Although the new Sundance Film Festival USA program — wherein 8 films premiering at Robert Redford’s annual film festival in Park City, Utah will be dispatched, along with their directors, to 8 different art-house theaters across the country — is only in its first year, Michigan Theater general manager/chief operating officer Lee Berry is already pretty sure it’s here to stay for a while.

“I would be real surprised if they didn’t repeat it and even expand it,” said Berry. “Everyone else (involved in SFF USA) has a smaller room, like 300-400 seats, so they all sold out a long time ago. We’re the biggest theater, and we sold 700 seats before the film was even announced.”

A scene from "Cyrus," featuring, from left, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei and John C. Reilly.

The Sundance film coming to Ann Arbor for a screening on Thursday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. is “Cyrus,” starring John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill, and Catherine Keener.

Reilly plays a recently divorced man who finds the woman of his dreams in Tomei — but her 21-year-old son, played by Hill, could be an obstacle.

According to Berry, Jonah Hill — as well as the two brothers who wrote and directed “Cyrus,” Mark and Jay Duplass — will introduce the film and answer questions from the crowd after the Michigan Theater screening.

The Duplass brothers.

And while tickets are scarce, Berry expects some last tickets to become available on Friday, January 22.

“It’s so busy around here, it feels like it's show week this week,” said Berry on Monday. “We’re practically sold out. We’re at 1,540 right now (out of 1,700), which is astounding. It does not happen often that we sell out the entire auditorium for a movie.”

Michael Moore’s premiere of “Slacker Uprising” in the fall of 2008 was the last time this happened.

“It’s so rare,” said Berry. “So it’s very exciting when it happens.”

The theater’s executive director and CEO, Russ Collins, left for Park City this past Saturday, to attend Sundance and participate in the Art House Convergence Conference. But he nonetheless played a significant part in another Sundance selection — U-M grad Sultan Sharrief’s “Bilal’s Stand” — getting a screening at the Michigan Theater on the last day of this year’s Sundance Film Festival: Sunday, January 31. (The film screens at 6 p.m.)

“It did really well even when it was a local release and played here,” said Berry of “Stand.”

“Stand” thus offers film fans a second crack at seeing a 2010 Sundance selection in Ann Arbor, since it seems ticket demand for “Cyrus” will likely outstrip availability.

“This is working well for Sundance as well,” said Berry. “They’re trying to get their brand out there, to get more people aware of what they do. I’ve got to think they’ll want to keep this going.”

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.