From filmmaker/actress Sarah Polley, Stories We Tell investigates the search for truth, as told by a family of storytellers who paint a portrait of a complicated but deeply loving family.  As each interview subject relates their version of the family mythology, they attempt to uncover the secrets of their mother, who departed too soon and with too many unanswered questions.

At the film’s press day, Sarah Polley talked about the value in getting this narrative out to audiences, what was most important for her to get right with this story, what the film did for her personally and how she felt when it was complete, whether everything in the film is factual, how she wanted to account for her own voice as the filmmaker, and the process of taking breaks in shooting to edit the material she already had.  Check out what she had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

Blockbusters dominate the summer movie season, and some will definitely be worth your time.  You’ll pre-order your ticket, get together with friends for the earliest possible screening, and probably have a grand time.  But there are some smaller films this summer that shouldn’t escape your attention.  I’ve compiled a list of ten worthwhile indie films I saw at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and SXSW 2013.  The list includes coming of age comedies, moving romances, brutal dramas, and more.  There are other smaller films this summer that might be worth a look such as The Bling Ring and Blue Jasmine, but I haven’t seen them yet.  I can vouch for these ten.  Hit the jump for the list.

Roadside Attractions has released the trailer and poster for Sarah Polley‘s terrific documentary, Stories We Tell.  In the film, Polley pieces together interviews from her family as she tries to learn about her deceased mother and the affair that resulted in Polley’s search for her biological father.  Polley cleverly puts together various storytelling devices, and even includes her non-biological father reading a narrative of his memories and perceptions relating to his wife’s infidelity.  I caught the movie at TIFF last year, and it’s a deeply moving picture.  I hope that this trailer, which doesn’t give away any of the surprising twists and turns, will convince people to seek out the picture.

Hit the jump to checkout the trailer and poster.  Stories We Tell opens in New York on May 10th and in select cities on May 17th.

Yesterday the 2013 Sundance Film Festival announced the lineup for films competing in the Dramatic and Documentary categories, and today they’ve unveiled the films that will screen in the Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, and New Frontier programs.  Films of note include Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols’ new film Mud starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, the U.S. premiere of Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, the Robert Ben Garant/Thomas Lennon comedy Hell Baby, and the horror anthology sequel S-VHS.

Hit the jump to see the full lineup, and click here to check out all of our Sundance coverage thus far.  The 2013 Sundance Film Festival runs January 17 – 27.

We’ve got a few acquisition stories regarding films screening at the Toronton Film Festival to share this afternoon.  Briefly:

• Lionsgate has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the comedy Imogene, which stars Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening, Matt Dillon and Darren Criss.
• Lionsgate also picked up the sex addict dramedy Thanks for Sharing starring Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tim Robbins, directed by The Kids Are All Right scribe Stuart Blumberg.
• Roadside Attractions has acquired the U.S. rights to Sarah Polley’s (Take This Waltz) much buzzed-about documentary Stories We Tell.
• IFC Films picked up director Neil Jordan’s (Interview with the Vampire) vampire drama Byzantium, starring Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan.

Hit the jump for more details.

Stories are meant to bring us to some larger truth even if the story isn’t 100% accurate.  Fidelity is not a good in and of itself.  There’s complexity to fidelity, both in narrative and in love, and it’s this fascinating combination that provides the dramatic pull in Sarah Polley‘s sweet and thoughtful documentary, Stories We Tell.  In an attempt to explore her own family’s history—in particular, the story of her parentage—she uncovers the difficulties in reconciling her desire to tell the truth and the limitations of any storytelling form.  Her best attempt is to provide a colorful kaleidoscope of remembrances from family, friends, and acquaintances, and at the center is a touching story about a daughter trying to understand her parents, both adoptive and biological.

The line-up for the 2012 Telluride Film Festival has been announced.  The program will include Michael Haneke’s Palm d’Or-winning Amour, the Bill Murray-fronted Hyde Park on Hudson, Michael Winterbottom’s Everyday, the Michael Shannon crime thriller The Iceman, Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell, and many more.  The festival will also include some special surprise screenings, with Ben Affleck’s highly anticipated drama Argo rumored to appear.  Additionally, the 2012 Silver Medallion Awards will be given to Roger Corman, Marion Cotillard, and Mads Mikkelsen.

Hit the jump to read the full press release which includes the entire line-up.  The 2012 Telluride Film Festival runs from August 31 – September 3rd.