#SundanceFilmFestival

[lovely-jenamalone]

Jena Malone attends the 27th annual SAGindie Actors Only Brunch at Sundance at Cafe Terigo on January 21, 2024 in Park City, Utah.

[regentstreetcinema]

When the owner of AdirondACTS falls ill, it's down to her crypto-bro son to run the show in the hilarious and heartwarming Theater Camp. Coming soon!

[tinseltine]

I wasn’t sure I was going to be covering Sundance 2023 – 1) because I forgot to ask for press credentials until late.  2) My mother has taken ill and I’ve been tag teaming with my sister on being her caretaker, which is kinda consuming my life right now, and yet, I’m glad to have this time with her. That being said, all in all, I still fit in quite a good number of films, although, I wish I’d made time for a few more shorts.

(Post Update: 2/5/23 My Mom passed on to the next realm peacefully yesterday afternoon, February 4th at 85 years old ).

This year Sundance fully returned to in-person, those of us attending virtually still had great access to the films, but not the Q&A’s. And I really missed the New Frontier VR interactions. Last year’s Spaceship Platform was so innovative, interactive and really fun!  I read where Sundance New Frontier is being revamped and will return next year in some format, but I feel it won’t be as the Spaceship, which was built mostly to allow for attendees to interact in a simulated way to being in Park City.

I understand with pirating concerns, the festival must protect the filmmakers films and keep some control over how long and how many people can view each film.  But it would be such a dream to simply have full access to every film for the full run of the festival.  It was better this year that at least you didn’t have to watch the Premieres at a designated time, but still, it’s too restrictive.  We have to choose our films ahead of the festival and lock them in. When the festival starts you’re given a window of 3 days to watch those films.  I didn’t want everything to be within the same windows, so I tried to set some to watch later in the festival, but that didn’t work, I was never able to unlock those.  I always have such trouble with these types of platforms working for me anyway. The other problem being, once the fest starts, certain films start getting heavy social media buzz, at that point you want to switch to those films, for instance, Jonathan Majors in MAGAZINE DREAM. Don’t ask me why it wasn’t already on my list, but it wasn’t and at that point I was just SOL.

Of the films I did choose, I noted a lot with themes of how hard it is to be a parent.  I also feel I saw more sex scenes than in recent years.  I also gravitated to so many more docs this year than I normally would.  I find the bigger payoff with covering film festivals is to keep a steady stream of posts to social media. So I would post my immediate thoughts to IG Stories after a screening, then I’d screenshot that post to Twitter and add an additional impression, thus giving a good highlight of the films; hopefully to whet your appetites to see these features when they arrive in theaters and streaming. Film Scribes shares its epic #Sundance2023 wrap-up show, featuring the top picks from the festival from @danthefan @garymkramer @StephenSilver @FilmBuffRich and @tinseltine Moderated by @heimlich, produced by @danthefantastic https://tinseltine.com/sundance-2023-film-festival-coverage/

[barrygaudy]

📸: @laurentakespix THIS WEEK HAS CHANGED MY LIFE #sundancefilmfestival https://harlemriveryachtclub.hearnow.com/ The new album is available on all streaming platforms. Find the one you use from this link - give it 5 listens and tell me your favorite song Good Morrow OHENE CORNELIUS #blackatsundance (at Park City, Utah) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn2_TqNLyoi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ecsundance]

Sundance Film Festival 2024 Summary

Before taking this course and attending Sundance Film Festival 2024, I had a pretty loose idea of what the indie film genre was. My understanding of it was simply that it was a filmmaking process being done by independents who had little to no funding for their projects. However, after two weeks of studying the material and really diving into Michael Z. Newman’s Indie: An American Film Culture I came to the realization that my preconceived notions barely scratched the surface of what indie filmmaking was. The three slogans (when in doubt read as anti-hollywood, characters are emblems, and form is a game) really aided in my understanding of the genre and it was really interesting to watch all of these films at the festival and actively apply the slogans to the material. I can honestly say that I left Sundance with a completely new understanding of films and how to watch them in a way that is engaging and applicable to my own filmmaking skills. 

Below is a list of all of the films, including short films and new frontier projects, that I was able to watch at this year’s Sundance and a brief description of each.

