A sign is seen near Main Street at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in this January 14, 2009 file photograph. — Reuters

LOS ANGELES Films about the war in Afghanistan and slain former premier Benazir Bhutto were named in the line-up for next years Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday.

The worlds premiere festival for independent films, the January 21-31 festival in Park City, Utah, will once again see a diverse field of competitors in the documentary and dramatic competitions.

A total of 16 films will vie for honours in the US Documentary competition, whittled down from some 862 submissions, organisers said.

Among the films likely to fuel interest are 'Bhutto,' a look at the life and career of the former premier, who was assassinated in 2007.

Other highlights films include 'Im Pat Tillman,' Amir Bar-Levs account of how the NFL star-turned-soldiers family fought to uncover the truth surrounding his death in a 'friendly fire' incident in Afghanistan in 2004.

The conflict in Afghanistan also forms the backdrop for 'Restrepo,' journalist Sebastian Jungers documentary about a year spent with a US military unit based in one of the countrys most strategically important valleys.

In the world cinema competition, entries include 'Enemies of the People,' which follows a young journalist in Cambodia whose family were murdered by the Khmer Rouge as he tracks down the perpetrators of the Killing Fields genocide.

The son of late Colombian cocaine baron Pablo Escobar takes viewers on a tour through his notorious fathers life in 'Sins of My Father.'

'One of the founding values of Sundance Institute is that artistic excellence should never be gauged in terms of marketability,' Sundance Institute president and Hollywood icon Robert Redford said.

'This years program shows integrity and a willingness to move beyond preconceived ideas about what our festival should be.'

A total of 112 feature-length films from 38 countries by 43 first-time filmmakers, including 24 in competition will unspool at next years Sundance.

More than 3,700 films were submitted for consideration, organisers said.

Next years festival also includes a new section devoted to low and no-budget films, as well as a one-night-only event when eight filmmakers from the festival will show films in eight cities across the United States.