Nate von Zumwalt, Editorial Manager

Between Jeff Baena’s serpentine zombie romance and Father John Misty’s unruly video for his breakout song “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings,” it seems Aubrey Plaza can act her way into any adaptation of a deranged young woman.

Both Baena’s dramatic comedy Life After Beth and Father John Misty, in all his paradoxical (part-nihilist, part-shamanistic) allure, will be on showcase at Sundance NEXT FEST for a two-part event. First, we’ll screen the Los Angeles premiere of Life After Beth, which walks the thin line between zombie thriller, madcap comedy, and poignant romance, and stars Plaza and Dane DeHaan in similarly revelatory performances. Immediately after, charismatic performer Father John Misty will take the stage for a solo acoustic set of his sometimes inscrutable, often existential, but always pleasing tunes. Click here for tickets to the screening and performance.

For a more complete breakdown of the film, here’s Director of Programming Trevor Groth’s take on Life After Beth:

“Imitating what Dr. Frankenstein did with his monster, writer/director Jeff Baena assembles disparate parts of his film into a new whole and jolts fresh life into it. By fusing elements of a young love story and a zombie movie, he concocts a wickedly funny and shockingly poignant film. With its killer soundtrack and all-star cast, including Aubrey Plaza, whose distinctive delivery has never been used to greater effect, and Dane DeHaan, who perfectly embodies the suffering of a young man with a broken heart and a rotting girlfriend, Life After Beth will leave you dying to see it again.”

Below, check out our chat with director Jeff Baena prior to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Father John Misty’s Aubrey Plaza-led music video, and a Spotify selection from the musician’s debut album, Fear Fun.