Favorite Film: Exhibiting Forgiveness 

An extremely moving film about an artist grappling with the generational trauma that scarred him and his efforts in trying to be better for his own family. 

Least Favorite Film: Handling the Undead

A painfully slow film tackling the subject of grief in a world where the dead have resurrected. 

List of Feature Films: 

The Greatest Night in Pop: An electric documentary about the night in which the biggest stars of the time got together and recorded “We Are The World”, one of the most infamous works of music ever created.

A Different Man: A fascinating film about a man with facial disfigurements that undergoes reconstructive surgery which ultimately ends up changing the trajectory of his life. 

As We Speak: A documentary that explores the ongoing battle rappers across the world are facing while dealing with the criminalization of rap lyrics, specifically the drill music genre. 

Freaky Tales: A thrilling film that explores four separate stories that seemingly interlinked with each other. Jam Packed with an outstanding cast, the film manages to cover some pretty interesting themes while still keeping the energy exciting  and adventurous. 

Never Look Away: The best documentary shown at Sundance in my opinion, the film explores the story of photojournalist Maragaret Moth, an individual who was larger than life and took on some of the toughest challenges one could imagine. 

Kidnapping Inc: A quick paced, comedic thriller than follows two criminals who aren’t very good at their jobs and who are attempting to get themselves out of a life or death situation. 

Ponyboi: This film deals with an intersex sex worker who gets themselves caught in a troubling situation. As they attempt to find a way out, they are also confronted with their tricky home life and the pending death of their father. 

Love Me: An innovative and unique film that takes place after the end of humanity in which a buoy and a satellite fall in love. It explores themes of purpose and identity and it is executed in a beautiful manner. 

Little Death: A comical film that merges two stories into one, both of them exploring difficult situations that leave the characters helpless at times. Although entertaining, it was a bit of a mess at the time and the use of artificial intelligence took away from the plot. 

A New Kind of Wilderness: A touching documentary about a family having to adjust to society after a devastating tragedy occurs, tearing apart the reality they had always known. The way in which grief was represented and how the idea of moving on was brought up was so beautiful, truly one of the best things I saw at Sundance. 

Shorts Films Midnight Short Film Program

The Rainbow Bridge: A colorful and humorous short film about a pet owner making a spiritual connection with their dog before their death. The visual elements, although ridiculous at times, made the energy of the film so whimsical and fun. 

The Looming: A beautiful depiction of mental illness in old age. It had bits that absolutely terrified me but it was honestly so devastating as the ending unfolded. Definitely my favorite film in the block by far.

SHÉ (SNAKE): A short film that explores a young school girl suffering from imposter syndrome due to feeling threatened by the new girl’s presence. This wasn’t my favorite film from the block as I was left a bit confused, but the visual elements were quite compelling. 

 The Bleacher: A short film about missing socks, a cheating husband, murder, and a giant washing machine monster. This film was absolutely insane from start to finish and honestly a bit unsettling. I absolutely loved it. 

Bold Eagle: There is so much to say about this short film, yet nothing at all. It was an experimental piece that explored the subjects of porn and politics while managing to maintain the most chaotic ambiance imaginable. 

Dream Creep: This short film was so unique with its storyline, I had never seen a plot quite like that one. It’s one of those short films that really made me wish it was a full feature length film because of how intriguing it was. 

Indie Episodic: 

“LOLLA: THE STORY OF LOLLAPALOOZA”: An electric two episodes that explore the punk scene of what eventually became one of the most popular music festivals in the world. Watching these was so much fun and the amount of archival footage was fascinating to see. 

New Frontier: 

Eno: An innovative and abstract documentary piece that explores the colorful life of Brian Eno and his creative strategies when it comes to music making. 

Talk: 

United Airlines, Uniting and Connecting Storytellers (Latino Filmmakers Network): This event was so much fun to attend. It felt great listening to all of the Latino filmmakers and their experience with being at Sundance. Not only was it beyond interesting, but it was wonderful to see people like me up on a stage and being successful in the filmmaking industry. 

With all that being said, being able to attend Sundance was honestly one of the greatest experiences I have ever had and I am beyond grateful that I was given the opportunity to go with some of my closest friends. Being in that environment was honestly a game changer and further motivated me to continue creating films and fully immerse myself in that world as I grow older and continue to learn more about the genre and skill of filmmaking. I hope to be back at Sundance in the near future!

