#the sundance film festival already passed i just wanted to gif him

[anthonysperkins]

Meet the Artist 2025: Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim on “Deaf President Now!”

[cinewhore]

Sundance Film Journal

This is my second year attending the Sundance film festival and I’m super excited to watch some amazing films. I’ve purchased a few features and have an explorer pass which gives me access to all of the short films. I’ll keep a log of them here.

Short Films

Appendage - first watch of the festival and a great start! I honestly clicked on this because homegirl from Shiva Baby (fave watch of 2021) stars in it and she did not disappoint! The basis of the film is that a young fashion designer is dealing with anxiety but it manifests itself in totally different way. Very predictable but entertaining watch.

Greetings from Africa - my first Cheryl Dune film ever! (I’m embarrassed) but oh my goodness, what a treat it was! I love her style of story telling and wow i have the hots for her but anyhoo…this was an anniversary film so I’m glad i got the chance to watch it during its special time. Definitely going to get more into her films.

Long Line of Ladies - only three movies in and I’m already crying. This was a beautifully shot film about a young girls journey in becoming a woman after she has her first period. She will have an Ihuk or flower dance ceremony where she will be surrounded by her spiritual family who will help guide her during this transition. I’m always so interested in coming of age stories from women of color around the world so this film touched me deeply.

While Mortals Sleep - ok this was the weirdest thing I’ve seen this far and i have no idea how to feel about it 😭 it’s about this lady who solves cold cases but she’s taking a break and goes to stay at a friends house. She meets a couple who’s house sitting and they introduce her to their baby that’s an alien??? And then she gets sucked into some sort of cult. Alrighty then.

Prayers for Sweet Waters - last watch of the first day. This was a short doc about sex workers living in Cape Town during the pandemic and i just found it so profound. These amazing people have found the strength to take hold of their life and live it how they want to will always inspire me.

Feature Films

892 - holy shit what a movie. This gripping thriller tells the story of Brian Easley, a marine veteran who holds up a bank with a bomb threat. He has one simple request: the VA fix their mistake and give him his money back. John Boyega completely transforms into this character and had me hooked from the second the film started. It’s definitely like Fruitvale Station where we know how it’s gonna end but you just pray that things will take a different turn. I’m sure this is going to get picked up by a distributor and will be in theaters soon. Can’t wait for the rest of the world to see this.

After Yang - a sophomore film for the director, Kogonada, and what a treat it is. It details the life of a family who has adopted a young Chinese girl, Mika. They buy Yang, an AI, to serve as an older brother to Mika so that he can teach her about her heritage. Yang stops working and the film follows the heartbroken family as we catch glimpses of them throughout Yang’s memories. Visually stunning, i think even more so than Columbus but i actually prefer Columbus over this film. They are both beautiful and important in their own right. Not sure when A24 is going to push this out to theaters but if you enjoy films that make you feel cozy or relay the importance of the little things, this is the movie for you. I adored it.