sundance.org https://www.sundance.org sundance.org Thu, 13 Jul 2023 16:38:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.1 https://www.sundance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SD-Favicon.png sundance.org https://www.sundance.org 32 32 5 Tips on Staying Relevant in an Evolving Film Industry According to Brian Newman and Ted Hope https://www.sundance.org/blogs/5-tips-on-staying-relevant-in-an-evolving-film-industry-according-to-brian-newman-and-ted-hope/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 16:30:00 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=47073 By Stephanie Ornelas  Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said that the only constant in life is change. It’s safe to say the phrase continues to resonate for many — especially those in the film industry. Tune in to Sundance Collab’s Advisor Studio: Staying Relevant in an Evolving Film Industry with Brian Newman & Ted Hope, and […]

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By Stephanie Ornelas 

Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said that the only constant in life is change. It’s safe to say the phrase continues to resonate for many — especially those in the film industry. Tune in to Sundance Collab’s Advisor Studio: Staying Relevant in an Evolving Film Industry with Brian Newman & Ted Hope, and you might hear the same from longtime producers Hope (Cassandro, Walking and Talking) and Newman (The Outside Story, Love & Texas).    

“Everything’s changing — always,” says Hope as he kicked off the event on May 10. “I wrote my first article, ‘Indie film is Dead,’ in 1995, and most of those points still hold true today. Something that comes with trying to navigate those shifting sands or choppy seas is learning how to look backwards and forwards simultaneously or really in all directions.” 

During the informative session, Newman gets into the specifics of how this can be done. 

“You want to try to develop pattern recognition for what the most likely scenarios are that haven’t yet arrived,” says Hope. “And I think you do that a lot by learning how to look backwards into the recent past.” 

Here are just a few takeaways from the insightful — and at times, comical — hourlong event: 

Have multiple projects in the works… 

“This weekend, I spent my time at a new [event] called Series First, which is all about episodic streaming. And I was sitting down for dinner with three producers — all of whom are quite successful — and even though [we] were talking about the fact that we’ve never been in a worse time of things collapsing and falling apart and a really tough market in the business, they were all very happy with what they were doing as producers, and it was because they’re all very entrepreneurial,” explains Newman. 

“The producers I was talking with were all the kind of people that were doing multiple projects at a time. And if I could sum up this — one thing is they weren’t being precious. They weren’t feeling like they had to make that one big film that’s going to sell for ten times what they spent on it to Netflix.” 

Instead, Newman clarifies, they were thinking about all the different ways they could bring their stories to life. 

“Which included producing podcasts, gaming, graphic novels, and all these other places for [intellectual property]. They were thinking about how they would expand that IP across multiple different platforms and find stories in new ways and reach audiences in new ways.” 

… And broaden your skill base

Newman continues: In order for creators to make it through a tough market, it’s important that they make sure their careers are sustainable by expanding their skill sets and being open to new projects. 

“They’re not just producing their labor of love out to drive a project, which they’re still doing and everyone should still do,” says Newman of his peers. “Stay focused on that artistic part, too. But they’re also looking at doing advertising, branded content, episodic content, and doing their feature. So they’re all being quite entrepreneurial and broadening their skill base and the types of [projects] they’re working on.” 

Know your rights, and protect your IP 

“One of the most important things is to understand that it’s really all about IP at the end of the day, which we all talk about in this industry. It’s about making sure you own your rights and that you understand what you can do with them,” stresses Newman.

Driving home the importance of an entrepreneurial spirit among creators, he explains, “You’re now able to do things like test things out. You can start to find an audience. If you have that IP, you can explore, see what it’s like as a podcast, see what it’s like as a web comic. You can do all these things to try to test things with your audience. As long as you own that underlying IP, you can keep expanding on it.”

Embrace technology 

It’s no secret that evolving technology — such as the use of artificial intelligence — is a huge topic of conversation across a number of industries. And while Hope acknowledges that many are afraid of it, he emphasizes the importance of embracing new ways of filmmaking in order to grow creatively.  

“I had a great conversation with [documentary filmmaker] Gary Hurst, and he’s worked [with a professional coder] to build at the code level. I know that they’re using AI [for his new film]. He told me that the most exciting part of it is he’s still going to edit his version of the movie, but AI is making edit decisions that he would never make, and some of them he’ll throw away, but some of them are actually opening his mind in a completely different way,” explains Hope.

“I know other people making comic books, people who want to do animation and couldn’t do it but can now use [AI] to build their storyboards for the animation they want to build. Then they’ll go hire the actual animator, who will do it in real time. There’s a million opportunities there to be explored. 

“Any time a new technology has come along like this — that’s like magic — great new things happen in art,” Hope continues. “If you’re in the first half of your career, you would be a fool not to try to fully explore every new technology that comes your way. Those are skills that are going to be needed.”

Know your values, and stay true to them 

A good producer has good values… and thick skin. Hope encourages participants to gear up for a potentially chaotic time in the industry — but those who are truly passionate about cinema must stick with it.  

“You have to recognize early on in your career that you are in an industry filled with liars and cheats and malcontents. They’ll lie to your face. How are you going to survive that? By keeping the good people close, knowing what your own values are, and ultimately being a good human being. That’s going to help you make better films. That’s going to make your skin harder than a lobster shell. And it’s going to allow you to get back on the horse after you experiment with like 12 different things.”

And while Hope stresses that the film industry could be facing a “hurricane,” partially because of an oversaturated streaming market, he remains hopeful that with evolving technology and a new generation, fresh ideas — and solutions — will be born.   

“I’m super optimistic that many of you in this room right now are going to go out and create not just great movies, but great business models and things that also get a lot of movies made. Producers generate far more movies than directors. 

“New models will be made, and people will build new things,” Hope continues. “I think we’re on the verge, for the first time ever, of actually being able to build an independent indie-film system — one that is not a parasite on the back of Hollywood.” 

To get the full Advisor Studio experience and hear what else Hope and Newman had to say about staying relevant in an evolving film industry, watch the full recording. And be sure to check out our other Advisor Studio discussions, like Advisor Studio: Financial Planning for Creatives: From Taxes to Retirement with Creative Capital.

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]]> “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie” and “The Territory” Among Sundance-Supported Projects Nominated for the 2023 Emmys https://www.sundance.org/blogs/still-a-michael-j-fox-movie-and-the-territory-among-sundance-supported-projects-nominated-for-the-2023-emmys/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:49:49 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=47034 It’s Emmy season, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has spoken. We’re thrilled to see that six Sundance Festival projects have made the

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It’s Emmy season, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has spoken. We’re thrilled to see that six Sundance Festival projects have made the list for the 2023 Emmys, which are scheduled to take place September 18.

Among the nominees are Davis Guggenheim’s touching documentary about Michael J. Fox, which picked up a whopping seven nominations, and Alex Pritz’s powerful doc The Territory, which nabbed three noms.

Below, check out the full list of 2023 Emmy nominees that have screened at the Sundance Film Festival, and be sure to root for them this September. Congratulations to these outstanding projects!

Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program 

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie 

The Territory (supported by the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program)

Outstanding Directing For A Documentary/Nonfiction Program

Judy Blume Forever 

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields 

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie 

The Territory

A helmeted person on a motorbike rides through burning foliage.
A still from “The Territory”

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields 

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie 

Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary Series Or Special

(Original Dramatic Score)

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie 

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special

Judy Blume Forever 

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie 

Young woman with long, flowing hair sits on a stool under lights . Men are conversing and working in the background.
A still from “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields”

Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking

Aftershock (supported by Sundance Institute’s Catalyst Forum)

Last Flight Home 

The Territory 

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Nonfiction Or Reality Program (Single Or

Multi-Camera)

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie 

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Nonfiction Program (Single Or Multi-Camera)

STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie 

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]]> PAST LIVES wins Audience Award at the 10th edition of Sundance Film Festival: London https://www.sundance.org/blogs/past-lives-wins-audience-award-at-the10th-edition-of-sundance-film-festival-london/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 17:24:47 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=47001 Picturehouse Central, 9 July 2023 — Sundance Institute and Picturehouse announced tonight that the 2023 Sundance Film Festival: London’s Audience Award is presented to Past Lives written and directed by Celine Song. The film is produced by David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon, and stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro.  StudioCanal will […]

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Picturehouse Central, 9 July 2023 — Sundance Institute and Picturehouse announced tonight that the 2023 Sundance Film Festival: London’s Audience Award is presented to Past Lives written and directed by Celine Song. The film is produced by David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon, and stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro.  StudioCanal will release the film in UK cinemas from 8 September.

Past Lives follows Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, who are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

Past Lives had its UK premiere at the 10th edition of Sundance Film Festival: London following its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January. Festival-goers voted in the thousands for their favourite films across the four-day event at Picturehouse Central for this Audience Award. 

The Sundance Film Festival: London ran from 6 to 9 July 2023 at Picturehouse Central, presenting a selection of feature films and documentaries from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival held in Utah, specially curated for London by the Sundance Institute programming team in collaboration with Picturehouse. 

Numerous filmmakers and actors attended the festival to introduce their films and participate in audience Q&As, including Charlotte Regan, Harris Dickinson and Lola Campbell for the UK premiere of Scrapper; Ira Sachs and Ben Whishaw for French romance drama Passages; Andrew Durham and Emilia Jones for coming-of-age drama Fairyland; directors Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou for their horror-thriller Talk To Me; Lío Mehiel, star of Mutt; director Celine Song of Past Lives and pioneer of queer cinema, Gregg Araki, with three retrospective films showcased:The Doom Generation, Three Bewildered People In The Night and Mysterious Skin. 

Documentary makers in attendance included Anton Corbijn with Squaring the Circle (The story of Hipgnosis); Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn with their emotionally vibrant documentary Going Varsity in Mariachi; Maximilien Van Aetryck and Axel Danielson with their engrossing Fantastic Machine and Bethann Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng with their documentary Invisible Beauty which looks back at the incredible impact Hardison has had over the last five decades as an activist, model and muse.  The festival closed on 9 July with the UK premiere screening of You Hurt My Feelings from acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies.

The festival’s second dedicated Industry Programme successfully ran alongside the festival’s public screenings and events. During four days of industry-focused talks and events, this robust strand welcomed hundreds of members of the UK film industry to build their personal networks, understand industry trends, discover new work and share their own unique storytelling passions with other independent filmmakers. Each industry passholder had exclusive access to a host of industry-only events during the festival, including intimate roundtable meetings, keynotes, masterclasses, themed panel discussions and daily networking drinks.

The festival was thrilled to host U.S. producer Anthony Bregman, who premiered three features at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January, to deliver the in-person industry keynote talk.  Other top-level industry speakers included Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente, Sundance Film Festival Director Eugene Hernandez, and Sundance Director of Programming Kim Yutani; top UK funders and commissioners including Mia Bays (BFI Film Fund); Alice Whittemore (Film4), Eva Yates (BBC Film) and Andrew Orr (Sky Cinema); directors Prano Bailey Bond and Alice Lowe; screenwriter Tony Grisoni; script consultant Kate Leys; producers Carlo Cresto-Dina, Matt Wilkinson, Faye Ward, Emily Morgan, Sarah Brocklehurst and Farah Abushwesha plus many more.

Sundance Film Festival: London 2023 is supported by: Headline Partner – Audible. Lead Partner  – United Airlines. Supporting Partners – Adobe and State of Utah. Event Partner – Mubi. Drinks Partner – TRIP CBD.  Media Partner – Screen International.  Hotel Partner – The May Fair Hotel.

The Sundance Film Festival: London industry programme is presented by United Airlines. Additional partners include: Adobe, Audible, BBC Film, BFI Network, BIFA, Dark Matter, Doc Society, Film4, Lee & Thompson, Netflix, Nowness, Screen International and ScreenSkills.

 

All Sundance Film Festival: London press enquiries

Festival Press Office

sundance.london@premiercomms.com 

Elizabeth Taylor 

elizabeth.taylor@premiercomms.com

Emma Hall 

emma.hall@premiercomms.com 

Poppy Alexander 

poppy.alexander@premiercomms.com 

 Film images for press: Available on Dropbox

 All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of one-time reproduction  and only when including proper image credits and/or ‘Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival:London.’ Unauthorized  use, alteration or reproduction of logos and photos is strictly prohibited. 

About Sundance Institute

As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from each other and Sundance Advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artists programs we have supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Big Sick, Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys State, Call Me By Your Name, Clemency, CODA, Drunktown’s Finest, The Farewell, Fire of Love, Flee, The Forty-Year-Old Version, Fruitvale Station, Get Out, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, Honeyland, The Infiltrators, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Little Woods, Love & Basketball, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mudbound, Nanny, Navalny, O.J.: Made in America, One Child Nation, Pariah, Raising Victor Vargas, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, RBG, Sin Nombre, Sorry to Bother You, The Souvenir, Strong Island, Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Swiss Army Man, Sydney, A Thousand and One, Top of the Lake, Walking and Talking, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and Zola. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Picturehouse Cinemas

Picturehouse is an award-winning UK film company incorporating cinema, distribution and home entertainment, formed in 1989 to challenge the multiplex model. Its flagship cinema Picturehouse Central is situated in the heart of London’s West End, with the rest of its 25 venues located across England and Scotland.

 Picturehouse’s architecturally-unique cinemas sit in the heart of local neighbourhoods and cater to a diverse and wide-ranging audience. They provide bespoke food and drink offerings across their cafés, bars, restaurants and members bars. The programme is curated to champion films made for all ages, backgrounds and walks of life, from quality mainstream film through to foreign-language and documentary features, as well as live event cinema. 35mm and 70mm presentations are also offered in some locations. 

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]]> Jam Out to These 10 Sundance Films on National Day of Rock ’n’ Roll   https://www.sundance.org/blogs/jam-out-to-these-10-sundance-films-on-national-day-of-rock-n-roll/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 21:58:07 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=46917                                                                                                               […]

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                                                                                                                                              [Above: Green Room]

By Stephanie Ornelas

Put on your blue suede shoes (or black if you’re Johnny Suede) because today is National Day of Rock ’n’ Roll! We’re stoked to share these 10 films that showcase both trailblazers in rock music and the eccentric superfans who help make the beloved genre what it is today.   

We all have a musician who inspires us, a song that helps us get through those difficult times we feel no one understands. And the films below tell stories of how rock music has influenced, and continues to influence, millions of listeners around the world.

So, settle in, but don’t get too comfortable, because you might find yourself back on your feet. Here are 10 rock movies to amp you up today… and every day after for that matter. Consider adding these electrifying movies to your film queue as you celebrate today. 

Rock on! 

Johnny Suede (1992 Sundance Film Festival) 

When Johnny Suede (Brad Pitt) finds a random pair of black suede shoes, he immediately thinks they’re a sign that musical success is just around the corner. A struggling young musician and devoted fan of Ricky Nelson, Johnny wants to be just like his idol: a rock star. But financial hardships and a complicated romantic relationship may teach him that there’s more to life than a pair of suede shoes. 

“Tom DiCillo’s feature-film debut is an unusual moral tale set in the cool nouveau-retro fringes of New York. Johnny Suede judiciously mixes the dark, hard edges that anchor the story in the real world with the delicious humor provided by the solid performances of its actors,” writes Alberto Garcia in the Festival Program Guide. 