-Manu Delgado

[wherever-i-look-blog]

Rob Peace – Movie Review and Summary http://tinyurl.com/ykuzta6x

[justapillowpetpanda]

My Wishlist

[buzzbitezz]

6 prestigious film festivals in the world

"From Cannes to Rotterdam, we explore, Cinema's art, its essence we adore. For in the light that flickers on the screen, We see reflections of our world unseen." Film festivals are an important part of the film industry, where filmmakers can showcase their work to a global audience, interact with other filmmakers, and potentially gain recognition and awards. Here are five prestigious film…

[1991movierewind]

In Episode 99, we discuss Hangin' with the Homeboys, a coming-of-age comedy-drama about four friends that get together for their weekly night out in the South Bronx. As the night progresses, things continue to go wrong that impact their ability to find a good time. With all of these troubles building on each other, they also find themselves confronting each other with some uncomfortable truths. Directed and written by Joseph Vasquez. Starring Doug E. Doug, Mario Joyner, John Leguizamo and Nestor Serrano and released in the U.S. on April 5, 1991. #1991movies #1991 #1991movierewind #sundancefilmfestival #independentspiritawards #josephvasquez #dougedoug #mariojoyner #johnleguizamo #nestorserrano #newlinecinema #90s #90saesthetic #90snostalgia #90smovie #90sfilm #mickmars https://www.instagram.com/p/Co0FV-EOUSo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[outnowpodcast]

Out Now Bonus: 2023 Sundance Recap, with guest @abillington (Link in the bio). #Sundance #sundancefilmfestival #February2023 #movie #film #podcast #podcaster #podcastersofinstagram #podcastlife #outnowwithaaronandabe https://www.instagram.com/p/CoJMG1GrteB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jonitadavisposts]

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival has come to a close, and the winner's circle is much more diverse than the award shows have ever been. This is especially true for the Oscars this year which has several notable snubs of women creators and people of color. This year was no different. The women and the creators with melanin led the winners of the Sundance film festival, further proving that our stories are significant and craved by audiences outside of Hollywood. Read the article on theblackcapemag.com #MagazineDreams #Shayda #RadicalMovie #MamiWata #Sundance #SundanceFilmFestival #Sundance2023 #Film #Movies #IndependentFilm #InternationalFilm #InternationalFilmFestival #ParkCity #TheBlackCape Reposted from @theblackcapemag https://www.instagram.com/p/CoBZ-oTLloW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chogrin]

Idea for my #OnyxtheFortuitousandtheTalismanofSouls design on a shirt. Check out @andrewbowserdirector / @onyxthefortuitous_official’s movie now playing online at @sundanceorg until tomorrow, Sunday January 29th! Scan the QR code for more info! #chogrin #onyxthefortuitous #andrewbowser #chogrinart #onyxthefortuitousmovie #sundancefilmfestival #sundancefilmfestival2023 #sundance2023 #kreaturekid #abbadon #talismanofsouls #onyxthefortuitousshirt https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn-h5qFPoGY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[biggoldbelt]

Rye Lane - Review (2023) | David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah | Sundance Film Festival 2023

Rye Lane review by Big Gold Belt Media –Synopsis:Dom and Yas’ paths collide at the least opportune time: when Dom (David Jonsson) is ugly-crying in a toilet stall, steeling himself for an awkward meal with his ex, who cheated on him with his best friend. Nursing her own breakup wounds, freewheeling Yas decides to jump headfirst into the fray to lessen the sting as Dom’s date. What follows is a…

[jazzsaxaphone]

And I love each and every one of you‼️📸🎥🎬🎷❤️ #paparazzi #love #redcarpet #flash #news #sundancefilmfestival #jazzforlife #letsgo #2023 #godfirst #blessed #skijohnsonlive #saxophone #hits #awesom #tbt #everywhere #movies #newskijohnsonmusic #levels #exquisite #elegant #worldwide #party #spotify #pandora #itunes (at Sundance Film Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn4voPOpv5i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ecsundance]

