Top Names in Music Mix With Film at Sundance Festival

Jan. 19, 2006 — -- In addition to all the films and parties, music plays an increasingly important role during the Sundance Film Festival. This year is no exception.

Bruce Hornsby, Rufus Wainwright, Michael Penn and Savage Garden alumnus Darren Hayes are part of the musical lineup at the festival.

They will perform at the Sundance Music Café, which ASCAP (the performing rights organization) is producing for the eighth year. The goal is to encourage on-screen collaborations among filmmakers, composers and songwriters.

Other performers include Mike Doughty, 2 Foot Yard, Athlete, Augustana, Bird York, Brazilian Girls, Judy Collins, Robert Post, Roberto Poveda, Martin Sexton, Darrell Scott and the Weepies.

For filmgoers, lots of music on-screen this year. Three music documentaries are featured in the Spectrum program, and two more are part of the Midnight sidebar.

Spectrum includes "Everybody Stares: The Police Inside Out," a documentary on the Police, directed by the band's drummer. "Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man" is a profile of the singer-songwriter featuring performances by U2 and Wainwright.

"Beyond Beats and Rhymes: A Hip-Hop Head Weighs in on Manhood in Hip-Hop Culture" is Byron Hart's examination of gender issues in hip-hop.

The Midnight sidebar includes "American Hardcore," a history of underground punk rock, and a Beastie Boys concert flick -- shot entirely by audience members on Hi-8 video cameras called "Awesome: I F---in' Shot That!"