Renown cinematographer and director Haskell Wexler premiered his documentary film, "Who Needs Sleep?" at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival to packed audiences that had to be firmly 'persuaded' to leave cinema venues after intensive Q + A's with the director, co-director Lisa Leeman, and producer Tamara Maloney.
Al Gore and Ralph Nader Join Parties and Premieres in Park City
Where else but Sundance and Park City would politics and politicians want to gather during the middle of a winter? You have independent thinkers, high powered Hollywood types and glitz, glamour and big media galore. Along with new movies all trying to make a point, bring light to an issue and unveiling the unjust travesties of the world. That’s the politics of Sundancing!
Well....I meant to keep a blog going about my 9th Sundance (see first day's blogs)...but I got busier than I thought. Even though I had more time off this year as one of the Sundance press/industry venue managers at the Holiday Village #1 (a lucky recipient of scheduling beyond my control), my socializing and networking had me filling many of my hours with connecting with people more than watching films.
Fox Searchlight Has $10 Million Dollar Deal with Little Miss Sunshine at Sundance Film Festival
The desire of independent films is growing in high. The distributors and acquisitions departments are in full force in Park City with check books in hand and set for finding the next big March of The Penguins.
SUNDANCE PANEL PONDERS VIDEO PODCASTING & THE ROLE OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS
By creating a new tool in the lifestyle of cool, Apple Computer’s video iPod has also created demand for content tailored to the device that has left filmmakers, advertisers, television executives and “preditor” podcasters scrambling to take advantage of this new medium. On January 22, 2006, a panel of pod-experts gathered at the Sundance Film Festival’s Film Center in Park City, to discuss the new technology and its affect on the entertainment industry. By Keiko Beatie & Andy Verostek
The American Cinematheque’s THE ALTERNATIVE SCREEN: INDEPENDENT FILM SHOWCASE presents two evenings of Award Winners from the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival on Thursday, February 9th & 16th.
The winners of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival Awards were announced at the closing award ceremony in Park City, Utah. An over all popular vote for the jury and audience was in sync as both the Grand Jury Prizes and Audience Awards for Documentary and Dramatic Competitions were presented to the same two films. By Keiko Beatie
25th Sundance Film Festival wrapped here Sunday with screening of the award winning films. For the first time in the festivals history two films took both the audience and jury prizes in the narrative and documentary categories. “Quincenara”, which offers insight into Hispanic family culture through the eyes of teenagers living in Los Angeles, earned the best dramatic film honor from the Sundance jury of five film industry veterans as well as the top drama prize from audience members. Male lead Jesse Garcia (pictured right with red scarf) completely inhabits the role of a close knit families ‘black sheep’ at the center of this engaging drama. Jesse and his fellow cast were chosen before the script was written and helped shape the final story. Dane Alan Smith
The end of Sundance brought 2 things: a huge snow storm and a small deal for the well-received and strong word-of-mouth Dramatic Competition film Half Nelson. ThinkFilm, which came to the festival with the Beastie Boys concert doc Awesome: I Fuckin' Shot That, picked up the Worldwide rights to the Ryan Gosling and newcomer Shareeka Epps starrer on Sunday. Gosling and Epps performances have received a tremendous amount of positive buzz since the film's first screening at Sundance earlier in the week.
On the occasion of Don't Come Knocking screening in Sunadance? listen to Wim Wenders and Sam Sheppard in a centerpiece panel recorded at the 2006 Festival The panel was moderated by Screen International editor. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MP3 file. A treat for your iPod or MP3 player.
Movie theater audiences have steadily shrunk over the past 50 years. This brings a very important concern to the forefront: will movie theaters continue to exist among all the new media and technology? With so many different ways to distribute a film, it is a matter of sociology as to why one would want to go into a dark movie theater and experience a film with a group of strangers or even alone in the dark. Several of these topics were addressed at a recent Sundance Film Festival panel I attended called “Going, Going, Gone? The Culture of Movie-going”. By Tiffany Peckosh
Several surprise winners dominated the Sundance Film Festival Awards, which were presented to a packed house of enthusiastic filmmakers, professionals and audience members at a gala ceremony held on Saturday night at the Park City Racquet Club. The concluding awards ceremony and party bring to an end a 10-day film bonanza that drew nearly 40,000 visitors to the Festival.
Industry Editor Sandy Mandelberger sat down with veteran documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick, whose lastest film, THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED, is one of the most talked about at the Festival. The film is an eye-opening investigation into the secret works of the Motion Picture Association of America, the official ratings board for films that are released in theaters.
Industry Editor Sandy Mandelberger sat down with documentary director Rex Bloomstein, whose film KZ screened in competition in the World Documentary section. KZ tells the story of the notorious concentration camp Mathausen, but in a new light....focusing on the present day residents and tourists who visit the memorial. How the lessons of history are passed down (or forgotten) is at the heart of Bloomstein's film.
The Slamdance Film Festival came to a close on Friday evening with the announcement of the Sparky Awards at the edgy nighclub Suede. Winners were announced in over 20 categories. Over $200,000 in prizes were awarded. Following the ceremony, revelers partied into the wee hours with celebrity DJ's Swamp, C-Minus and Tito Plenty ramping up the techno music.
D. B. Sweeney unveiled his feature film, “Dirt Nap,” to industry executives and filmmakers in Park City this week. A story of 3 buddies roadtrippin’ through mishaps and moments of reckoning toward the big Bowl game,” Dirt Nap” marks D.B.‘s debut as Writer, Director and Producer. In a packed theatre with standing room only, the January 23rd screening began when D. B. cracked open a beer as part of his opening remarks and culminated in actual explosions of fireworks just outside.
As a follow up to Jeremy Platt’s entertaining BUS TALK, listing the Top Ten overheard snippets of conversations on the packed Sundance bus shuttles, Industry Editor Sandy Mandelberger weighs in with a Top Ten list of his own, of things that would NEVER be heard on the same Festival buses.
SUNDANCE PANEL PONDERS VIDEO PODCASTING & THE ROLE OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS
By creating a new tool in the lifestyle of cool, Apple Computer’s video iPod has also created demand for content tailored to the device that has left filmmakers, advertisers, television executives and “preditor” podcasters scrambling to take advantage of this new medium. On January 22, 2006, a panel of pod-experts gathered at the Sundance Film Festival’s Film Center in Park City, to discuss the new technology and its affect on the entertainment industry. By Keiko Beatie & Andy Verostek
D. B. Sweeney unveiled his feature film, “Dirt Nap,” to industry executives and filmmakers in Park City this week. A story of 3 buddies roadtrippin’ through mishaps and moments of reckoning toward the big Bowl game,” Dirt Nap” marks D.B.‘s debut as Writer, Director and Producer.
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