Sundance line-up announced

Bruce Willis, Jennifer Aniston, Robin Williams and Morgan Freeman will all have films at the festival.

Dec  2 2005

The Sundance Film Festival announced its full programme this week, and the selection includes some seriously high-profile world premieres.

First up is 'Friends With Money', which opens the festival on January 9. A drama about a group of thirty and forty-something friends, it stars Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Jason Isaacs and Frances McDormand and is directed by Nicole Holofcener.

Closing proceedings on January 29 is Nick Cassavetes' 'Alpha Dog', an uncompromising drama about drug dealer Jesse James Hollywood that features performances from the likes of Emile Hirsch, Sharon Stone and Justin Timeberlake.

In between, all manner of intriguing features will screen, and here are our picks:

'Art School Confidential' – 'Ghost World' director Terry Zwigoff adapts Daniel Clowes' script about a talentless teen who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation.

'The Darwin Awards' – Comedy based on the legendary awards that honour unfortunate souls who die in stupid and unusual ways. Joseph Fiennes, Winona Ryder, Juliette Lewis and David Arquette star.

'The Illusionist' – Edward Norton stars opposite Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell and Jessica Biel in this period piece about a magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna.

'Lucky Numbers Slevin' – Mob flick from Paul McGuigan ('Gangster No. 1') about the struggle for power between the black and Jewish gangs of New York. Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman star.

'The Night Listener' – Robin Williams plays a radio talk show host whose life is thrown into chaos by a young boy who claims to be his biggest fan.

'The Science of Sleep' – Michel Gondry ('Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind') directs Gael Garcia Bernal in this story of a man held captive by his dreams.

'Thank You for Not Smoking' – Star-studded satire of the tobacco industry that stars Katie Holmes, William H Macy, Maria Bello, Aaron Eckhart and Sam Elliott.

For full festival details, head to the official site here: www.sundance.org.

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