By all reports it's been a strong year for acquisitions at Sundance (at least compared to the past couple of years), and one standout is the Drake Doremus-directed, mostly improvised indie feature Like Crazy. Shot on a Canon 7D, the picture was the subject of an all-night bidding war and was eventually claimed by Paramount for $4 million (no word on the P&A committment). There's no web site for the film yet, but here's a brief clip:

Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS5SzfkRmOc

And here's an interview with the director and stars:

Congratulations to Drake, et al! Here's the film's official synopsis:

A complex exploration of the fragility of first love, LIKE CRAZY chronicles the tumultuous romance between Jacob (Anton Yelchin), an American college student, and Anna (Felicity Jones), a British citizen studying in Los Angeles. When Anna must return to the UK upon graduation, she makes the fateful decision to remain with Jacob and overstay her student visa. Consequently barred from the country, Anna finds she and Jacob forced to negotiate their commitment from afar.

As months and even years pass, the thorny territory of a long-distance relationship proves to take its emotional toll on the young lovers. His visits tend to complicate matters, and their once tight bond begins to emotionally unravel as jealousies and miscommunications fracture an already delicate arrangement. Yet, the strength of their love lingers, forcing them to make difficult decisions about their future together.

Directed by Drake Doremus, and written by Doremus and Ben York Jones, Like Crazy also stars Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston, Oliver Muirhead, Finola Hughes, Chris Messina, Ben York Jones and Jamie Thomas King.

[via planet5D]