The future is rarely a bright place in the world of cinema, and Terry Gilliam’s ground-breaking film 12 Monkeys is no exception. Set in 2035 after a deadly virus has all but wiped out the human race, the film follows a small society of survivors who have moved underground to escape toxic air and search for a way to overcome their bleak existence.

A sinister panel of scientists sends prisoners to travel back in time to the critical days leading up to the virus’ release to try to interrupt the fated chain of events. But time travel is not an easy science to perfect. It drives some of the prisoners mad, and some don’t survive at all. And hitting the target city (Philadelphia) and year (1996) turns out to be a crapshoot — the latest “volunteer,” inmate James Cole, doesn’t hit the bull’s eye until his third try.

The screenplay for 12 Monkeys was inspired by Chris Marker’s 1962 short film “La Jetee,” set in the radioactive ruins of post-WWII Paris. The film has long been an art house favorite due to its unusual composition. The film contains only a few seconds of live action; the rest of the story is told by the narrator over a haunting progression of black and white photographs.

In both films, the story unfolds through the lone time traveler’s frightened eyes as images from his jumbled reality cloud his mind. He begins to doubt his own sanity as he slowly loses the ability to discern actual events from his dreams, illustrating the fragile transience of even our most sacred memories. He slowly comes to see the futility of his mission to overcome the past, thus creating one of the most heartbreaking tragic heroes in recent memory.

Shot in Dallas, Bottle Rocket follows the adventures of Dignan (Owen Wilson), Anthony (Luke Wilson), and Bob (Robert Musgrave), three friends adrift in their lives. After “breaking” Anthony out of his self-imposed stay at a local mental hospital, Dignan quickly recruits him into his latest pursuit: armed robbery

Bottle Rocket — acclaimed director Wes Anderson's first feature film (and starring the now-ubiquitous Wilson brothers) — started as a 14-minute short film the trio shot while Owen Wilson and Anderson were attending the University of Texas at Austin. The idea for the film spawned from adventures the two had while roommates: in particular, their decision to break into their own apartment to prove to the landlord just how dangerous a faulty window crank could be. The attempt failed, but out of it grew a 300-page script for the film, about three friends who attempt to pre-meditatively enter a life of crime.

After shooting a short of the film, and subsequently running out of money, the duo were encouraged to submit the short to the Sundance Film Festival. There, they gained the monetary support necessary to make the full-length feature film from filmmaker James L. Brooks.

Although a commercial failure by anyone’s standards (the film made back only just over a million dollars of the $7 million budget), the film nevertheless launched the careers of Anderson and the Wilson brothers, and was chosen by Martin Scorsese as one of his favorite films of the ’90’s.

Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling stars as a drug-addicted junior high teacher and basketball coach in inner-city Brooklyn. Half Nelson focuses on the struggle Gosling’s character, Dan Dunne, faces between his obligation to serve as a role model for 13-year-old student, Drey, (Shareeka Epps) and coming to terms with his own self-destructive habits.

The breakthrough Half Nelson evolved from the short film “Gowanus, Brooklyn” into the full-length version in July 2005. After winning the Sundance short filmmaking award, writer/director Ryan Fleck and co-writer Anna Boden began production for the August 2006 release. The quick transition from short to full length was made possible by shooting the film almost entirely by hand — in just 23 days. For such a select opening, Half Nelson managed to succeed in the box office; grossing over 2.5 million by mid-October and recouping production costs within three weeks.

The success of the film derives from an outstanding performance by Gosling and Epps as the two characters develop a paradoxical friendship from a more than uncomfortable confrontation. In the classroom, Dan is a charismatic mentor who uses unconventional teaching methods to appeal to his inner-city students, encouraging them to think deeply about the unjust society that holds them down. Outside, he succumbs to addiction and low self-worth in the same environment as his students. Drey, sister of a delinquent brother, daughter to a single mother, and potential runner for a dealer, understands Dan’s fears and looks to him as a mentor beyond the classroom. The film culminates when Drey runs crack to Dan, who is forced to realize the damage he is causing to himself as well as his impressionable student. Half Nelson evaluates the relationship between student and teacher as crutches for one another in an environment neither can control.

In its brief history, the Sundance Fim Festival has exposed many thoughtful and introspective short films. In 2004 film critics and their colleagues were introduced to “Peluca,” an 8-minute short film of what would become the cultural phenomenon Napoleon Dynamite.

Before long, Jared Hess’s short film found its way into the loving hands of MTV, who funded the project for the big screen. The short follows Seth and Giel as they ditch P.E. and check out a local thrift for its collection of cheesy fanny packs and wigs. Perhaps in order to ensure the greatness that is the lead character, Hess opted to change Seth’s name to Napoleon. Giel’s distinct mustache and mysterious personality were transformed into the character of Pedro. Not present in the short but ingenious additions to the feature are gems such as Kip, Deb, Uncle Rico and LaFawnduh.

“Peluca” provides a taste the life of a fanny pack-wearing, chapped-lip teen. Clearly, the challenge of translating “Peluca” to the big screen was an easy one for Hess, and the final product has become something of a cult classic. If MTV hadn’t seen the sparkle in Jon Heder’s eyes, the world would be without the beautiful romance of Kip and LaFawnduh, the hardworking Deb, the tastiness of 1% Milk, and above all, the utter need for chapstick.

Nominated for three Academy Awards in 1997, Billy Bob Thornton’s Sling Blade was not only recognized for its acting (Billy Bob Thornton, Best Actor), but it was also awarded an Oscar for “Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.” The full-length was adapted from a short film released two years prior called, “Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade,” also written by Thornton.

The original short film stars Molly Ringwald as a reporter who interviews Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton), a man being released from a mental facility for a violent crime he committed as a child 25 years ago. After being received with positive reviews at film festivals, Thornton decided to take the short film and create a full-length feature.

Based in Arkansas, Sling Blade, opens with Karl being interviewed by a local reporter about his upcoming release from a mental facility, much like the original short film. The audience then follows Karl as he tries to find his place in real world life. Thanks to a friend, he is able to find work fixing engines in a small town where he was originally raised and committed his crime.

Befriended by Frank, a young boy, Karl is able to enjoy a somewhat normal life of French-fried potatoes and friendship. Frank’s single mother, Linda, and her friends look out for Karl while he in turn, looks out for Frank. But Linda’s boyfriend, Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), and his threats cause Karl to relapse into his once violent past. Sling Blade ends where it began, with Karl in the mental facility.

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