Little Birds is an indie drama that follows 15-year-old Lily (Juno Temple) and her best friend Alison (Kay Panabaker), who live in a rundown trailer park on the shores of the Salton Sea.  When they meet a trio of visiting street kids, Lily’s rebelliousness kicks in and she convinces Alison to follow the boys to Los Angeles, but once there, they quickly fall into the boys’ world of scams and petty crime.  While Lily is determined to stay and make it work, her actions threaten to tear apart her friendship with Alison.  Written and directed by Elgin James, the film also stars Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth, Kyle Gallner and Neal McDonough.

At the film’s press day, actress Kay Panabaker spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about her auditioning process for the film, what she immediately connected to with the story and character, what it was like to spend time in the Salton Sea, what it was like to work with co-star Juno Temple, how easy it is for her to get into the mind-set of a teenager, and where she thinks their characters may have ended up after their story in the film.  Check out what she had to say after the jump.

Little Birds is an indie drama that follows 15-year-old Lily (Juno Temple) and her best friend Alison (Kay Panabaker), who live in a rundown trailer park on the shores of the Salton Sea. When they meet a trio of visiting street kids, Lily’s rebelliousness kicks in and she convinces Alison to follow the boys to Los Angeles, but once there, they quickly fall into the boys’ world of scams and petty crime. While Lily is determined to stay and make it work, her actions threaten to tear apart her friendship with Alison. Written and directed by Elgin James, the film also stars Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth, Kyle Gallner and Neal McDonough.

At the film’s press day, actress Juno Temple spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about what attracted her to the script and character, learning that the writer/director wanted her for either of the lead roles, how much she enjoyed working with co-star Kay Panabaker, what it was like to spend time in the Salton Sea, and why she’s more comfortable with sexuality in film than violence. She also talked about the appeal of big studio movies versus smaller indies, what attracted her to the role of a fairy named Thistletwit in Maleficent (starring Angelina Jolie in the title role), which she starts shooting soon, and the experience of working with director Christopher Nolan on The Dark Knight Rises. Check out what she had to say after the jump.

The first trailer for the indie drama Little Birds has gone online.  The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and stars Juno Temple and Kay Panabaker as two young girls who leave home for Los Angeles, only to discover that the boredom of their hometown may be better than trying to survive in a big city.  This is a really well-crafted trailer for the indie-inclined, as it highlights all the right notes for its target audience.  The performances look great, the visuals striking, and the story seems familiar yet unique.  Color me intrigued.  Furthermore, since its Sundance premiere Temple has becoming somewhat of a rising star, with roles in the upcoming Lovelace and The Dark Knight Rises.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Kate Bosworth, Kyle Gallner, and Leslie Mann.

As we make our way to the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, we’ll be posting images from the movies playing at the fest.  After the jump you’ll find images and one-line synopses for the in-competition films Little Birds (starring Juno Temple, Kay Panabaker, Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth, and Kyle Gallner) and On the Ice (starring Josiah Patkotak, Frank Qutuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, and Sierra Jade Sampson).  You’ll also find links to all of the other Sundance image articles we’ve done so far.  The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 20 – 30th.

The films playing in-competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival have been announced.  Some of this year’s competitors include Vera Farmiga’s directorial debut Higher Ground, Paddy Considine’s feature directorial debut Tyrannosaur, Matthew Chapman’s thriller The Ledge, Michael Rapaport’s documentary Beats, Rhymes and Life (which is about the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest), and a documentary about lovable Sesame Street resident Elmo (or rather, his puppeteer).

However, the movies playing in-competition at Sundance are only a fraction of the total number of films that play at the festival.  This will be my first year attending the festival and I’m super-excited about going.  Hit the jump for a full list of the in-competition films.  The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 20 – 30th.