Before screening at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, Tom DiCillo’s film was supported through Sundance Institute’s Directors Lab in 1990. Available for purchase on DVD. 

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001 Sundance Film Festival) 

John Cameron Mitchell’s adaptation of his critically acclaimed off-Broadway rock theater hit is centered on Hedwig (Mitchell), a genderqueer rock singer from East Berlin who plays small venues around the U.S. with her band in search of stardom and love while following her former lover/bandmate who attained success by stealing her songs. 

“A beautiful and transcendent spiritual journey, this brilliantly conceived musical is every bit as powerful on screen as it is on stage,” writes Shari Frilot in the Festival Program Guide. “Hedwig and the Angry Inch seems destined to take its place beside The Rocky Horror Picture Show as a cult classic for a new generation.”

Mitchell’s film was supported through Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs in 1999 and won a directing award and the audience award in the Dramatic Competition at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options. 

Nowhere Boy (2010 Sundance Film Festival) 

In Sam Taylor-Johnson’s drama, the story of former Beatle John Lennon’s teenage years is brought to the screen as it examines his relationship with the two most important women in his early life: his mother, Julia, and his Aunt Mimi.

“British artist Sam [Taylor-Johnson] sees this formative period of John Lennon’s life as a way to explore a maturing artistic sensibility,” writes John Nein in the Festival Program Guide. “Nowhere Boy avoids biopic nostalgia, focusing instead on an adolescent soul discovering his voice. ‘Nowhere’ proves an important part of the journey.” Check here for viewing options. 

The Runaways (2010 Sundance Film Festival) 

Floria Sigismondi’s film, based on Cherie Currie’s memoir Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story, recalls the story of Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), two rebellious teenagers in Southern California who become the frontwomen for legendary 1970s rock group The Runaways. The film dives into the relationship between guitarist/vocalist Jett and lead vocalist Currie as they navigate a rocky road to stardom under the eye of their abusive manager. 

“Acclaimed video artist Floria Sigismondi directs from her own script, and her luscious camerawork captures every sweaty detail — from the filthy trailer where the women practice to the mosh pits of Tokyo,” writes Trevor Groth in the Festival Program Guide. “The Runaways is an ode to an era and a groundbreaking band.” Check here for viewing options.

Green Room (2016 Sundance Film Festival) 

The Ain’t Rights are struggling. A punk band stuck on a failed tour, they’re looking to play any gig to make enough money to go home. But when their bassist witnesses something horrific backstage at a local skinhead hangout where the band has resorted to playing, management locks them in the green room while they control the chaos. 

Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, “Green Room is a brutal siege thriller that makes swift, logical action set pieces look easy. The cast (Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Imogen Poots, Mark Webber) revel in playing these against-type roles — especially Patrick Stewart as the sinister owner of the club,” writes Charlie Reff in the Festival Program Guide. Check here for viewing options.

Sing Street (2016 Sundance Film Festival) 

It’s Dublin during the ’80s, and everyone is getting hit hard by the recession. When young Conor is forced to leave his private school to attend a rough inner-city school, he decides to start a band, mentored by his older brother, in hopes that will help him adjust to his new life. As he begins to compose his own lyrics and the band starts to find its groove, Conor also tries to win over the mysterious video vixen of his dreams.    

“[Writer-director John] Carney’s nostalgia isn’t only for a bygone Dublin and its soundtrack, but for that moment when you pour your heart into something, and it can mean everything to you. When songs can save your life,” writes John Nein in the Festival Program Guide. Check here for viewing options.

Juliet, Naked (2018 Sundance Film Festival) 

In Jesse Peretz’s film, based on the book of the same name by Nick Hornby, Annie (Rose Byrne) is in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd), who’s a superfan of rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). On the surface, it’s as though Duncan is more dedicated to Crowe than to Annie, much to her dismay. But when an acoustic demo of Crowe’s hit record from 25 years ago arrives in the mail, it leads to a life-altering meeting between Annie and the musician himself. 

“Featuring remarkable insight about love and loneliness, and enlivened with a fantastic soundtrack that will have you humming as you leave the theater, Juliet, Naked is about the struggle to live up to one’s promise and serves as a humorous testament to the power of music to guide the heart,” reads the Festival Program Guide. Check here for viewing options.

Blinded by the Light (2019 Sundance Film Festival) 

Gurinder Chadha’s film is set in England in 1987 and centers on Javed (Viveik Kalra), a British Pakistani teenager who learns to find his own voice through the music of American rock star Bruce Springsteen. What Javed really wants is to be a writer — something his father doesn’t approve of. But when a friend loans him a few Bruce Springsteen cassettes, Javed’s life is forever changed. 

“Based on the memoir Greetings from Bury Park by journalist/writer Sarfraz Manzoor, Blinded by the Light is a comedic, joyous musical companion piece to writer-director Gurinder Chadha’s 2002 hit film Bend It Like Beckham,” reads the Festival Program Guide. “Heartwarming and inspiring, Javed’s story reminds us of the transformative, universal power of music to transcend race, class, and nationality and bind us all on a human level.” Check here for viewing options.

We Are Little Zombies (2019 Sundance Film Festival) 

When four 13-year-old strangers meet by chance at a crematorium after they have all recently lost their parents, they realize they have something else in common: They’re devoid of all emotion. On a quest to recover their ability to feel, they start dressing in rags from a garbage dump, find some musical instruments, and form a rock band called Little Zombies. Writer-director-composer Makoto Nagahisa took home the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Originality for his film at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. His project was also supported by Sundance Institute’s Talent Forum in 2019. 

“Mixing inspiration from film, television, music, and, most importantly, video games, Nagahisa dazzles with a myriad of cinematic tricks, and he pushes his script in zany directions while never losing sight of its sympathetic exploration of grief and loss,” reads the Festival Program Guide. Check here for viewing options.

Dinner in America (2020 Sundance Film Festival) 

The police are looking for punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner) — again. When he meets the eccentric Patty (Emily Skeggs), she offers him a place to hide, not realizing that Simon is actually the anonymous lead singer of her favorite rock band. The two soon embark on an epic journey together through America’s decaying Midwestern suburbs and find that they’re a lot more similar than they thought.

“Without compromising his surprisingly sweet touch, writer-director Adam Rehmeier explores how two misfits find each other through music and chaos,” reads the Festival Program Guide. “Set to the beat of brilliant original songs, Dinner in America is an empowering and wild ride through the places and people of suburbia — in all their peculiar forms.” Check here for viewing options.

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]]> Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck, the Filmmakers Behind “And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine” https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-axel-danielson-and-maximilien-van-aertryck-the-filmmakers-behind-and-the-king-said-what-a-fantastic-machine/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 22:40:00 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=46878 One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can learn about them […]

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One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can learn about them as people. This year, we decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our Backstory questionnaire!

Directors Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck’s debut feature-length documentary, And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine, captures a wide range of emotions in its quest to trace the history of humankind’s relationship with the camera. “The photographic image is a huge possibility,” says Danielson. “What should we do with that possibility?” With great possibility comes great responsibility, especially when still and moving pictures have the potential not only to document reality, but to shape it, too. “There are 45 billion cameras in the world,” says Van Aertryck. “Are we happy with the way they are being used?” 

The filmmakers’ exploration of the myriad ways we use cameras won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision at the Festival in January, and the documentary will have the chance to reach even more audiences when it screens as part of the 10th edition of Sundance Film Festival: London 2023, taking place July 6–9.

Below, discover the directors’ favorite part of the filmmaking process, the challenges that accompanied the project, and the vital reason this story needs to be told now.

What was the biggest inspiration behind the film?

