If I were going to Sundance 2013…

… I would be the happiest boy in the world.

But I’m not, and what makes it all the worse is I know someone who is. He had asked me to make some recommendations for him on what he should get tickets for. Cause I’m the movie guy and all.

So not being able to do anything halfway, I did a lot arguably unnecessary reconnaissance. And I really wish I was going to Sundance this year. The line-up of both in competition films and those just making their world premieres is impressive.

Aside from being in one of the best places for skiing on the planet, Sundance has that rare quality of discovery that other film festivals don’t anymore. Cannes has always featured a smaller line-up, usually foreign masters trotting out their latest art house experiment, and Toronto has become a stomping ground for awards bait movies to make their premieres.

But as I told my friend, Sundance is unique in that, you can do all the research about directors and stars that you want, but the next great film of the year, the “Beasts of the Southern Wild” or “Winter’s Bone” or what have you, will be full of unknowns and come as a complete surprise. It’s a place to discover the films that will never get a distributor, not the mid-range indie product that’ll be released just months from now. Here then is just part of the message I sent to my friend:

“So with that in mind, take some chances on some films. There will be scheduling conflicts, there will be movies that will be sold out, and of the 10 that you choose to go to (or whatever your number ends up being), there will likely be some bad ones in the bunch. The ones that might be most worth your time are the smaller films without big casts or directors that might never get distribution. Some of these are in competition and a lot are just premiering. Look into some foreign films or maybe even a short film program.”

I really did go all out in making suggestions, going as far as to provide a list of miniature blurbs and ranking my top choices, so at that point I decided I may as well turn this into an article and offer these suggestions to anyone else who may be going.

1. Before Midnight – In 1995, Richard Linklater did a movie with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in which the two of them just walked around and talked and fell in love, “Before Sunrise.” 9 years later he revisited it with “Before Sunset,” and it was equally experimental and moving. This is the third time he’s revisited them, and it’s bound to be a big hit.
2. Sound City – This is Dave Grohl’s new documentary about a legendary recording studio that closed recently. I would go because he’s definitely going to be there, but the movie itself will be available for download in February, so it’s not like you’ll never see it if you really wanted to.
3. Muscle Shoals – Here’s another intriguing music doc. This one is about Rick Hall, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and the music that arose out of the Alabama scene in the ’60s. The first time director Greg Camilier has assembled a flock of great musicians to say wonderful things about Hall and FAME Studios, including Mick Jagger, Etta James, Bono and more.
4. Kill Your Darlings – “Kill Your Darlings” is the story of what drew the beat poets William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac together, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg. It has a first time director but has an amazing cast that also includes Michael C. Hall, Elizabeth Olsen, Jack Huston, David Cross, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyra Sedjwick and Ben Foster.
5. Touchy Feely – If you’re looking for a really depressing, mind-bending movie, this is probably it. It’s from Lynn Shelton, the director of “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” and it’s about a massage therapist who suddenly is afraid to touch people, starring Ellen Page, Rosemarie Dewitt and Allison Janney.
6. Mud – This one was actually slated for 2012, so it’s not a world premiere. But it stars Matthew McConaughey as a fugitive on the run from bounty hunters in this Americana character drama and thriller. It’s directed by one of my favorite up and coming directors, Jeff Nichols. He did “Shotgun Stories” and “Take Shelter,” which were also drenched in Americana.
7. The Spectacular Now – This tells the story of a teenager who is a budding alcoholic, and it has a coming of age story vibe about a kid who gets in an argument with his nerdy friend, gets drunk and ends up meeting the “cool kids” when he wakes up. The director, James Ponsoldt, is supposedly providing it with the same tone as his film “Smashed” released in 2012, also about an alcoholic and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
8. The Way, Way Back – A dramedy from the writers of “The Descendants,” it’s about a 14-year-old visiting his mom and her annoying boyfriend on summer vacation. It stars Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette and Maya Rudolph.
9. Magic Magic – This is a kind of surreal drama starring Michael Cera and Juno Temple. It’s about a girl who dabbles in hypnosis and suffers from insomnia.
10. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – This is a first time film starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara in a runaway love story that’s got a big “Bonnie and Clyde” or “Badlands” vibe.
11. The East – Brit Marling is a younger actress/screenwriter who really impressed me with the smart sci-fi “Another Earth,” and this film is a larger scale thriller about a secret agent who goes undercover to stop a group of activists attacking CEOs, but she eventually begins to like some of their ideas.
12. A.C.O.D. – A comedy starring both Adam Scott and Amy Poehler; what’s not to love?
13. Don Jon’s Addiction – The directorial debut of Joseph Gordon Levitt, this is a comedy about a guy addicted to porn but who can also land 10’s any night of the week. Stars JGL and Scarlett Johannson.
14. Stoker – A thriller/horror movie from the director behind “Oldboy,” Stoker stars Mia Wasikowska fearing the motives and potential of her increasingly unstable mother (Nicole Kidman) and her mysterious Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode).
15. Lovelace – Amanda Seyfried stars as Linda Lovelace, the porn star from the 70’s movie “Deep Throat.”
16. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete – This a coming of age drama about inner city kids living on the street, and it’s got a bunch of big stars in bit parts like Jennifer Hudson, Anthony Mackie and Jordin Sparks. It has something of a “Precious” vibe, and it’s from a debut filmmaker, George Tillman Jr.
17. The Gatekeepers – Another documentary that’s actually on this year’s Oscar shortlist, it’s about Israeli military leaders and is supposed to be really insightful into understanding the Middle East.
18. No – A Chilean film and on this year’s Oscar shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film.
19. Sweetgrass – A Western starring Ed Harris and January Jones.
20. Breathe In – A drama from the director of the 2011 Sundance winner “Like Crazy,” it’s about a family and the tension that spawns after they take in a foreign exchange student.
21. May in the Summer – Director of “Amreeka,” which won a prize at Cannes a few years back.
22. In a World… – A comedy from Adult Swim’s and “Children’s Hospital’s” Lake Bell about a struggling vocal coach. It also stars Demetri Martin and Rob Corddry.
23. Toy’s House – Three teenage boys go off to the woods to build a house of their own. Stars Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Megan Mullaly.
24. Austenland – For any “Napoleon Dynamite” fans, “Austenland” is a comedy about a girl (Keri Russell) obsessed with “Pride and Prejudice” and visits a Jane Austen theme park to find true love. It comes from Jerusha Hess, cowriter of “Napoleon” and sister of brother Jared Hess.
25. jOBS – This is the closing night film of the festival, and maybe it’s terrific. But it’s the biopic about Steve Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher, a casting that always rubbed me the wrong way. It’s from the director of “Swing Vote,” and it was just picked up by Open Road Films for a April release date.
26. Top of the Water – The wonderful director Jane Campion’s new film is about a private detective investigating disturbances in a small New Zealand town, and it’s her first film at Sundance in over a decade. It’s probably lush and beautiful, but the only problem is, it’s six hours long. Yikes.