Somehow it is the 29^th, wait, what just happened. Didn’t I just get here? I thought I was gunna be here for ten days; it could be more then five, tops, TOPS. Perhaps the calendar on my computer is off…let me double check, this can’t be right. Fuck it is the 29^th. I am extremely disappointed to say that my time in Park City, Utah, is over. I guess I have done quite a lot; interviewed filmmakers, saw bands, watched movies, skied, hell…this has been a busy ten days. Alex and I have done documented our time here on our podcast, ‘6:00 Radio’ (http://web.me.com/nathanblack1/podcast.xml). Perhaps the reason why I can’t believe that the trip is over is because I never thought I would actually ever be here, which coincidently is the motto for Sundance this year, “be here”. Well I was here and soon I’ll be back there. Perhaps, I wont get on that plane back there and I’ll stay here. For ten days I was somebody, now I am just another college student, one of millions being pumped through our countries academic veins. But here I am a radio correspondent, filmmakers sought me out, me, they sought me out. I had interviews scheduled everyday. They knew my name, but now I have to be just that student again. Yes, the school is small and most people know each other, but still, it was sure something to be able to tell people that I was a radio journalist and for them to admire that, when in truth it was I who was in awe of them. But now I must return there and dream of some day returning here, to be here once more.

When a flash of a blue sweater triggers visions of a perished childhood friend, an alienated young woman is forced to face the event that continues to haunt her.

At Slamdance I interviewed the director Sarah Hudson  Make Me Stronger

Make Me Stronger

At Slamdance there was a re-cut competition of the David Greenspan’s film Mall Cop.  I interviewed the winner of the  Slamdance/Adobe Recut Competition Award Nelson Vunda.  Take a listen here: Nelson Vunda

Road Dogs follows three of Hollywood’s most visually vibrant and heavily psychotic bands across the U.S. on a D.I.Y. tour occasionally having disastrous results. 

Road Dogs focuses heavily on Traci Michaelz.

I interviewed the director Shane Aquino.  Road Dogs

In a mainstream cinematic world where cheap thrills, cliched stories, and 3D ridiculousness rules, one town defies Hollywood for ten days in the mountains of Utah, or more importantly Park City, Utah. 

Yes, I am talking about the paradise for all indie film makers, the Sundance Film Festival. The spot to be if you want to be noticed, to make your way into the Hollywood mainstream, or a place to pretend you are somebody for ten days. So, maybe a few of those are cliches in themselves.   (more…)

Two lovers play a dark and dangerous game of deceit. Donning different personalities, they travel from town to town using their talent for performance to shatter the lives of strangers unlucky enough to cross their path.

I interviewed the director Simon Arthur about his first film at Slamdance.  Thursday night he had received the Audience Award at the award ceremony at Slamdance.  Silver Tongues

Silver Tongues

Many people think of Park City, Utah, the place I stayed for ten days to enjoy the Sundance Film Festival, as the little town in the mountains where Robert Redford moved the festival to. But remember about nine years ago? Where Salt Lake City and Park City were chosen for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games? I haven’t, considering back in 2004 I was in Utah for an extended amount of time and got to go to some of the venues like Soldiers Hallow where I learned to cross country ski for the the first and last time, and the Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah where I went ice skating with a friend of mine (even though I am not a big fan of it).

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I would have done the full Q&A, but my camera was low on juice so I went with the ending applause and the introductions of the cast members of the world premiere of Mike Cahill’s “Another Earth”. This screening got a rare standing ovation at Eccles Theatre (which sits around 1100-1200 people). I think it is pretty clear the director, actors, and everyone who worked on the film are a little overwhelmed.

“Sound of My Voice” is roughly a film about a couple who infiltrate a cult. The man (Peter) played by Christopher Denham and the woman (Lorna) played by Nicole Vicius are trying to film a documentary that will expose the leader of the cult as a fraud. The cult leader is played by Brit Marling, who also co-wrote and produced the film. I’ve now seen Brit in two films that she’s co-wrote, produced, and starred in at Sundance this year. I’m convinced that she’s fantastic and a true inspiration. (more…)

Brit Marling has been said to be the star of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Starring in both Another Earth (which she co-wrote) and Sound of My Voice (which she also co-wrote and co-produced) she has been a prominent face on the screen. (more…)