The New Frontier

Well, we are back in the airport, heading back to Indiana.  Everyone is here, everyone is safe, everyone is exhausted.  I can feel my brain shutting down as I type.  But it’s okay. We played hard this week and learned a lot along the way.  Practical things, like checking for ice before stepping out the front door and theoretical things, like the power of ideas.

Now that the festival is over, you can see the winners on the Sundance website, but don’t be fooled, the winning films are good, but everything else we saw was amazing.

Its sad to think that many of these films may never get distributed to a wide audience, that we may never get to share the experience of watching these films with you.  I guess you will just have to ask us as many questions as possible to find out what you all missed.

If you asked me what film I enjoyed the most, it would be Safety Not Guaranteed, a romance about time travel, or maybe a time traveling tale with romance.  Fortunately, this film was picked up and should get distributed, so you will get to see it!  Unfortunately, you will never get to experience the short film that went before it and and the spontaneous laughter that rolled through the theater as we waited for in darkness for the film to start.

The biggest surprise to me was Ai Wei Wei, a documentary about art, activism and China.  It chronicles the career of one man as he seeks to push the Chinese government to continue to improve.  Between the title sequence and the end credits, this film revealed the power of ideas while remaining fun and entertaining.  It also won the award for Spirit of Defiance.  I did not expect to like it going in, but it might be my overall favorite.

We are about to board the plane, but we are taking our memories with us.  Please ask us about the films we saw. We all saw over 15. Though, as the week went on, they all congeal to becomes some sort of movie goo where all the plots and characters combine and form some ectoplasmic monster!  The only way keep it at bay is by talking about the movies!

Do your part, ask a Sundancer about their time.  What they liked, what disturbed them, how they have changed. You won’t be disappointed.

The Future is Ours

Throughout the week, I have seen many film makers, and I have talked to many of them as well.  They are incredible people, dedicating time, money, and countless hours to what they love.  These films are more than a hobby or job, it’s a way of life, and it shows.  After every movie, the discussion panel reveals how much they all care.  They eagerly answer every question and everyone stays to listen.

These people truly love what they do and they are all unbelievably skilled.  When I don’t enjoy a film, it’s probably because the story doesn’t resonate with me.  Every film I have seen has been skillfully executed.  These directors really know what they are doing and it is wonderfully humbling.

But that’s normal.  This is the greatest film festival in America, of course the films are good.  The fact that these films are skillfully made does not surprise me. I expected to be humbled.  What surprises me is that I could see many of my friends making films just as good.

I am not really that great of a movie maker, but I have seen the ability of the guys I am with and then I see the short films that Sundance accepted… the only difference seems to be the budget available, and that is exciting news.

Trendy

I have now seen 11 movies and I have at least 6 more to go.  I am, by no means, an expert in film, but I have spotted some trends here.  I now present these to you as a list of the top 5 Sundance Film trends.

Top 5 Sundance Film Trends

1. LA – If you want to make a good movie, you have to make it in LA, about LA, with people who love LA.  I guess it’s better than everything happening in New York

2. A Musical Topic – There is no higher calling than being a starving musician.  Also, film makers relate to their struggle because they are also starving, not only for food, but your time and attention.  Unlike musicians, no girl has ever been impressed by an impromptu film making session.

3. Long Shots – I’m not talking about short shots or even medium shots.  Sundancers feel that quick cuts and exciting moments are inappropriate. A more appropriate and artistic method to tell a story is with long, slow movements.  It makes you feel like you are there, that is, if you can stay awake for it.

4. Existentialism – I chose to put this here by my own free will.  It was also included in every film I have seen by some clever director’s free will.

5. Unfocused Shots – If there was something going on in the background of this shot, I sure can’t tell.

Film hopefuls best take note, apply some of these to your footage and you will be headed to the festival in no time. Until the rules change and these go out of fashion.  I personally think the next big trend will be star fades but it has yet to be confirmed.

Look Closer

This is a special guest post by Sundance team member Joel Plosz.

Hello, my friends.

The films of Sundance have served as an excellent filler between my frequent bathroom visits. It is so fortunate that I just happen to have tickets for the films playing near my restroom locations of choice. Could it be the altitude that has my routine in disarray? Or  perhaps being in the vicinity of so many talented people has my system all a bother with excitement. Whatever it is that is causing this unusual bodily behavior, I find myself in an almost perpetual search for the next pitstop opportunity.

But after a day full of bathrooms and film breaks, I think I have garnered a glimpse of shocking revelation: perhaps my desires of pristine porcelain at a film festival is a poor allocation of my attention. Maybe, just maybe, I have been so focused on what I thought I needed that I have missed the point entirely.

Worry not—there is meaning to this uncomfortably personal confession. When sifting through the vast Sundance selection and deciding which films I wanted to see, I, like any reasonable person with personal interests would do, selected only the films that I wanted to see. A novel thing to do, I know.

See, I prefer an imaginative more unconventional story as opposed to a gritty realistic one. I ponder more existential questions than I do political or social ones. I like my heavy themes buried in frivolity or subtlety as opposed to an in-your-face approach. Suffice it to say, I selected films accordingly.

I was disappointed then to find that a lot of my top picks were absent from the schedule and some of the films that I knew I wouldn’t be interested in managed to sneak themselves on there. I quickly attempted to resolve this problem by shopping around in hopes of trading them for anything I could. I knew what I wanted because I knew which stories and styles I was interested in. What I didn’t know at the time and I have now discovered is that the supposed “uninteresting” is pretty dang interesting.