Axel Danielson: The way moving images depict the roles we all play in front of the camera, and how the invention of the camera has changed society.

Maximilien Van Aertryck: Our fascination for the opportunities the invention of the camera has created.

Describe who you want this film to reach.

Danielson: The audience that wants to be both thought-provoked and entertained.

Van Aertryck: I hope the film can reach those audiences that are actively using or engaging with cameras but haven’t given a lot of thought about their history or the consequences they can have.

Axel Danielson

Why does this story need to be told now?

Danielson: Because the photographic image has a direct connection to the possibility for liberal democracy to make it or not.

Van Aertryck: Because there is a confusion of words in our time when it comes to images we’ve seen: real, fake… what do we mean? Making sure we know what we mean is, I think, a way to reduce polarization.

How do you want people to feel after they see your film?

Danielson: I want people to feel they have gone on an emotional and intellectual roller coaster ride and really want to talk to others about the topics of the film.

Van Aertryck: I want them to feel an urge to discuss what they’ve seen with others.

Your favorite part of making the film? Memories from the process?

Danielson: The editing. When the film takes form and the ideas and scenes find their place (or not) in the narrative.

Van Aertryck: Digging through different archives until we would find some precious archival footage, that is such a thrilling feeling when it happens.

What was a big challenge you faced while making this film?

Danielson: To set the boundaries and limits of the film. The topic is huge, and our narrative is filled with associations. Our editor Mikel Cee Karlsson (editor of Triangle of Sadness) has really helped us get to our goal with the film’s structure.

Van Aertryck: Structuring the hours of footage we had from over 100 years of camera and media history. We couldn’t have done it without our amazing editor Mikel Cee Karlsson.

Why is filmmaking important to you? Why is it important to the world?

Danielson: Cinema can disrupt, provoke, and convey ways of thinking and make you see things from other perspectives. It can create empathy. Like many art forms, it can widen the point of view of the world, I think.

Van Aertryck: Photographic images have a big influence on us. It’s up to us to use this opportunity in the way we feel is contributing to society.

If you weren’t a filmmaker, what would you be?

Danielson: A musician. I love playing different instruments, especially accordion and drums. It is what I do to disconnect my mind from work.

Van Aertryck: A teacher. I love making others excited about learning something.

What is something that all filmmakers should keep in mind in order to be better cinematic storytellers?

Danielson: Be brave artistically! Don’t focus too much on the story, focus on the idea. In this contemporary time, everyone is doing storytelling, from big institutions to the smallest company. And all go for the same structure of storytelling. I say, go for the idea, the story will unfold. And never neglect your audience.

Van Aertryck: To let images speak for themselves and to identify where the quality in a project should lie.

What three things do you always have in your refrigerator?

Danielson: Ketchup (demand from my kids), carrots (demand from me toward my kids), taco sauce (You always buy one when shopping for taco dinner, because you don’t remember if you still have some left. And you always do have some left.)

Van Aertryck: Cheese, cheese, and cheese

Maximilien Van Aertryck

What’s the last book you read?

Danielson: February 1933: The Winter of Literature by Uwe Wittstock

Van Aertryck: A Brief History of Equality by Thomas Piketty

One thing people don’t know about me is _____.

Danielson: I worked for three years as a firefighter when I was in my twenties. Before I got into filmmaking.

Van Aertryck: I’m a plane nerd that’s afraid of flying.

Early bird or night owl?

Danielson: Night owl

Van Aertryck: Early bird

What’s your history with Sundance Institute?

Danielson: We had our short film Ten Meter Tower in the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Van Aertryck: I came to the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 with our film Ten Meter Tower.

What’s your favorite film that has come from the Sundance Institute or Festival?

Danielson: American Factory by [directors] Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert was amazing, and a great short is The Rabbit Hunt by [director] Patrick Bresnan and [editor] Ivete Lucas.

Van Aertryck: The documentary Machines by [director] Rahul Jain. I saw it at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 and it was a great experience. Likewise for the short doc The Rabbit Hunt.

The post Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck, the Filmmakers Behind “And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine” first appeared on sundance.org.

]]> Release Rundown: Hilarious “Theater Camp” and Heartbreaking “20 Days in Mariupol” Open in July https://www.sundance.org/blogs/release-rundown-hilarious-theater-camp-and-heartbreaking-20-days-in-mariupol-open-in-july/ Sat, 01 Jul 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=46846 Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) and Amos (Ben Platt) are dedicated employees at AdirondACTS in “Theater Camp.” By Lucy Spicer It’s summertime! Sun and surf are divine

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Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) and Amos (Ben Platt) are dedicated employees at AdirondACTS in “Theater Camp.”

By Lucy Spicer

It’s summertime! Sun and surf are divine for some, but for those who prefer pastimes of the indoor kind, head to an air-conditioned theater (or fire up a streaming service at home) to sample the varied selection of Sundance-supported films opening to wider audiences in July. 

Documentaries are at the forefront of the July releases, with films exploring such topics as the ongoing war in Ukraine, the lives of Black trans sex workers, and the extreme sport of freediving. Fictional offerings from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival include a laugh-out-loud theater camp mockumentary, an intimate drama about motherhood, and a horror film featuring an embalmed hand.

So get comfortable, and prepare to be entertained and enlightened in equal measure by these 11 Sundance-supported films.

Earth Mama — Gia (Tia Nomore) is a young pregnant mother with two children already in foster care. She attends her court-mandated classes and works at a portrait studio, struggling to make ends meet but remaining dedicated to her children, determined that they (and the foster system) should see her unconditional love for them. “Savanah Leaf’s directorial feature debut is an intimate depiction of a mother’s fear and love,” reads the Festival Program Guide. “Leaf’s elegant visual language interjects lush visions of hope and visceral manifestations of Gia’s deepest fears into her everyday life.” Coming to theaters July 7.

Liquor Store Dreams — Filmmaker So Yun Um and her friend Danny Park have something in common: They’re Korean Americans whose immigrant parents owned liquor stores. This feature-length expansion of Um’s short documentary Liquor Store Babies examines the intersection of familial duty and personal dreams, tracing Um’s and Park’s parents’ livelihoods from the 1992 Los Angeles Riots through the events of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. The film received support from a 2021 Sundance Documentary Film Grant. Making its broadcast premiere on PBS’ POV July 10.

20 Days in Mariupol — Just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a team of Ukrainian journalists — including director Mstyslav Chernov — moved into the city of Mariupol to capture video evidence of the atrocities that would entail as the war began. “Their footage, widely disseminated through news media, not only documents the death and destruction — corpses in the streets and mass graves, the bombing of apartment buildings and a maternity ward, doctors despairing children they couldn’t save — but directly refutes Russian misinformation,” according to the Festival Program Guide. Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Coming to theaters July 14.

Lakota Nation vs. United States — Co-directed by Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli, this powerful documentary chronicles the Lakota people’s fight to reclaim sacred land that was stolen from them: the Black Hills. Co-written and narrated by acclaimed Oglala poet Layli Long Soldier, this film received support from a 2022 Sundance Documentary Film Grant. Coming to theaters July 14.

Theater Camp — School’s out, summer is here, and the theater kids are flocking back to AdirondACTS, a scrappy camp in upstate New York. Only this year, there’s a change in management: “Crypto-bro” and wannabe influencer Troy (Jimmy Tatro) has taken the reins after his mother (Amy Sedaris) — the camp’s founder — falls into a coma, much to the dismay of seasoned counselors Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) and Amos (Ben Platt). Co-directed by Gordon and Nick Lieberman in their feature debut, this hilarious mockumentary “wears its cult-following potential squarely on its sequined shoulders, gifting us with instantly quotable lines and zany, lovable characters,” reads the Festival Program Guide. Winner of the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Coming to theaters July 14.

