THE Oscar winning, Tony Award nominated Irish/ English writer Martin McDonagh has lots to look forward to in the New Year.

His first full-length film, In Bruges, with an all-star cast helmed by Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson and Ciaran Hinds, will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17.

The film was selected to open Sundance, one of the world's most prestigious film festivals, so hopes are obviously high that McDonagh's work will wow the first nighters and generate all kinds of positive buzz.

McDonagh wrote and directed the film, which is being called a "provocative comedy" by the folks at Sundance. It tells the story of two hit men who mess up a job in London, and are then ordered to bide their time in Bruges, Belgium, where the situation manages to go from bad to worse.

"In many ways In Bruges is a quintessential Sundance film - it's brutal, philosophical, funny, and totally original," said Geoffrey Gilmore, director of the Sundance festival.

"Martin McDonagh is a masterful storyteller, a tremendously gifted playwright and provocative risk-taker and we are thrilled to showcase his feature-length directorial debut."

McDonagh, who shot to fame on Broadway a few seasons back with his Irish play The Beauty Queen of Leenane - and who also won an Oscar last year for his short film Six Shooter, which starred Gleeson - will definitely be on hand for the Sundance showing.

"I'm stunned and thrilled that In Bruges will be opening a festival as prestigious, and as cool, as Sundance, and I simply can't wait to attend," said the multi-talented McDonagh, who divides his time between Britain and Ireland.

The film will be distributed by Focus Features and open in limited U.S. release on February 8.