Never in my wildest dreams would I think I would see Robert Redford just standing on the side of the road. Never would I have thought I would have the opportunity to see World Premieres, or attend parties as the celebrities I see in Entertainment Weekly. So far to me this film festival has been an unbelievable experience, and it’s only just the beginning.

 

 Prior to my arrival I really had not the faintest idea of what was to come or what to expect. The Sundance film festival is like another country, another world within a world and I observed that within my first 24 hours. So far I have seen several movies, starting with Big River Man, which entails the incredible story of overweight alcoholic, swimming the Amazon for a cause greater than himself. Myself alongside several of my classmates had a strong desire to see the film after reading several blogs and hearing about through word of mouth. We were so intrigued that we decided to waitlist, which is an experience in itself.

The term wait listing, means you show up to a film hours before the showing and receive a # which determines your likeliness to gain access to the film. It sounds like a pain in the ass, in reality its not. Being “Waitlisted” is a chance to interact with fellow sundancers, about their experiences so far. It’s a social network, a film forum, and more importantly a true Sundance experience. I eventually got in having the #4 only to find myself looking backwards at a screen 2 feet in front of me. Nonetheless the movie it self was absolutely spectacular with some aspects being left to speculation. Big River Man was my first real movie experience and I was not let down. The filmmaking was amazing and it truly depicted the complexity and hardship of the journey. I also appreciated the Q and A aspect after the film; for it gives you a personable experiences that seeing regular movies do not.

That’s what so exciting about Sundance new experiences and opportunities. It’s the importance of people the fact that when you initially make your selections you really have no idea what’s good or not, because the film guide describes in an equal and fairness matter. I’ve learned what to see anywhere you can possibly imagine. There is a constant buzz about movies everywhere you go, ranging from buses to bars, and it’s a real tight knit community.

However of course there are the comedical aspects of sundance such as the crossing guards, with their representive light sabers to prevent pedestrians from unauthorized movement. In all actuality it is quite funny, as myself alongside a fellow blogger Sam Mitchell have nearly lost a couple limbs due to our jaywalking.  So far it’s been quite an experience, with much more to come. Hopefully tomorrow I will encounter John Reznick of the Goo Goo Dolls, definitely not your typical day. 

Tags: Alex McDonald, big river man, film, robert redford

This entry was posted on Monday, January 19th, 2009 at 10:18 pm and is filed under Fun. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.