John Cooper is so eager to start the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, his first as the festival's director, that he can't wait to start showing competition films.

So Sundance is breaking with tradition, opting not to show a single premiere on its opening night Jan. 21. Instead, two of the festival's competition films -- out of the 58 announced Wednesday -- will share a double bill at Park City's Eccles Center, while a program of shorts will play at the Egyptian Theatre.

"It was actually [Robert] Redford's idea," Cooper said this week from Sundance's Beverly Hills offices. "Redford said, 'Let's show a documentary, a dramatic film and some shorts, because that's what we do.' "

Cooper's staff took the idea further, opting to start the festival's competition on opening night. "Let's get two films out of the way," Cooper said. "Let's start our work, basically. ... Let's start the ball rolling."

Which two films get the opening-night treatment will be revealed in another week or so, Cooper said.

The 58 competition films represent a wide range of topics. Documentaries cover hot-button issues like abortion and education, travel to Russia and Afghanistan, and profile luminaries such as comic Joan Rivers, Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The dramatic films in competition feature stars including Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart, Natalie Portman, James Franco, Jon Hamm, Mark Ruffalo, Orlando Bloom and Laura Linney.

This year's Sundance Film Festival will reflect a year of changes, Cooper said -- and not just because Cooper was promoted from programming director when longtime festival director Geoffrey Gilmore resigned in February to become chief creative officer at Tribeca Enterprises.

"We have the whole [film] industry in a total evolutionary spin, we have the whole world financial crisis and we have Geoff leaving," Cooper said. "Round about April, I was planning for the worst [with the economy]. I got into that survival mode. If we had to cut the films in half, we were still going to have a festival."

That didn't turn out to be the case, although the festival slate is pared down slightly to 113 feature films from the 120 or so in past years.

"We really decided we're going to be rigorous in our selection process," Cooper said, "and rethink things and really choose things we believe in, and basically not settle for less."

Sundance will announce the titles of its noncompetition films Thursday.

U.S. Documentary

Bhutto » Directors Duane Baughman and Johnny O'Hara profile the assassinated former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Casino Jack & The United States of Money » Alex Gibney, who won an Oscar for "Taxi to the Dark Side," investigates D.C. lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his cronies.

Family Affair » Director Chico Colvard explores his past, focusing on an incident when he was 9 -- when he accidentally shot his sister, who in the hospital revealed that her father had sexually molested her and her sisters for years.

Freedom Riders » A look at the civil-rights activists who challenged Southern segregation in 1961. Directed by Sundance veteran Stanley Nelson ("A Place of Our Own," "The Murder of Emmett Till").

Gas Land » Director Josh Fox travels across the country to look at the effects -- from toxic streams to flammable sinks -- of the natural-gas drilling craze.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child » Director Tamra Davis ("CB4," "Half Baked") profiles the '80s artist whose untimely death at age 27 turned him into a cultural icon.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work » Directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, who examined the Darfur genocide in "The Devil Came on Horseback," switch gears to profile the famed comedian Joan Rivers.

Lucky » A look at ordinary people who won the lottery, directed by Jeffrey Blitz ("Spellbound," "Rocket Science").

My Perestroika » Director Robin Hessman tracks the lives of five Muscovites who came of age when the Soviet Union collapsed, reflecting the adjustments of a nation in transition.

The Oath » Director Laura Poitras, who profiled Iraqi elections in "My Country, My Country," goes to Yemen for a story of "two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a course of events that led them to Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantánamo and the U.S. Supreme Court."

Restrepo » Author Sebastian Junger ( The Perfect Storm ) and filmmaker Tim Hetherington co-directed this film, based on a year spent embedded with the Second Platoon in a strategic valley in Afghanistan.

A Small Act » Director Jennifer Arnold follows a young Kenyan whose education was paid by a Swedish woman, so he starts a scholarship program to help kids in his country.

Smash His Camera » Director Leon Gast ("When We Were Kings") profiles famous (and infamous) paparazzo Ron Galella, who was sued by Jackie O and punched by Marlon Brando.

12th & Delaware » Directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing ("Jesus Camp") chronicles the battle over abortion, situated on one American street corner.

I'm Pat _______ Tillman » The story of Pat Tillman, who left NFL stardom to fight for his country -- and how the government lied to his family when he was killed in a "friendly fire" incident in Afghanistan in 2004. Directed by Amir Bar-Lev ("My Kid Could Paint That"). (The space in the title represents the adjective form of the F-word.)