My Sundance festival began on Monday with the screening of Corpo Celeste, a film I disregarded in the selection process because I thought it looked like a sleeping pill, and was pleasantly surprised—nay, amazed by the film’s subtlety and symbolism. It is a film that has stuck with me and has me pondering the images and their meaning. I followed that with An Oversimplification of Her Beauty—a film near the top of my list—and was served with a big helping of self indulgence (and I don’t use the term lightly as some of my favorite films have been described as such). While I enjoyed many moments of it and was inspired by its unique and creative approach, I was disappointed with what I perceived as interesting.

The next day followed with Middle of Nowhere—another film I dreaded seeing—and was surprised to find a beautiful film was some fantastic performances. The fact that it was a piece of eye candy didn’t detract from it either. It is my third favorite Sundance film so far.

To put it short, by watching films that assumed I would not enjoy, I have discovered that my preferences are not nearly as narrow as I thought and that my interests should not act as restrictions—because if you don’t give something a chance, how can you know you are not interested in it? I have realized that I was missing the point entirely. Instead of focusing on seeing more of what I thought I liked, I should have been focusing on expanding my perception. I was searching for restrooms when I should have been seeking films (see how I worked that metaphor in there?).

So, my advice to future Sundancers is to find at least three films from the selection that you think you would hate and put them on your list. Choose three films that are about stuff you don’t care about or would bore you to death—and be ready to be surprised. If you aren’t being stretched you aren’t growing, and growing is what I think this Sundance trip as all about. That, and exploring the many bathrooms of Park City. I mean seriously, what is causing this digestive madness?

Farewell, my friends.

Joel Plosz

There’s Metaphorical Gold in these Hills

To be more accurate, I should say there is metaphorical silver here in Park City, or at least their was.  The silver mines here have been unworked for decades.

Inspiration comes in many forms but that does not mean it is easy to find.  Most movies we attend have a q and a session afterwards and most questions boil down to where the director received their inspiration.  But we are at a snobby film festival, so this question is often disguised, and you have to be clever to see it.  Take a look at some real life examples.

“Where was the genesis of this film?”

“Were there real life events that inspired this?”

“What galvanized you do to this?”

“Metaphorically speaking, the third act reconciled a nonfulfillment of propitiation between the protagonist and her posturer persona similar to the early creations of Wissou.  Is this where you received your narrative’s origin?”

It can get pretty ridiculous.

I think its important to note that, unlike every other member of our group (excluding Tim) I am not a film/production major.  I am a writing major (thus the blogging), and after being here for a few days, I began to wonder why I came.  What did I want to accomplish here at Sundance as a journalist?

Naturally I began digging deep, meditating and journaling about my feelings.  After I realized that came to nothing, I decided it would be easier if I just stole the thoughts of my film savvy and much more motivated friends.

Their reasons were spectacular: to network and keep advancing towards my dreams, to be surrounded by people who see God in film as much as I do, to be able to say I was at the most prestigious film festival in the USA.  I received no wrong or bad answers in these mini conversations held on crowded busses between film screenings.

The answer that sticks out in my mind the most came from Juan Cespedes, who just becomes increasingly impressive as I get to know him.  Wedged into a plastic bus seat, he didn’t miss a beat when I asked him why he came.  Juan was there  ”To get inspired”.

Though it is fantastic reason, inspiration seems to be one of the most fleeting.  A film that inspires on person may not inspire another.  When directors are asked about it, the replies are subpar.  We may not know where it comes from, and we can’t make it last, but when we get it, if we get it, we couldn’t be happier.

I am so glad I discovered I did not need to be studying film to be inspired by it.  Already, I have been immensely inspired on this trip.  Filly Brown and Ai Wei Wei have both inspired me to become a more diligent artist and  5 Broken Cameras has shown me the power of perseverance.  It’s hard to say what else is inspiring me because so much happens in one day, but the inspiration is there, and I am so glad I am looking for it.

A Quick Update

If you read Paul Yoder’s post about short films, you know that the good get mixed in with the bad.  In response and for the sake of documenting our trip, Tiim Riethmiller decided to put together some footage he has been shooting.  Consider it a response to some of short films we had been put through here at Sundance.

Don’t get too down about our time here.  We have seen some remarkable film that I will have to write about later, for now, just know that Fishing without Nets, a short about pirates in Somilia, won the short films Grand Jury Award.  Make sure to keep your eyes open for it on Youtube, Vimeo, or Netflix.

Taking Off

Its amazing, from leaving Taylor University, to getting to the airport and even our departure time, everything on this trip so far has been ahead of schedule

My name is Joshua and I will be blogging throughout the week of the festival.  As a student who has never been to Sundance, or any film festival for that matter, I couldn’t be more excited. I hope that you find this blog helpful in keeping you updated about the films we view, the food we chew and the filmmakers we run into. I hope you feel that this blog keeps you updated on the status of our Sundance crew.

Sundance is held in Park City, Utah, its a small town about 30 miles east of Salt Lake City.  Expect some good pictures of the town because it is also located in the Wasatch Mountain Range, and since this trip has a full cast of Media Communications Majors, we should be successful in taking a few great pictures.

Bur right now, we are all sitting in the Indianapolis airport waiting for our plane to board, and we can’t wait to get to Sundance.