Sundance 2006

The Politics of Sundancing

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!

Sundance 2006 Wraps

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

Surprise Winners At Sundance

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.

Slamdance Award Winners

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.

Business Buzz 3

As most distributors headed home after 10 days of furious film watching, a few last minute deals were announced in the waning days of the Sundance Film Festival. Several more announcements will accompany the excitement surrounding the Awards Ceremony on Saturday. A prize may tip the interest in films that have yet gone unsold.

It will "STAY"

Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films just announced the joint acquisition of longtime stand-up comic Bob Goldthwait's Sundance dramatic competition film, Stay.  Financial specifics were not released int he announcement.  The film revolves around Amy (remarkably played by Melinda Page Hamilton)and an impulsive, repulsive, and rather humorous sexual encounter from her past.  This encounter haunts an otherwise seemingly normal young woman with a bright future and nice-guy fiance.  However heeding the advice of family and friends to be honest with her fiance, Amy reveals her secret and all hell breaks loose.

Snow falls, Deals follow

The old adage "last but not least" certainly applied yesterday to the Sundance premiere of The Darwin Awards.  Darwin, the last of the true Sundance buzz films to premiere was snatched up by the newly formed distribution shingle Bauer Martinez for an undisclosed price.  The film was directed by Finn Taylor (director of 2002 Sundance pic Cherish) and stars Joseph Fiennes, Winona Ryder, David Arquette, Juliette Lewis and the late Chris Penn who passed on earlier in the week.  Ryder, speaking during the Q+A following the premiere screening of Darwin said in reference to the passing of Penn: "I really hope people go back and watch his movies. He was such a fantastic actor. He's not just Sean's little brother. He was Chris Penn."

The Sundance Experience Online

Sundance Institute announced today a record number of people have experienced the 2006 Sundance Film Festival at www.sundance.org.  Online visitors have downloaded a range of free Festival programming including fifty short films from the Festival, daily video highlights, exclusive filmmaker interviews and behind the scenes footage from the event. 

Sundance/NHK Winners Announced

The Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) today announced the winners of the 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards.  Marking the 10th anniversary of the Award, this year’s winners represent the best in independent voices from around the globe. 

Eyes On The Prize

With only 72 hours left until the announcement of the Festival awards, speculation is running high on what films are in contention for prizes. A Sundance award can be a mixed blessing….it can either help a film that goes undistributed renew interest among buyers or it can be a kiss of death of unreasonably high expectations. Either way, the guessing game of who will win is now the talk of the town.