Sundance Film Festival begins Thursday in Park City, Utah. Many in the movie business continue to deal with the devastating fallout from the Los Angeles-area wildfires, but some are decamping to the mountains for fresh air,

Amid a number of thin, depressing movies at this year’s edition of the Utah festival, a pair of funny, big-hearted films stood out, alongside the typical contingent of thoughtful character studies and powerful documentaries.

This year’s Sundance slate burst through genre barriers with popular attractions like “Sorry, Baby,” “Twinless” and “Didn’t Die” defying easy labels as they veered between smartass comedy and serious drama within their fictional narratives.