PARK CITY — While people may not generally associate the Sundance Film Festival with family entertainment, in 2014, the festival introduced a new category called Sundance Kids.

The intent, obviously, was to attract projects suitable for younger viewers and in its debut year, audiences discovered one of my favorite little animated films, “Ernest and Celestine.” The following year Sundance Kids premiered the 2015 hit, “Shaun the Sheep Movie,” and in 2016, the critically acclaimed documentary “The Eagle Huntress” took the term “girl power” to all new heights.

Hoping to mirror the success of past entries, three new films are in competition for 2017, “The Mars Generation,” “My Life as a Zucchini” and “Red Dog: True Blue.” Each entry is wildly different from the next, but early reviews and press reports suggest they’re all worthy of a future family movie night.

'The Mars Generation'

“The Mars Generation” is the only documentary listed in this year’s “Kids” competition.

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As a movie lover in the state of Utah, I can’t think of a better way to start the year off than with the Sundance Film Festival.

As the description says, “It’s been over 50 years since NASA first sent a man into space, and now, the next generation of astronauts dream of being there for the world’s first interplanetary space mission. In 'The Mars Generation,' director Michael Barnett takes a look at the history of space exploration and the youth that will help us finally achieve our goals of stepping foot on the Red Planet.”

Netflix is behind this promising little documentary, so even if you don’t get a chance to make it to Park City this year, you can probably expect to see this streaming in the very near future.

'My Life as a Zucchini'

“My Life as a Zucchini” has already played at the 2016 Cannes Festival to universal acclaim and is a possible contender for the 89th Academy Awards.

As the description goes, “After his mother’s death, Zucchini is befriended by a police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to a foster home filled with other orphans his age. There, with the help of his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust and love as he searches for a new family of his own.“

Currently, “Zucchini” is sitting at 100 percent on rottentomatoes.com and will almost definitely find distribution for wide release in 2017.

'Red Dog: True Blue'

“Red Dog: True Blue” is the sequel to “Red Dog,” which was the highest grossing Australian film of 2011. Like, “Zucchini,” “Red Dog: True Blue” has already enjoyed a limited release and also sits at 100 percent on rottentomatoes.com

As the description goes, “Based on the beloved Australian legend of Red Dog, a one-of-a-kind canine known for wandering in western Australia during the 1970s, this family film explores the origin of a classic story. After his father dies and his mother is placed in a mental hospital, young Mick is sent to live with his grandfather on a cattle station in the Australian outback, an environment that is completely foreign to him.

"After a terrible storm, he discovers a puppy covered in blue paint stranded in a tree. Though it takes some convincing, Mick’s grandfather grudgingly allows the boy to keep the dog, now named Blue. The two misfits become inseparable and develop a bond that changes both of their lives forever."

Currently, distribution for the film is with Australia’s Village Roadshow and no official U.S. dates have been released.

What other movies are you looking forward to at the Sundance Film Festival? Let us know in the comments.

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