[Children In Cinema Baikal Films Little Pugs 21
Amancio Mccrae
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
To tie this to the class textbook: Indie: An American Film Culture, I feel like I should go back to where it all started in the class which are the three slogans that make an indie film. The first being characters as emblems, the second being form is a game, and the third is, when in doubt, read as anti-hollywood. As I experienced all that Sundance has to offer. As I watched the movies I would think about these three slogans and wonder if these independent filmmakers were using those tactics. I came to the conclusion that all the films I watched fell right into the three slogans, as different categories.
All in all, I loved this experience and being able to blog about movies and different moments from the trip. I really recommend this trip to anyone who loves independent film and wants a creative outlet like this to express themselves on. This experience changed my outlook on films (in the best way possible), and I look forward to continuing my journey through independent film.
Now that I am looking back on my time in Park City Utah at the Sundance Film Festival, I am able to get a better and fuller understanding of the independent film industry. I think the most telling part of the Sundance Film Festival and how it has evolved and changed throughout the years is seen in the slideshow of pictures from the very beginning of the Sundance Film Festival to the present day. This slideshow is shown at every Sundance showing as people are finding seats. One thing that I noticed being at Sundance and spending time at Slamdance is that it is easy to see which indie film festival has continued to stay more indie. When watching the slideshow you see the beginnings of Sundance and its indieness however as the years go on you start to see the influence of Hollywood and business seep into Sundance. When you experience sundance in person you can see that indie film is more than the economic and stylistic elements. The Indie Film Festival brings together so many people from different backgrounds but they are all connected. Everyone in the film industry has been at the indie stage whether or not they stayed in it or moved to bigger projects we all start with an idea and the determination to film it under any circumstance.
Spending time at Slamdance you could feel the difference between the two indie film festivals. At Slamdance, the directors and actors and everyone involved in independent film were a lot more open and available to talk. Slamdance offers the opportunity for truly independent filmmakers to present their work and have the opportunity to get funding. While Sundance had a more separated feel to it, you could feel the presence of Hollywood. There were more big-name actors and actresses at Sundance and it was easy to tell that the films being presented at Sundance had bigger budgets. I was able to meet a few directors while I was at Slamdance, but I did not have the opportunity to talk to any directors when at Sundance.
All that being said Sundance was definitely an experience I am grateful for and one that I will never forget. I was able to learn a lot about different areas within the film industry. What Sundance lacks in truly indie films they make up for in talks and events for the public. I was able to go to a talk with Jesse Eisenberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor. They were being asked questions about each of their movies. Hearing each of their reasons for being a part of the films was a great part of the trip. Another great part of the trip was going to an event at Sundance. The event had a panel of casting directors and they were talking about their side of the industry. Having no previous information about casting directors it was a very informative experience. After the panel, there was a chance to mingle and network with everyone at the event.
A New Kind of WIlderness- This was such a touching story of a family learning to navigate life without their mother. Their story brought me to tears, both of sadness and of deep family connection and bonds.
Never Look Away- It is a great film that inspires you to be strong and determined in life. The film was also a wonderful tribute to the woman who demanded the world would need to see the effects of war on the innocent.
Sundance has grown over its forty-year history. It is still bringing indie filmmakers together, but often in a larger way in multiple areas. Whether it be star power, budgets, scope of the film, or trying to get studio or distribution support, it is definitely larger than it was. Additionally, there are now major companies sponsoring Sundance, setting up large tents, buildings, and erecting facades on the storefronts in the Main Street area during the festival. These included Adobe, Acura, Audible, Canon, Chase Sapphire, DoorDash, Dropbox, Shutterstock, United Airlines, and United Talent Agency (UTA) as well as media publications such as IndieWire, Variety, and Vulture.
Contrast this to Slamdance, which is held in three theaters right next to each other inside the same hotel. Having them close together along with lounges above provided convenient access for the production staff and created an atmosphere that makes it easier to speak and connect with the filmmakers. They were very willing to talk about the films, how they got there, lessons learned, and even to provide their contact information. Slamdance appears to be more like what Sundance started out as.
Every film, regardless of size, will have its own goals. Some want to increase their funding to produce a larger project. Others want to make a political statement. Still, there are documentaries that may want to show the effort it takes to accomplish something like The Greatest Night in Pop or the film, Union.
As you can see, independent film is much more than inexperienced people with little money and unknown actors and directors producing a film. It encompasses films that are trying to send a message, provoke thought, think outside the box, or just be different.
Freaky Tales - Based vaguely on real events, this movie intertwines the lives of four distinct groups in a very interesting and fun way. It reminds me of a live action anime, and I found myself engulfed in each story. The culmination was perfect.
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