With just one day to go, the countdown to this year’s Sundance Film Festival is well underway, although you wouldn’t necessary know it. Creeping up on us quieter than its pilmsole-wearing indie fan counterpart, this year’s festival has failed to drum up its usual esteemed buzz, overshadowed by both growing criticism that it’s losing its 'indie edge' and as ever, the Golden Globes stealing the January limelight. But make no mistake, there’s as much to buzz about as ever.

Despite 2008’s pickings failing to rival the Little Miss Sunshine / Napoleon Dynamite-shaped successes of previous years, it certainly still came up with the goods, Frozen River, Man On Wire, Trouble the Water and The Wackness to name but a few. This year promises yet more top-quality indie treats from the 150 films set to screen over the ten day period.

Kick-starting the festival on Thursday night, the first treat comes in the form of Australian clay animation Mary and Max, a five-year labour of love from Oscar-award winning director Adam Elliot. Featuring the voices of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette and Barry Humphries, Elliot’s feature debut tells the story of an unlikely friendship between eight-year-old Mary and the 'severely obese' forty-four-year old Max.

Perhaps the movie gaining the most hype ahead of this year’s festival is that of Adventureland. Written and directed by Superbad’s Greg Mottola, with performances from Bill Hader, Martin Starr and Ryan Reynolds, it’s easy to see why. Sure to gain a equally formidible following, Big Fan touts The Wrestler-writer Robert Siegel and stars Patton Oswalt as a hardcore New York Giants fan, whose dream comes true when he bumps into the team’s top player at a strip-club. Mickey The Wrestler Rourke will himself be making an appearance, starring alongside Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder in Gregor Jordan’s The Informers.

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, the directorial debut from John Krasinski (better known as Jim Halpert from The Office) is sure to get the juries’ juices flowing. Past jury-favorites, The Polish Brothers Mark and Michael, return with Manure, rivaling Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire for Best Name and both serious competitors for Best Film.

Others to look out for include In the Loop, a political comedy from British filmmaker Armando Iannucci and Paper Hearts, which reunites Knocked Up starlets Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi. The Yes Men Fix the World promises the highest comedy value of the documentaries, however it is Afghan Star, a film exploring the complex politics behind the Afghani version of “American Idol;” that will no doubt get the World Documentary vote.

Sundance kicks off at 6pm on Thursday, but you’ll have to wait until next Saturday for the Awards Ceremony low-down, watch this space…