Little-hyped films that could steal the Sundance spotlight

January 13, 2009 The success of Danny Boyle's game show-based "Slumdog Millionaire" could rub off on first-time filmmaker Marking's documentary about contestants who risk their lives to appear on Afghanistan's version of "American Idol." Wading into Werner Herzog territory -- obsessive hero, exotic locale -- the director of 2006's "Running Stumbled" trains his camera on endurance swimmer Martin Strel. Sanders' debut, "Thick as Thieves," premiered at Sundance 11 years ago, and he returns with a blaxploitation spoof he co-wrote with Michael Jai White and Byron Minns.

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