Sundance unveils doc hopefuls

The Sundance Film Festival has unveiled its 2012 line-up, including a documentary about Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei.

The US documentary competition will include 16 films including Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, by director Alison Klayman, about the artist’s clashes with the Chinese government; and Detropia, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, about the collapse of Detroit’s manufacturing industry.

The world cinema documentary competition includes 12 docs such as 1/2 Revolution, about the Egyptian revolution, from directors Omar Shargawi and Karim El Hakim; and the world premiere of China Heavyweight, directed by Yung Chang, about rural teenagers who are turned into Western-style boxing champions.

In total, the festival will include 111 feature-length films and documentaries from 29 countries, including work by 44 first-time filmmakers. Some 88 films will be world premieres.

Robert Redford, founder and president of Sundance Institute, which runs the event, said: “We are, and always have been, a festival about the filmmakers. So what are they doing? What are they saying? They are making statements about the changing world we are living in. Some are straightforward, some novel and some offbeat but always interesting. One can never predict. We know only at the end, and I love that.”

The festival takes place in Utah between January 19 and 29.