Sundance Attracts Renewed Interest From Buyers

Blue Valentine still courtesy of The Weinstein Company

This is definitely a trend we're hoping to see more of! Despite the decline in indie film distribution over the past few years, the Sundance Film Festival has heated things up once again, attracting buyers ranging from The Oprah Winfrey Network to major distributors such as Lionsgate and Focus Features.

Variety reports that domestic distribution deals were closed on eight features, which mark the "speediest level of theatrical sales at a fest in the last couple of years."

After a bidding war, Roadside Attractions picked up North American distribution rights to Grand Jury prize winner Winter's Bone, and two other notable sales included Buried (starring Ryan Reynolds) and The Kids Are All Right (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore), which snagged $3.2 and $4.8 million from Lionsgate and Focus Features, respectively.

Derek Cianfrance's relationship drama Blue Valentine, starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams was picked up by the Weinstein Company on Friday for $1 million, and Newmarket Films paid $1 million for the rights to Hesher, starring Natalie Portman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.