A House Made of Splinters — In the middle of a war zone in Ukraine is a run-down shelter where children from broken homes await their fate at the hands of the foster system. This particular shelter is cold and indistinguishable from others like it on the outside, but inside is a remarkable warmth created by caregivers whose sincere goal is to give these children a loving home for as long as they’re with them. In his Oscar-nominated documentary, director Simon Lereng Wilmont “listens carefully and achieves a striking level of intimacy and urgency that exposes the cycle of dysfunction and systemic failure,” reads the Festival Program Guide. Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Making its broadcast premiere on PBS’ POV July 17.

The Deepest Breath — Writer-director Laura McGann shines a light on the world of competitive freediving in this heart-stopping documentary that weaves together the stories of Alessia Zecchini, an Italian champion in freediving, and Stephen Keenan, an Irish adventurer who becomes a safety diver in Dahab, Egypt. The two form a special bond as they train together for Alessia’s attempt at diving through Dahab’s Blue Hole — a perilous 85-foot-long tunnel located 184 feet below the Red Sea. Featuring home movies, iPhone videos, and archival footage, the film captures the pair’s “preternatural diving ability and their nascent relationship against a stunning underwater backdrop,” reads the Festival Program Guide. Coming to Netflix July 19.

Stephen Curry: Underrated — Award-winning Sundance alum Peter Nicks directs this documentary that follows the rise of NBA superstar Stephen Curry through a combination of archival footage, interviews, and intimate vérité. “Nicks successfully weaves the parallels he finds in video footage of Curry, as an aspiring athlete and as a professional basketball star, to tell the remarkable story of a kid who rose from an undersized and inconspicuous high school basketball player to an NBA icon,” according to the Festival Program Guide. Coming to AppleTV+ July 21.

Kokomo City — Filmed in striking black and white, D. Smith’s directorial debut hands the microphone to four Black transgender sex workers in New York and Georgia: Daniella, Liyah, Dominique, and Koko Da Doll. Amusing anecdotes, devastating truths, and cutting social commentary follow in this uniquely revelatory documentary. “A veteran of the music industry and a Grammy-nominated producer, singer, and songwriter, Smith brings her sonic skills into stunning harmony with a visual style whose grit and brassiness match the energy and spirit she elicits from her participants,” according to the Festival Program Guide. Winner of the Audience Award: NEXT and the NEXT Innovator Award at the 2023 Festival. Coming to theaters July 28.

Talk to Me — Séances are the local party trick of the moment, and teenage Mia (Sophie Wilde) decides to indulge one night to distract herself from the anniversary of her mother’s death. Surrounded by her friends, she takes hold of a mysterious embalmed hand to open the door to the spirit world. When disturbing visions begin to haunt her in the days that follow, Mia discovers the horrifying consequences of keeping that supernatural door open a little too long. “Filmmaking duo (and twin brothers) Danny and Michael Philippou of @RackaRacka YouTube channel fame suspend us in the foreboding and nightmarish realm of their debut feature, making the most of their twisted propensity for the surreal and grotesque,” reads the Festival Program Guide. Releases wide in theaters July 28.

Children of the Mist — Hà Lệ Diễm’s feature directorial debut follows Di, a 13-year-old girl who is part of an Indigenous Hmong community that lives in the misty mountains of Northwest Vietnam. As Di comes of age, she is subjected to the tradition of “bride kidnapping,” a practice that forces young girls into marriage. The film received support from a 2020 Sundance Documentary Film Grant. Making its broadcast premiere on PBS’ POV July 31.

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is underway! Traveling to all corners of the United States and beyond in the following months, the 90-minute program features seven short films selected from the 2023 Festival. Check here for dates and venues; see below for dates in July.

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]]> From the Labs: 30 Years of Advising From Icons Joan Darling and Joan Tewkesbury https://www.sundance.org/blogs/from-the-labs-30-years-of-advising-from-icons-joan-darling-and-joan-tewkesbury/ Thu, 29 Jun 2023 22:15:00 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=46826 (L–R) Joan Tewkesbury and Joan Darling at the 2018 Sundance Institute Directors Lab (Photo by Brandon Cruz) By Lucy Spicer It’s easy to feel cynical

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(L–R) Joan Tewkesbury and Joan Darling at the 2018 Sundance Institute Directors Lab (Photo by Brandon Cruz)

By Lucy Spicer

It’s easy to feel cynical these days. We’re encouraged to turn our hobbies into side hustles. Think pieces question the value of the humanities in education when there are more “marketable” majors for students to pursue instead. The internet is awash with images presented as evidence that artificial intelligence is destined to supersede art made by humans.

But talk to Joan Darling and Joan Tewkesbury for an hour, and you’ll remember that not everyone’s out for profit. They’re here for the artists and their stories.

As well as being celebrated figures in the entertainment industry — Darling was the first woman to be nominated for an Emmy for directing, and Tewkesbury penned the acclaimed screenplay for Nashville (1975) — Darling and Tewkesbury (lovingly referred to as “the Joans”) are consummate teachers. They’ve been teaching forever — including, for the past 30 years, at the Sundance Institute labs.

Joan Darling at the 2003 Directors Lab (Photo by Clayton Chase)

“When I got to Sundance, it was a whole place full of people I really admired, and I found that my values were shared in the business,” says Darling in a Zoom interview. Her first stint as a creative advisor was at the 1993 June Screenwriters Lab, and she’s returned for the Directors and Screenwriters Labs almost every year since. “It’s the ethos of Sundance, of valuing process rather than product, trying to teach a person how to become an artist, not just able to deliver the goods in a sitcom,” she says. 

“It was very heartening to me, because then I went back out into the real world and was more brave about creating my own style,” she continues. “I did things differently and did them kind of fearlessly differently because I had the reinforcement of people that I really admired and whose work I admired who shared the same values.”

Joan Tewkesbury felt the pull after a phone call with Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs at Sundance Institute. “Michelle called, and I hadn’t met her yet,” recalls Tewkesbury in a Zoom interview. “She explained what was trying to be established at the labs. And I’ve taught my whole life, and the whole attitude around the idea of the lab was for it to be without a hierarchy, that everybody was equal.” Since her first June Screenwriters Lab in 1992, Tewkesbury has acted as a creative advisor at more than 60 Sundance Institute labs, workshops, and intensives. 

Darling and Tewkesbury have been friends for decades, and their dual presence at the Directors and Screenwriters Labs has had a profound impact not only on the lab fellows, but also on other repeat creative advisors — Ed Harris, Randa Haines, Keith Gordon, and Gyula Gazdag to name a few. 

Their dedication to the development of emerging independent artists has woven Darling and Tewkesbury into the fabric of the Institute labs.

“I think one of the reasons why I love teaching is I’m one of those people who, if I learn something cool, I can’t wait to say, ‘Look at this! Look at how cool this is,’” says Darling. “If your student thinks they love you, they don’t love you — they love the information you’re giving them.

“But I love the information. I love somebody else loving the information.”

For Tewkesbury, teaching is about being brave and telling the truth. “It’s really about exercising a way of encouraging people to go further and to be braver. And it’s one of the few places that, in this industry, you can encourage people to do whatever they feel is correct, that no one is going to stand over them and say, ‘Oh, you’re going to do that?’” she explains. 

“There are times when the fellows simply do not agree with the advice that they are being given. And that’s fine. I always say, ‘You don’t have to do anything I tell you to do. But you might think about it.’ And sometimes it can get edgy, and it can get poignant, and it can get very funny. But it is such a nest of ideas and energy — that energy comes from the spontaneous discussions over the same material.”

