Murdered star's final film debuts

Adrienne Shelly lived in Manhattan with her family

A film featuring murdered US actress Adrienne Shelly has had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

Shelly wrote, directed and starred in Waitress - which was accepted into the festival only a short time before she was discovered dead in her apartment.

The screening in Utah City was greeted by both cheers and weeping

Shelly's husband used the premiere to announce the creation of a foundation, which will offer scholarships to female independent filmmakers in her name.

"Through the foundation, Adrienne's legacy will continue to grow," he said.

Shelly, whose real name was Adrienne Levine, was best known for her roles in the Hal Hartley films The Unbelievable Truth and Trust.

Waitress stars Keri Russell

Before Waitress, her most recent appearance was alongside Matt Dillon in the 2005 movie Factotum.

Her film tells the story of a pregnant waitress who has an affair with her doctor to escape an abusive relationship. The central role is played by Keri Russell.

Footprint

Shelly was discovered hanging from the shower rod above her bathtub in November last year.

Investigators initially thought she had killed herself, but failed to find a suicide note.

They later detected a footprint in the bath which did not match Shelly's.

It led police to 19-year-old construction worker Diego Pillco, who was charged with the actress's murder.