Gwyneth Paltrow'sdirectorial debut and new shorts from Bob Odenkirk, Tamra Davis, Jennie Livingstonand Isaac Julien take their place among 73 short films set to screen at theSundance Film Festival in Utah next month.

Organisers received 4,327submissions overall, and of the 73 selected, 42 are American and 31 titles hailfrom a further 17 countries.

Paltrow directed Dealbreaker with Mary Wigmore, who acted with the Oscar winnerin The Royal Tenenbaums and ShallowHal. The story centres on a down toearth New Yorker who learns to look beyond superficial flaws in the search forMr Right.

Other titles include JohnBryant's tale of a disastrous Thanksgiving Dinner in Momma's Boy, and David Zellner's Redemptitude, which follows a preacher's trip into the Australianoutback to save a man's soul.

Daniel Mulloy's UK tale of afather-son relationship in Antonio's Breakfast is among the international line-up, which includesHubert Davis' Canadian entry Arubaabout domestic violence and drug use, and Lovinsa Kavuma's short South Africandocumentary Rape For Who I Am,about a group of black lesbians who were raped because of their sexuality.

"Short films have always hadan important role in cinema and at the Sundance Film Festival," Sundance'sdirector of programming John Cooper said.

"As the tools required tocreate films have become more accessible, new voices have emerged, and shortfilms are a place to discover some of the most creative and challenging workbeing done today."

Prior festival incarnationshave featured short films from the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, Todd Haynes,Spike Jones, Todd Field, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

The Sundance Film Festivalruns from Jan 19-29, 2005. For the complete short film line-up visit theofficial website at www.sundance.org.