MAY IN THE SUMMER To Open Sundance Film Festival

The lineup for the prestigious Sundance Film Festival was announced today, and May in the Summer is not only an official selection but has been honored with opening the festival. The film, which co-stars Alexander Siddig, is one of 16 entries chosen to be showcased at Sundance, out of more than 12,000 submissions. It will be part of the official competition, meaning it’s up for a variety of awards at the festival.

May in the Summer is the story of a Christian woman engaged to a Muslim man. When May visits her Middle Eastern family, she is forced to confront pressure from all sides of the clan, including her siblings. “At its core, at its heart, it’s very much about family, and about a character struggling with her own sense of truth,” writer/director/star Cherien Dabis told the Los Angeles Times.

The Sundance Film Festival runs January 17-27, 2013, in Park City, Utah.