Joan Tewkesbury at the 2018 New Frontier Story Lab (Photo by Jonathan Hickerson)

Often the lab fellows are intimidated when they first arrive on the mountain. But the Joans know there isn’t time for that. Tewkesbury’s workshop “Designed Obstacles, Spontaneous Response” compels the fellows to get vulnerable — immediately. She gives them prompts, then designs questions from their responses that encourage the fellows to dig deeper into their characters. “It’s also about the marriage of self with the character that they have written,” she explains.

“People always say, ‘Well, you shouldn’t write about yourself.’ Well, who else are you going to write about? Only you are of a different name, and you become a character. All this information is inside of you. So it’s crazy not to access it, pull it up, and use it if the situation calls.”

Joan Darling’s approach to facing insecurities has become a mantra for filmmakers who go through the labs: “I don’t have the answer to that… yet.”

“In being creative, there’s no such thing as a mistake. You get an idea, and you think, ‘Oh, this is it.’ And you try it out, and you get to the end of it, and it doesn’t work,” she says. 

The trick is not to stop there. “I’ll go, ‘That didn’t work. But I think what we should try is this, which is another road to go down.’ And this I know in my heart as an artist: If you’re not willing to go down the roads that don’t seem to turn out — but that lead you to the perfect answer — you’ll never get to the perfect answer. You have to be willing to go through the process.

“I fell in love with the excitement of not knowing something and trying stuff, and then the great ‘Aha!’ moment where you go, ‘Oh my God, that’s what it is. That’s what we’re doing. That’s what it looks like,’” continues Darling. “Some of the nicest moments that were created in my work came from what an actor would ordinarily consider a mistake and stop.”

(L–R) Joan Darling and Joan Tewkesbury at the 2016 Directors Lab (Photo by Jonathan Hickerson)

When Darling and Tewkesbury were just starting out in the industry, only a handful of film schools existed, and directing and writing opportunities for women were thin on the ground. Nowadays, aspiring filmmakers have more avenues available to them through which to learn their craft, but the Joans believe that artist programs like the Sundance Institute labs remain as crucial as ever. 

“The kids come in stuffed with stuff now. In the early days, there were practically no film schools, so everybody was trying things on their own,” notes Darling.

“So they come in knowing how to do it, having skipped the part of their education of how to be creative, how to be an artist, how to not know where you are and find your way to the best answer,” she explains.

Tewkesbury concurs. “The ones that come to you out of film school are very trepidatious in the beginning to break the rules. There are those that fear that they will get in trouble,” she says. “We just go, ‘No, there’s no trouble here — unless you don’t do what you can to do better for yourself.’”

Returning creative advisors like the Joans get to witness these shifts as they happen, so they can adjust their teaching styles accordingly. “The advisors have become more and more and more dedicated to telling the truth,” notes Tewkesbury. “I don’t care if you’ve been to three festivals, gotten 14 prizes — it all comes back to telling the truth of the story that you’re telling.”

The range of experience displayed in the cohorts of fellows may have changed over the decades, but watching these filmmakers blossom in the labs is as exciting now as it was 30 years ago. 

“You watch them grow as artists; they watch you grow as artists,” observes Tewkesbury. “Just in the dialogue that [the creative advisors] have about the fellows, we understand that we’ve all gotten a little wiser and a little dumber, which is really good because nobody can get by with ego there.” 

“It was a shining center of my work life for 30 years of it,” says Darling. “As the years went on, the lab was the more important experience to me than the directing and the acting was.”

“[The labs are] an open door to becoming the best that you possibly can be,” sums up Tewkesbury. “And I think that’s why we all go back — because you get to watch that happen with people, and it’s absolutely thrilling. There’s so little of that in our lives right now with the state of the world. So to see something that has a beginning and a middle and a thrilling end is pretty good.”

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]]> Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Marija Kavtaradze, the Writer-Director of “Slow” https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-marija-kavtaradze-the-writer-director-of-slow/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 19:00:00 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=46737 One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we

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One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there’s always more we can learn about them as people. This year, we decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our Backstory questionnaire!

Lithuanian writer-director Marija Kavtaradze can’t pick a favorite part of making her sophomore feature, Slow. “Every part of the process was really special to me — writing, rehearsing, pre-production, production, editing. I love how different all these processes are, how more and more people join and add their own artistic ideas and their talents to the film,” she says. 

“Rehearsing was incredibly fun and inspiring — it made me understand the screenplay better and go deeper,” she continues. “Production was intense, but at the same time very cozy, and I felt calm with my crew. The biggest gift in working together is mutual trust, and I definitely felt that. … Also, editing was a very smooth and fun process, where my editor, Silvija Vilkaitė, and I rewrote a lot of the film while editing. For me, editing is the best process for learning and really understanding filmmaking. So I am happy I had a great teacher and companion.”

Trust and understanding are vital for Kavtaradze’s characters as well as her crew. In Slow, contemporary dancer Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) and sign language interpreter Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas) form an instant connection upon meeting. As their chemistry grows, Dovydas discloses that he’s asexual, and together the two must learn to navigate a type of relationship rarely depicted on screen.

Below, discover Kavtaradze’s filmmaking origins, her affinity for love stories, and the importance of telling stories that haven’t been told before.

What was the biggest inspiration behind this film?

Hard to say one, because it was like a puzzle — reading, scrolling, watching films, talking to people. I had topics that interested me, characters that I liked, but didn’t know that they were from the same story. At some point, it all just came together. My biggest desire was to tell a love story.

Films are lasting artistic legacies; what do you want yours to say?

Every story is worth telling. All feelings are valid. It doesn’t matter how it ends, we must never stop creating and looking for connections.

Marija Kavtaradze

Describe who you want this film to reach.

Anyone who needs a bit of hope that it’s possible to find a connection.

Why does this story need to be told now?

I think love stories, at their core, are stories of hope. And we do need hope.

How do you want people to feel after they see your film?

A little bit in love, a little bit sad, but hopeful.

Tell us an anecdote about casting or working with your actors.

I cast the main actors three years before we went into production, so we have too many jokes and stories. Rehearsing was such a fun process, and sometimes we would laugh so hard that we couldn’t really work properly.

The first time Kęstutis came to casting (with Greta, who had already been cast), he felt really bad; it was after a leg surgery and he could hardly walk. Right after our first casting session, I knew it would be so fun to work with both of them together. After some time, Kęstutis told me that he was 100% sure that the casting went terribly and he would never get the part. Well, he was wrong.

What was a big challenge you faced while making this film?

Writing this story, getting into the heads of characters, letting them lead me instead of telling them what to do. Researching and understanding the topics I’m tackling.

Tell us why and how you got into filmmaking. Why do you do it?

I have liked watching films since I was a kid. It was a family tradition to go to a video store and rent films, talk about them. Also, I liked writing and making up stories. I think these two things connected make it hard not to become a filmmaker.

I do it because it’s my way of speaking. I see a point in it, I like it, I care about people I work with and enjoy creating together.

Why is filmmaking important to you? Why is it important to the world?

I see the meaning in telling stories that haven’t been told, getting close to the characters who want to be heard and seen. Writing and creating is the best way to train empathy. I believe the same can be said about watching and reading stories.

If you weren’t a filmmaker, what would you be doing?

Writing, teaching, selling flowers, or something else

What is something that all filmmakers should keep in mind in order to become better cinematic storytellers?

I can only share what I tell myself. I keep this in mind: Just keep your mind and eyes open. Find what is beautiful. Look for your own rhythm, aesthetics, let yourself be you. Also, don’t attach too much to who you think you are.

What three things do you always have in your refrigerator?

Eggs, lemons, some kind of cheese

What’s the last book you read?

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

One thing people don’t know about me is ______.

When I was 12, I had a dream to become a rapper.

Early bird or night owl?

Early bird

What’s your favorite film that has come from the Sundance Institute or Festival?

