Sundance to 'engage and provoke' with focus on climate this year

Los Angeles

THE Sundance Film Festival opens in Utah on Thursday, promising to set the agenda for independent cinema and starting the 2018 Oscars buzz a month before this year's statuettes are awarded.

The annual gathering, founded in 1985 by iconic screen outlaw Robert Redford, turns the lens on 118 independent features, as Hollywood descends on the ski resort of Park City for the 33rd edition.

"From the passion and chaos of creativity, independent filmmakers make decisions to harness that energy, break new ground and tell their stories," Redford, 80, said in a statement. "This year's festival reflects …