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"Beasts of the Southern Wild", directed by Benh Zeitlin and written by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar, was the recipient of two San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation grants in 2010 and 2011.
The SFFS/KRF Grant rewards work that deals with civil rights and discrimination, which Zeitlin's film most certainly does. The mythical tale was inspired by the real erosion crisis facing residents of Southern Louisiana. A synopsis in the press release reads:
"Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world."
Zeitlin and his collective Court 13 have introduced magical elements into their films before, such as in the amazing short "Glory at Sea".
Don't worry if you're not planing a trip up the mountain for this year's festival. For the third year, the Sundance Kabuki Theater will be participating in Sundance USA, a program that brings festival films—and their filmmakers—to cities around the country.
We don't know which film will be playing yet, but the date is set: Jan. 26, 2012.
© The Bay Citizen, 2012
