INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVALS, like the Sundance Film Festival, are widely recognized in the film industry as a major place to discover new talent and acquire independently made films on topics that might otherwise be too controversial, too niche, or too original for a major studio-backed picture. One of the breakout hits of Sundance 2012, Beasts of the Southern Wild, is a magical realist drama about a little girl (played by newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis) who lives in a bayou outside New Orleans and faces a hurricane, as well as mythical creatures. Fox Searchlight acquired distribution rights, releasing it to great acclaim and strong limited-release box office grosses that summer.