There are too many! I will write a few — My Happy Family by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross, Get Out by Jordan Peele, The Souvenir by Joanna Hogg, Celeste and Jesse Forever by Lee Toland Krieger.

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]]> 2023 Sundance Film Festival: Local Lens Announced https://www.sundance.org/blogs/2023-sundance-film-festival-local-lens-announced/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:58:39 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=46695 PARK CITY, UT, June 27, 2023 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 2023 Sundance Film Festival: Local Lens program, a free summer screening

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PARK CITY, UT, June 27, 2023 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 2023 Sundance Film Festival: Local Lens program, a free summer screening series, with tickets available now. Taking place July 26-29, the program will provide Utahns with free indoor and outdoor screenings of some of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival’s most talked about movies, many of them not yet released, over an exciting weekend filled with events curated for local storytellers, filmmakers and actors in attendance, film intros, and Q&As. Talent scheduled to attend to introduce their films and participate in Q&As following the screenings includes actor Anaita Wali Zada (Fremont), director Tracy Droz Tragos (PLAN C), and director Joe Brewster (Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project). Tickets can be reserved online at http://sundance.org/local-lens.

“Celebrating Utah is always rewarding – in the spirit of continuing our ongoing connection with film lovers in our home state this summer, we’ll screen a fascinating variety of films across venues Utahns know and love,” said Joana Vicente, CEO, Sundance Institute. “Our roots here are strong and we’re so excited to share these diverse documentaries and fiction offerings with our beloved local audience.”

Please see below for more information and the schedule of upcoming events:

2023 Sundance Film Festival: Local Lens Schedule

Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 9:00 PM: The Deepest Breath Screening

Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre – Outdoor Screening

2188 Red Butte Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84108

The Deepest Breath / U.K., Ireland (Director and Screenwriter: Laura McGann, Producers: John Battsek, Sarah Thomson, Jamie D’Alton, Anne McLoughlin) — A champion freediver and expert safety diver seemed destined for one another despite the different paths they took to meet at the pinnacle of the freediving world. A look at the thrilling rewards — and inescapable risks — of chasing dreams through the depths of the ocean. Distributed by Netflix. Documentary.

Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 9:00 PM: The Pod Generation Screening

City Park – Outdoor Screening

1400 Sullivan Rd, Park City, UT 84060

The Pod Generation / Belgium, France, U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Sophie Barthes, Producers: Geneviève Lemal, Yann Zenou, Nadia Kamlichi, Martin Metz) — In a not-so-distant future, amid a society madly in love with technology, tech giant Pegazus offers couples the opportunity to share their pregnancies via detachable artificial wombs or pods. And so begins Rachel and Alvy’s wild ride to parenthood in this brave new world. Distributed by Roadside Attractions/Vertical Entertainment. Cast: Emilia Clarke, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rosalie Craig, Vinette Robinson, Jean-Marc Barr. Fiction.

Friday, July 28, 2023 at 11:00 AM: Artists Event- Filmmaking Deep Dive: Pitching Your Project

Location Forthcoming

This event is geared to fiction or nonfiction directors, producers, editors, and other artists, but is also open to the general public upon RSVP

This event offers four emerging Utah filmmaking teams the opportunity to pitch their feature-length projects to a panel of industry experts and receive feedback on their film idea, plus on the process of pitching itself – valuable information for any filmmaker. Pitching teams will be nominated by local Utah arts organizations and selected by Sundance Institute staff. The panel will include producers Andrea Meditch, Anish Savjani, and Bob Moore, and Basil Tsiokos (Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival). The event will be moderated by Eugene Hernandez (Director of the Sundance Film Festival and head of public programming).

Friday, July 28, 2023 at 7:00 PM: KOKOMO CITY Screening

Broadway Centre Cinemas – Indoor Screening

111 E. Broadway 300 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84111

KOKOMO CITY / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: D. Smith, Producers: Harris Doran, Bill Butler) — This unfiltered documentary passes the mic to four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City – Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell and Dominique Silver – as they hold nothing back while breaking down the walls of their profession. Distributed by Magnolia Pictures. Documentary.

Friday, July 28, 2023 at 9:00 PM: Polite Society Screening

City Park – Outdoor Screening

1400 Sullivan Rd, Park City, UT 84060

Polite Society / U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Nida Manzoor, Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Olivier Kaempfer, John Pocock) —  A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment, and bold action, Polite Society follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan, who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood. Distributed by Focus Features. Cast: Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha, Akshay Khanna, Seraphina Beh, Ella Bruccoleri. Fiction.

Friday, July 28, 2023 at 11:30 PM: birth/rebirth Screening

Broadway Centre Cinemas – Indoor Screening

111 E. Broadway 300 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84111

birth/rebirth / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Laura Moss, Screenwriter: Brendan J. O’Brien, Producers: Mali Elfman, David Grove Churchill Viste) — A single mother and a childless morgue technician are bound together by their relationship to a little girl they have reanimated from the dead. Distributed by Shudder. Cast: Marin Ireland, Judy Reyes, A.J. Lister, Breeda Wool. Fiction.

Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 2:00 PM: PLAN C Screening 

Megaplex Theatres at The Gateway – Indoor Screening

400 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

*Director Tracy Droz Tragos to introduce the film and participate in a post-screening discussion following the screening

PLAN C / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Tracy Droz Tragos) — With a controversial visionary at the helm, a grassroots network fights to expand access to abortion pills across the United States keeping hope alive during a global pandemic and the fall of Roe v. Wade. Documentary.

Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 5:00 PM: Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project Screening

Megaplex Theatres at Valley Fair Mall – Indoor Screening

3620 S 2400 W, West Valley City, UT 84119

*Director Joe Brewster to introduce the film and participate in a Q&A following the screening. Prior to the screening, Michaëlle Martial from Poetry on Main will read poetry from Nikki Giovanni and Michaëlle’s recent collection.

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Producer: Tommy Oliver) — Through intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project pushes the boundaries of biographical documentary film by traveling through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentator. Documentary. 

Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 8:00 PM: Fremont Screening

Megaplex Theatres at Valley Fair Mall – Indoor Screening

3620 S 2400 W, West Valley City, UT 84119

*Actor Anaita Wali Zada to introduce the film and participate in a Q&A following the screening

Fremont / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Babak Jalali, Screenwriter: Carolina Cavalli, Producers: Marjaneh Moghimi, Sudnya Shroff, Rachael Fung, George Rush, Chris Martin, Laura Wagner) — Donya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, she struggles to put her life back in order. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie. Distributed by Music Box Films. Cast: Anaita Wali Zada, Jeremy Allen White, Gregg Turkington. Fiction. 

Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 9:00 PM: Food and Country Screening

3 Springs Land & Livestock – Outdoor Screening 

580 W Weber Canyon Road, Oakley, UT 84055

The screening is presented by Slow Food Utah and Sundance Institute 

Food and Country / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Laura Gabbert, Producers: Ruth Reichl, Paula P. Manzanedo, Caroline Libresco) — Worried about the survival of small farmers, ranchers, and chefs hobbled by America’s policy of producing cheap food, trailblazing food writer Ruth Reichl reaches across political and social divides to report on the country’s broken food system and the innovators risking everything to transform it. Documentary.

In addition to the Local Lens programming, the Institute also partnered with the Salt Lake City Arts Council for two screenings of Festival short films at the Living Traditions Festival (May 19-21) and with the Park City Summit County Arts Council for a screening of Going Varsity in Mariachi at the Latino Arts Festival (June 13-18).

To register for screenings and events, please visit: https://www.sundance.org/sundancelocals

Sundance Institute’s Utah Community Program is supported by Host State State of Utah; Principal Sponsor Zions Bank; Major Sponsors Acura; Adobe; and University of Utah Health; and Community Supporters Salt Lake County; Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP); Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement; Peggy Bergmann; Summit County Recreation, Arts, and Parks (RAP) Tax; George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation; and Salt Lake City Arts Council.

