Pay Attention to These Sundance Breakout Stars

Before Jennifer Lawrence became an Oscar staple , Peter Dinklage commandedGame of Thrones , Michelle Rodriguez co - have theFast and Furiousfranchise , and Elizabeth Olsen fought alongside The Avengers , they were the stars ofSundance Film Festivalpremieres , discovered talent wait for their mainstream moment . Here are the 2016 performances that could follow in their footstep .

Ben Schnetzer,Goat

Schnetzer pull in his Hollywood top man condition by require the beating of a lifetime . Goat , from writer - director Andrew Neel and Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green , note brotherhood life-time from the oceanic abyss . Schnetzer is the soldier , whose fresh - face freshman ambitions are shat upon by haze - crazy " pal . " If you think Leonardo DiCaprio had it rough inThe Revenant , wait until you see the forward-looking Hell Week drinking game .

Lucas Hedges,Manchester By the Sea

The post - show buzz for Kenneth Lonergan ’s heavy new drama was all focus on Casey Affleck , who , in fairness , is astounding as a humans dealing with a troubled yesteryear and the recent dying of his brother . The crawl towards awards time of year will give Hedges his due . It ’s tough to play a teen who does n’t soak up . They ’re brash , opinionated , and hormonal – easily overplayed . Hedges , as a boy left maroon after the aforementioned death , course reflects that moment in life , weigh it against grief and holding his own against Affleck ’s dwell carrying into action . It ’s Jennifer Lawrence inWinter ’s Boneall over again .

Dylan Gelula,First Girl I Loved

do - of - age romances are the cerise M&Ms of Sundance – guaranteed and systematically gratifying . Greatness come down to the actor . First Girl I Lovedis a sapphic drama amplified by Dylan Gelula , funny , lovely , impassioned , and heartbreaking – mostly in that order – work as Anne , a gal dying to date who she want to date . Gelula previously appeared as the angsty daughter onUnbreakable Kimmie Schimdt . She impart about 15 more stratum to her high schooler persona inFirst Girl I sleep with .

Stef Aerts,Belgica

Unless you ’ve kept up with the last five class of Belgian video and movies , you ’re not too familiar with Aerts . Belgica , te propellent tale of two brothers who open up their own CBGB - type rock club , turns him into a Euro - James Deen . With manipulation of only one of his eyes – yes , the squint ’s part of his type ’s backstory and entirely do by Aerts – the actor mention explosive , too - good - to - be - dependable success . The definition of cool , rarely found in the States today .

Richard Brake,31

repulsion movie acting goes criminally overleap . see through your fingers tends to mask the science imply . But it ’s an graphics . Though31is a raggedy , glib from genre aficionado Rob Zombie , Brake ’s take on " Doom - Head , " an axe - wield murderer - for - hire , is all about theatrics . He ’s an amped up version ofClockwork Orange ’s Alex DeLarge , a savior of beat verse and death blow . You ’ve see Brake before – he ’s the human race behind the Night ’s King constitution onGame of Thrones– but31lets him off the leash .

Michael Barbieri,Little Men

Kid acting can seem a little … forced . It ’s easy to spot the laser pointer commands that force the under-15 crowd to deliver . The opposite is genuine for Barbieri in Ira Sachs ' New York narrative . The actor pops on screen for the first sentence acting like a vernal Joe Pesci . You marvel if throw off agents are pull a Webster . Then his character , Tony , starts losing his footing in the world . Barbieri has the forethought of a tween and the holler of someone three times his years . In the scene of the festival , he faces off with an acting coach – he is a Brooklyn youngster , after all – in an exercise of bawl proportions . He impart the firm down , and will again whenLittle Menhits house .

Harley Quinn Smith and Lily-Rose Depp,Yoga Hosers

Kevin Smith return to Sundance with a bubblegum concoction that amalgamatesBring It On , Scott Pilgrim , andStrange Brew . He entrusts the hairsbreadth - brained scheme in his girl , Harley , and her real living good friend , Lily - Rose , heritor to the Johnny Depp throne . The movie ’s a mixed suitcase , but Smith and Depp pattern as a pair of Canadian Heathers who determine solace from our eyeroll - suitable world in yoga . Their one - liners are razor sharp , their musical number put Jem to shame , and they ’re pro at fighting monsters ( or , in the case ofYoga Hosers , squeeze Nazi bratwursts ) . An action duet in need of continued risky venture .

And a few better - known actors who redefined their life history at Sundance …

Craig Robinson,Morris From America

Known for comedic roles inThe Officeand andHot Tub Time Machine , Robinson assert himself as a Tom Hanks - ian everyman in this picture show about Father , alienation , and companionship . As Curtis , a single dad who relocates with his Logos Morris to a small town in Germany , Robinson demonstrate maternal wisdom and hip - hop cool are not mutually exclusive . Writer - director Chad Hartigan gives the doer two conquer , powerhouse moments that are up there with any performance presently campaigning for Oscars . I admit it : Robinson made me yell . doubly .

Rebecca Hall,Christine

Very small footage exists of Christine Chubbuck , the television set news newsperson who infamously frivol away herself during a alive , afternoon broadcast . What did exist were anecdotes of work ethic and depressive disorder , two side of a coin that would drive Chubbuck to her violent act . InChristine , Hall ( Iron Man 3,The Gift ) grapples with the journalist ’s concluding days . Her operation stands as one of the great illustration of genial sickness , riveting and humane until the very end .

Anna Gunn,Equity

Hollywood in a nutshell : Bryan Cranston followedBreaking Badwith a fistful of prestigiousness office and an Oscar nomination forTrumbo , while Gunn , brilliant and often misunderstood as Skylar , segue to the unassuming pig showGracepoint . Sundance ’s smolder finance thrillerEquityfixes that . Gunn ’s has the mouth of Gordon Gecko and the diligence of George Clooney ’s Michael Clayton . She ’s a personnel , aware of her concern ' grammatical gender tension , mold to demolish dissenter . An volatile bit , take a burnt umber - less chocolate micro chip cookie , feed Gunn the line of the year : " Count the fucking chips ! "