before-seen Erectile dysfunction Wood television pilot and Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden's "Old Dog." The flicks introduced for Slamdance, released 18 years back instead of Sundance, include five world premieres, and 75 shorts competing -- such as the world premiere of the special program of recent Iranian shorts never witnessed outdoors the nation, "Produced in Iran: 7 Short Premieres." Slamdance introduced its competition selection, composed of 10 narrative films and eight documentaries, a week ago. Competition slots are restricted to first-time feature company directors dealing with budgets under $a million. Fest happens Jan. 20-26 in Park City in the Treasure Mountain Motel. The short films revealed Tuesday were culled from a lot more than 3,000 distribution. A jury will show honours to short films competing within the narrative, animation and docu sections competition shorts will also be qualified for that Spirit of Slamdance Award. Narrative films screening at Slamdance include "Holiday Road," a comedy anthology honoring the poignant and absurd facets of 12 American holidays "Old Dog," set around the Tibetan flatlands a good old shepherd trying to avoid his Tibetan mastiff from being offered for an urban Chinese dealer and "Unconditional," directed by Bryn Higgins, the psycho-love story of teenage twins who come under the spell of the charming guy. Concert film "Neil Youthful Journeys" is going to be tested included in the documentary series. "Journeys" first showed in the Toronto Intl. Film Festival and The new sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide privileges, excluding Latin America, in October. Another paperwork within the screening series are "No Room for Rockstars," directed by Parris Patton and following a encounters of 4 music artists around the Vans Warped Tour "Terra Blight," directed by Isaac Brown inside a global study of the existence cycle laptop or computer consumption which has produced toxic wastes "Wild within the Roads," directed by Peter Baxter, by which 1000's of local people from rival sides of the rugged British town extremely compete within an ancient game that's the center from the community and "With Great Energy: The Stan Lee Story," directed by Will Hess, Nikki Frakes and Terry Dougas. That doc also features Nicolas Cage, Michael Chiklis, Roger Corman, Kirsten Dunst, Danny Elfman, James Franco, Samuel Jackson, Tobey Maguire, Avoi Mendes, Frank Burns, Seth Rogen, Bryan Singer, Kevin Cruz and Ringo Starr. The shorts tests range from the pilot "Erectile dysfunction Wood's Lost Film Final Curtain" and "Franchi Has ReturnedInch from director-film writer Alexandre Franchi, where the filmmaker discusses his bout with cancer. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com