Back in Florida, having had time to thaw out from our time in Utah, it is time to recollect on my 2024 Sundance experience. This was my second Sundance but it was my first time being able to go in person since the 2022 Sundance was virtual. While that was an unique experience with the virtual spaceship and karaoke, it was a much different experience being there in real life with face to face interactions with other festival attendees. In Michael Newland’s book Indie: An American Film Culture he says “The discourse of independent cinema moves through various institutional channels to form a set of common conceptual frames shared among filmmakers and support personnel, distributors and marketers, cultural gatekeepers such as film festival programmers, tastemakers including journalists and scholars, and many ordinary filmgoers. This makes a community of the different persons and groups for whom indie is a meaningful concept; they form this community around their investment in ideas of what indie is and is not.” I think this best describes how it feels to be at Sundance. Everyone there has either already seen what you have or is about to. This allows you to connect with different people in the lines with you or on the same shuttle. In my review of Sundance from 2022, I talked about how virtual screenings are here to say and that if Sundance couldn’t accept that, they would be left behind. I am glad to say that they heed my warnings because while they did promote in  person screenings by not having certain films be available, they still offered online screenings for many films and all of the shorts.

Justin’s Sundance Screenings:

Feature Films:

Freaky Tales

A Different Man

Kidnapping Inc.

I Saw the TV Glow

Ponyboi

Love Me

Little Death

A New Kind of Wilderness

As We Speak

Handling the Undead

The Greatest Night in Pop

Short Films:

Lea Tupu’anga / Mother Tongue

Merman

Pasture Prime

The Lost Season

Thirstygirl

Indie Episodic/New Frontier Projects:

Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza

Eno

Talks:

Mental Health in Film: Using Narrative Film to Impact Mental Health in Underserved Communities

Feature Films:

My favorite film from all of Sundance was Exhibiting Forgiveness which I saw online since I wasn’t able to get in person tickets. This film really impacted me in the way that it dealt with generational trauma in a black family which is a topic that I am very interested in exploring with my own films. My least favorite film from the festival was Handling the Undead because it seemed like it was supposed to be a horror film because it was about the undead but there was little to no action and it just felt so anticlimactic due to its slow pace. Another film that I watched was Freaky Tales which had a lot of traction due to its star-studded cast and I liked the way that the film seemed to take inspiration from Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill despite not really liking the ways that they tried linking the stories together. A Different Man was interesting because it talked about type casting and exploitation but I felt that it failed to do what it was supposed to. Kidnapping Inc was one of my top five films that I saw at Sundance because while it did have many jokes and funny dialogue it didn’t take away from the real world problems of kidnappings in Haiti. I had high hopes for I Saw the The TV Glow since it was associated with the production company A24 but it let me down in the fact that it felt like it couldn’t choose between Thriller or Fantasy so it just felt sort of lackluster in both genres. Ponyboi was interesting in its focus on intersex people and Love Me intrigued me in the way that it used different mediums to get its message across but also in the story that I felt was similar to the Disney Pixar movie Wall-E. I felt that Little Death was unique in its own way in that it portrayed the characters and how they changed physically or emotionally based on what they were talking about or dealing with. A New Kind of Wilderness was a film that really pulled at my heartstrings in the way the story was told, the film was edited, and the shots were filmed making for a very emotional piece. As We Speak was my favorite documentary without a doubt due to its incorporation of narrative aspects in it that created for a really interesting and engaging story. The Greatest Night in Pop was a good documentary and I liked the backstory about a song that I grew up listening to but for me personally I didn’t like it because it didn’t really have any conflicts in it.

Short Films:

Mother Tongue was probably my most anticipated and I am glad to say that it did not disappoint me due to its great dialogue writing and story. Pasture Prime and Thirstygirl both had really interesting stories that I could enjoy but The Lost Season did not keep my attention at all and I am sad to admit that I fell asleep through it. Merman was in between for me because while I did think the subject was interesting I personally didn’t relate to it and I think that’s part of the reason why I didn’t like it as much as the others.

Episodic/New Frontier/ Talks:

Lolla was the only episodic that I watched and I felt so disconnected from it that I fell asleep during it (to be fair it was late at night) and we left before the second episode. Eno was really good and I found it interesting in how each showing of the film would be different due to the use of ai changing the editing of it everytime. The mental health talk that I attended was really insightful and helped me to curate my voice for my short films.

-Justin Hollis

[wherever-i-look-blog]

Love Me – Movie Review and Summary http://tinyurl.com/yov457xa