Waiting for Superman » "An Inconvenient Truth" director Davis Guggenheim uses interlocking stories to examine the crisis in U.S. public education.

U.S. Dramatic

Blue Valentine » An examination of a married couple (Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams), cross-cutting over several years of their relationship. Directed by Derek Cianfrance, written by Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne and Joey Curtis.

Douchebag » Just before a wedding, Sam (Andrew Dickler) drags his brother Tom (Ben York Jones) to find Tom's fifth-grade girlfriend. Directed by Drake Doremus; written by Lindsay Stidham, Doremus, Jonathan Schwartz and Dickler.

The Dry Land » A returning soldier (Wilmer Valderrama) tries to reconcile his war experiences with the life he left in Texas. America Ferrera, Ethan Suplee and Melissa Leo co-star for writer-director Ryan Piers Williams (Ferrera's boyfriend).

happythankyoumoreplease » Josh Radnor, the "I" of "How I Met Your Mother," writes and directs this story of New Yorkers on the cusp of maturity, dealing with love and friendship. Radnor co-stars with Malin Akerman ("Couples Retreat") and Kate Mara ("Brokeback Mountain").

Hesher » Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the title role, a trickster who enters the life of a 13-year-old (Devin Brochu) mourning his mother's death. Natalie Portman, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie and John Carroll Lynch also star. Directed by Spencer Susser, written by Susser and David Michod, story by Brian Charles Frank.

Holy Rollers » A Hasidic man ("Zombieland's" Jesse Eisenberg) is lured by a pal (Justin Bartha, "National Treasure") and becomes an international smuggler of Ecstasy. Directed by Kevin Tyler Asch, written by Antonio Macia.

Howl » Documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman ("The Celluloid Closet") wrote and directed this biography of poet Allen Ginsberg (James Franco) as he was creating and then defending his most famous work. David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker and Jeff Daniels co-star.

The Imperialists Are Still Alive! » A French Manhattan artist (Élodie Bouchez) learns her childhood sweetheart has been abducted (possibly by the CIA) just as a new romance blooms in this debut by writer-director Zeina Durra.

Lovers of Hate » Two estranged brothers (Chris Doubek, Alex Karpovsky) fall for the same woman (Heather Kafka) in writer-director Bryan Poyser's comedy.

Night Catches Us » A former Black Panther member ("The Hurt Locker's" Anthony Mackie) returns to his race-torn Philly neighborhood in 1978, reuniting with a lost love (Kerry Washington) and facing his past. Written and directed by Tanya Hamilton.

Obselidia » In writer-director Diane Bell's romance, a librarian (Michael Piccirilli) meets a charming movie projectionist (Gaynor Howe) on a road trip to Death Valley.

Skateland » In a Texas town in the early '80s, a 19-year-old skating-rink manager is forced to re-examine his life. Directed by Anthony Burns, written by Burns, Brandon Freeman and Heath Freeman. The cast includes Shiloh Fernandez, A.J. Buckley, Ashley Greene ("Twilight"), Brett Cullen, Ellen Hollman and Heath Freeman.

Sympathy for Delicious » Actor Mark Ruffalo ("The Brothers Bloom") makes his directing debut in the story of a recently paralyzed DJ (played by Christopher Thompson, who wrote it) who enters the world of faith healing. Ruffalo, Orlando Bloom, Juliette Lewis, Laura Linney and John Carroll Lynch co-star.

3 Backyards » Writer-director Eric Mendelsohn ("Judy Berlin") returns to Sundance for this tale of intense emotions for three residents (Embeth Davidtz, Edie Falco, Elias Koteas ) of a suburban town.

Welcome to the Rileys » A grieving married couple (James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo) cross paths with a young prostitute ("Twilight's" Kristen Stewart). Directed by Jake Scott, written by Ken Hixon.

Winter's Bone » An Ozark Mountain girl (Jennifer Lawrence) tries to keep her family intact while searching for her drug-dealing father (John Hawkes). Directed by Debra Granik (whose "Down to the Bone" played Sundance '04), written by Granik and Anne Rosellini.

World Cinema Documentary

Enemies of the People » (Cambodia, United Kingdom) A journalist whose family was killed by the Khmer Rouge befriends those who committed genocide. Directed by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath.

A Film Unfinished » (Germany,Israel) Director Yael Hersonski unearths footage from Nazi archives of the mechanisms used to stage life in the Warsaw ghetto.

