Yet another reason to attend Sundance 2012, if already announced lineup of films didn't push you over the fence… another honor for Julie Dash's seminal film; plus she's expected to be there in person to introduce it and participate in a discussion afterward.

The details below…

Park City, UT – Sundance Institute announced today that Daughters of the Dust (1991) and Reality Bites (1994) have been selected for the From the Collection screenings at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Both titles are part of The Sundance Collection at UCLA (The Collection), a film preservation program designed to archive work that has been supported by a Sundance Institute program. The Festival takes place January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. Ticket information is available at www.sundance.org/tickets.

"The From the Collection screenings call attention to the importance of film preservation and allowing future generations to experience these independent films," said John Nein, Senior Programmer for the Sundance Film Festival. "In addition, they are a tribute to the films that broke new ground and inspired a new generation of filmmaking. Daughters of the Dust and Reality Bites show the great diversity of independent film from the early 1990s, and each is a distinct portrait of a time and place in our film culture."

Daughters of the Dust / U.S.A., 1991 (Director and screenwriter: Julie Dash) – Set in the early 1900s, the Pazants family prepares to migrate from their Sea Island home to the mainland, leaving their land and legacy behind. Daughters of the Dust was the first dramatic feature film to explore the traditions of the Gullah, the descendants of African slaves who once worked the plantations and later inhabited the many islands dotting the South Carolina and Georgia coastlines. It is a story about the struggle between tradition and progress.Cast: Adisa Anderson, Alva Rogers, Barbara O, Cheryl L. Bruce, Cora Lee Day, Kaycee Moore, Tommy Hicks, Trula Hoosier. Daughters of the Dust screened at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival, where it earned the Excellence in Cinematography Award.

A preservation print of Daughters of the Dust will screen on Monday, January 23 at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City. Director and screenwriter Julie Dash is expected to introduce the film and participate in the Q&A.