Chicago indie film star Joe Swanberg should have a sense of satisfaction about his latest feature, “Uncle Kent,” since it is the first and only one of his six films to premiere at Sundance, in its Spotlight section. The festival runs Jan. 20-30.
Ironically, Sundance rejected two of Swanberg’s earlier films although five of his films in a row opened at South by Southwest.
Nevertheless, “Uncle Kent,” will be Swanberg’s fourth IFC Films’ release; air dates will be announced later this month.
“My sincere hope is that I’m getting better as a filmmaker, so I would like to believe they are responding to [“Uncle Kent”] because it’s my best work,” says Swanberg.
“People have great things to say about Sundance, so hopefully it means I have a fun week in Park City and the film has a great world premiere. I don’t have any expectations beyond that. All festivals promise the chance to expose work to a new audience and meet new people. I’m excited about those possibilities,” he says.
“Uncle Kent” will screen in the out-of-competition Spotlight section, as one of a dozen films from directors around-the-world.
Swanberg’s writing and producing partner on “Uncle Kent,” Kent Osborne, stars as a kids’ show cartoonist trying to bed a houseguest he met on Chatroulette. Jennifer Prediger, Josephine Decker, and Swanberg costar.
A writer and voice actor for “Spongebob Squarepants” among other animated films and TV shows, Osborne appeared in Swanberg’s “Hannah Takes the Stairs,” “Nights and Weekends” and “Alexander the Last.”