Fix ME » (France, Palestinian Territories, Switzerland) Palestinian director Raed Andoni goes searching for a cure for his headache, and insight, in his hometown of Ramallah.

His & Hers » (Ireland) Director Ken Wardrop interviews 70 Irish women for insights into relationships between women and men.

Kick in Iran » (Germany) Director Fatima Geza Abdollahyan profiles the first female professional taekwondo fighter from Iran to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Last Train Home » (Canada) A migrant worker family in China struggles to get a train ticket to reunite with distant relatives -- along with 200 million other peasants -- in this film directed by Lixin Fan.

The Red Chapel (Det Røde Kapel) » (Denmark) Three Danes travel to North Korea, under the guise of a cultural exchange but with plans to challenge the oppressive regime of Kim Jong-Il.

Russian Lessons » (Georgia, Germany, Norway) An exposé of Russian ethnic cleansing during the 2008 war in Georgia, directed by Olga Konskaya and Andrei Nekrasov.

Secrets of the Tribe » (Brazil) Director José Padilha ("Bus 174") returns with this story of scandal and infighting among anthropologists in the representation and exploitation of the Amazon Basin's indigenous population.

Sins of My Father » (Argentina, Colombia) Director Nicolas Entel profiles Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar through the account of his son, who fled Colombia and his father's legacy.

Space Tourists » (Switzerland) A look at billionaires who pay the Russian space agency to fly them into space. Directed by Christian Frei.

Waste Land » (United Kingdom) Director Lucy Walker ("Blind Sight") chronicles what happens when art star Vik Muniz collaborates with trash pickers in Rio de Janeiro's landfill, the world's largest.

World Cinema Dramatic

All That I Love » (Poland) Four teens form a punk band in 1981, during Poland's Solidarity movement. Written and directed by Jacek Borcuch.

Animal Kingdom » (Australia) A teen (Ben Mendelsohn) is caught between a criminal family and the detective (Guy Pearce) who thinks he can save him, in this drama written and directed by David Michôd (who co-wrote "Hesher," in the U.S. Dramatic competition).

Boy » (New Zealand) Two young brothers must reconcile fantasy and reality when their long-lost father returns in this tale by writer-director Taika Waititi ("Eagle vs. Shark").

Contracorriente (Undertow) » (Colombia, France, Germany, Peru) In this ghost story set in a conservative seaside town, a married fisherman deals with his devotion to his male lover. Written and directed by Javier Fuentes-Leon.

Four Lions » (United Kingdom) Director Chris Morris' comedy about "a bunch of self-styled British jihadis." Chris Wilson and Kevin Eldon star. Written by Morris, Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain.

Grown Up Movie Star » (Canada) A teen girl (Tatiana Maslany) wants to grow up fast when her mother runs away and she is left in the care of her rural father (Shawn Doyle). Written and directed by Adriana Maggs.

The Man Next Door (El Hombre de al Lado) » (Argentina) A dividing wall escalates a conflict between two neighbors, in this dark comedy written and directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat.

Me Too (Yo, También) » (Spain) The relationship between a 34-year-old college-educated man with Down syndrome and his free-spirited co-worker, written and directed by Álvaro Pastor and Antonio Naharro.

Nuummioq » (Greenland) A journey through Greenland allows a man (Lars Rosing) to contemplate his past and future. Written by Torben Bech, directed by Otto Rosing and Bech.

Peepli Live » (India) Director/writer Anusha Rizvi's satire tells of a debt-ridden farmer who announces he will kill himself so his family can receive government compensation -- thus setting off a media frenzy.

Son of Babylon » (Iraq) In this drama, written and directed by Mohamed Al Daradji, a young Kurdish boy and his grandmother travel through Iraq (in the days after Saddam Hussein's fall) to find the remains of his father.

Southern District (Zona Sur) » (Bolivia) An upper-class La Paz family enjoy their last days of luxury before social change intervenes, in writer-director Juan Carlos Valdivia's drama.

The Temptation of St. Tony » (Estonia) A middle manager confronts mortality and morality when he develops an aversion to being "good." Written and directed by Veiko Õunpuu.

Vegetarian (Chaesikjueuija) » (South Korea) In writer-director Lim Woo-seong's comedy, a woman becomes disgusted by meat -- which aggravates her husband but appeals to her artist brother-in-law.