Two Element Pictures films selected for Sundance Film Festival

Element Pictures, the Irish film production group behind Room and The Favourite, have had two of their upcoming films selected to screen as part of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival's Premieres category. Phyllida Lloyd’s Herself and Sean Durkin’s The Nest will join the ranks of the acclaimed films that have appeared in this category in previous years, including The Big Sick, Call Me By Your Name, Boyhood and Mudbound. The festival takes place from 23 January to 2 February in Park City, Utah.

Herself and The Nest mark Element's eighth and ninth films to debut at Sundance since 2009, when the group presented Liam Neeson in Five Minutes of Heaven. The Neeson film was followed by The Guard in 2011, Shadow Dancer and This Must be the Place in 2012, Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank in 2014, Glassland in 2015 and Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster in 2015.

"We are so proud that both of these wonderful films will have their world premiere at Sundance and are delighted for Sean Durkin, Phyllida Lloyd and all the cast and crew," Element Pictures producer Ed Guiney said in a statement. "Although very different, both films will sit perfectly in the diverse and rich selection offered by the festival, one of the world’s major film events."

Herself is directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!, The Iron Lady) and co-written by Clare Dunne, who also stars in the film, and Malcolm Campbell (What Richard Did). The film follows the story of Sandra (Clare Dunne), who on the surface is a young mother struggling to provide her two young daughters with a warm, safe, happy home to grow up in. Beneath the surface, however, Sandra has a steely determination to change their lives for the better when it becomes clear that there are no other options left for her. Herself was shot entirely in Dublin.

The Nest is written, directed and produced by Sean Durkin, who won best director at Sundance Film Festival 2011 with his film Martha Marcy May Marlene. The film tells the story of charismatic entrepreneur Rory (Jude Law), who relocates his wife Allison (Carrie Coon) and their children Sam and Ben from suburban America to his native England with ambitious dreams of profiting from booming 1980s London. However, while Rory thrives chasing lofty deals in the city, Allison and the kids struggle to adapt.