Sundance Institute

As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from each other and Sundance advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artist programs we have supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Big Sick, Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys State, Call Me By Your Name, Clemency, CODA, Drunktown’s Finest, The Farewell, Fire of Love, Flee, The Forty-Year-Old Version, Fruitvale Station, Get Out, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, Honeyland, The Infiltrators, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Little Woods, Love & Basketball, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mudbound, Nanny, Navalny, O.J.: Made in America, One Child Nation, Pariah, Raising Victor Vargas, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, RBG, Sin Nombre, Sorry to Bother You, The Souvenir, Strong Island, Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Swiss Army Man, Sydney, A Thousand and One, Top of the Lake, Walking and Talking, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and Zola. Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of artists such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, The Daniels, David Gordon Green, Miranda July, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Boots Riley, Ira Sachs, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao. Support Sundance Institute in our commitment to uplifting bold artists and powerful storytelling globally by making a donation at sundance.org/donate. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

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]]> 2023 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellows Announced https://www.sundance.org/blogs/2023-sundance-ignite-x-adobe-fellows-announced/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/?p=46664 Artist-Development Program Supporting Emerging Filmmakers Ages 18 to 25 LOS ANGELES, CA, June 26, 2023 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 2023 Sundance

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Artist-Development Program Supporting Emerging Filmmakers Ages 18 to 25

LOS ANGELES, CA, June 26, 2023 — The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 2023 Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellows cohort. The fellowship is a year-round artist program supporting fiction and documentary emerging filmmakers ages 18 to 25 by providing artistic and professional development throughout the stages of their creative process. The 10 fellows were chosen from a global pool of more than 1,000 entrants to the annual Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship Application, in which filmmakers submitted a collection of work that reflected their artistic vision and unique voice. Sundance Institute and Adobe share a mission of identifying and uplifting underrepresented voices and talent from the next generation of filmmakers while contributing to fostering new audiences for independent storytelling.

This year’s Ignite Lab runs for a week through June 30 and is being held for the first time at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA, introducing filmmakers to the many global opportunities that the program offers. During the full year, fellows work with Sundance Institute alumni mentors, develop relationships within the Ignite community through workshops and ongoing events, attend the Sundance Film Festival, are eligible for internships, and are offered additional creative and professional development opportunities. The fellows also receive an artist grant supported by Adobe and Arison Arts Foundation and a one-year complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud to create, share their stories, and further refine their craft. 

“Being able to discover and support emerging filmmakers while offering a space for creative risk-taking, and to do so in particular with a new generation of artists, is truly enriching,” said Toby Brooks, Assistant Director, Sundance Ignite. “The 2023 Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellows reflect the rising voices that are crucial to inspiring independent storytelling. We’re especially honored to be able to do this work with our founding supporters Adobe and thrilled to be at our new location, MASS MoCA.”

Since the Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship began in 2015, 100 fellows have participated in the program, and 10 alumni have had short films selected to screen as part of the Sundance Film Festival program, with several projects winning jury awards. Recent Ignite alumni include Charlotte Regan (her debut feature Scrapper premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and will open the upcoming 2023 Sundance Film Festival: London), Sean Wang (2023 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs fellow), Lance Oppenheim, Terrence Daye, Aurora Brachman, and Olivia Peace. Past Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellows have gone on to win prizes at SXSW and Tribeca Festival, as well as the Short Film Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Former participants have also been part of the Sundance Institute artist programs, including Directors, Screenwriters, and Episodic Labs, and received funding from the Documentary Fund.

For advice from Sundance Institute advisors and Ignite resources, check out the various offerings on Sundance Collab, Sundance Institute’s digital space for artists to learn from experts and build a global filmmaking community.

The fellows selected for the 2023 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship are:

Rafaël Beauchamp is a French Canadian filmmaker interested in enhancing modern societal issues through the lens of genre cinema. His films have been screened internationally at festivals such as SXSW, Palm Springs, Leiden Shorts, and Inside Out.

Omi Zola Gupta is a writer and director living and working between the UK and India. His debut short film, Birdsong, which he co-directed and produced, premiered at SXSW 2023 and has been acquired by The Guardian. He is an incoming student at NYU Tisch’s MFA Film program.

Dylan Habil is a Kenyan filmmaker, documentary photographer, cultural historian, and a media strategist. He cuts his teeth on telling authentic and compelling stories. His resume includes his work as a conservation storyteller, a role that sees him document the conservancy’s conservation strides for online awareness and fundraising efforts.

Xiaoxuan Jiang is a filmmaker from Inner Mongolia, China. She graduated with a BFA in Film from NYU. Her latest short, Graveyard of Horses (2022), was selected for SXSW 2023, Pöff Shorts, and won the NETPAC Award at Busan International Short Film Festival.

Alvina Joshi is an Indian filmmaker and editor. She works primarily in nonfiction and is interested in exploring the confluence of lives, spaces, time, and memory in the context of unequal societies.

Milla Lewis is a UK filmmaker whose work focuses on the intersection of history, memory, and myth. An award-winning photography graduate, she attended the Łódź National Film School in 2021 on a Directing Mentorship.

Andrés Lira is a Mexican American filmmaker and artist of Native descent. His work revolves around amplifying the underrepresented stories of Latino and Indigenous communities through bold storytelling.

Dallin Mello is a New York–based cinematographer and film producer. He pursues stories that explore the resilience of communities through their grief and healing. Notably collaborating with the LGBTQ+ community, he graduated from UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 2022, honing his passion for nonfiction storytelling.

Leonardo Pirondi is a Brazilian filmmaker based in California. His 16mm films explore the infinite abyss between the multiple derived versions of reality through documentary, experimental, and narrative modes — which have been screened at IFFR, True/False, BFI, and others.

Chloe Xtina is a filmmaker from Oakland, now based in Brooklyn. She tells stories about psychosexual gazes, desire, and California’s climate crisis through a magical realist lens. She completed a BA in playwriting from UCLA.

Adobe believes in the power of creativity and is committed to creating opportunities for emerging artists so they can share their talents and perspectives with the world. In addition to being a founding supporter of Sundance Ignite, Adobe is a founding partner of the Sundance Women to Watch x Adobe Fellowship; a yearlong artist-development fellowship championing underrepresented voices. Adobe is also a Presenting Sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival and supporter of Sundance Collab, a global digital space for learning and community.

Sundance Ignite is supported by Adobe and Arison Arts Foundation.

Sundance Institute

As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from each other and Sundance advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artist programs we have supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Big Sick, Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys State, Call Me By Your Name, Clemency, CODA, Drunktown’s Finest, The Farewell, Fire of Love, Flee, The Forty-Year-Old Version, Fruitvale Station, Get Out, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, Honeyland, The Infiltrators, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Little Woods, Love & Basketball, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mudbound, Nanny, Navalny, O.J.: Made in America, One Child Nation, Pariah, Raising Victor Vargas, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, RBG, Sin Nombre, Sorry to Bother You, The Souvenir, Strong Island, Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Swiss Army Man, Sydney, A Thousand and One, Top of the Lake, Walking and Talking, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and Zola. Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of artists such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, The Daniels, David Gordon Green, Miranda July, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Boots Riley, Ira Sachs, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao. Support Sundance Institute in our commitment to uplifting bold artists and powerful storytelling globally by making a donation at sundance.org/donate. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

Adobe

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MEDIA CONTACTS: Tiffany Duersch, tiffany_duersch@sundance.org; Sylvy Fernàndez, sylvy_fernandez@sundance.org 

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