A few thoughts from some of the students who came to the festival in 2006 and 2008:

On why to go:

• “Sundance is not just about watching movies, traveling, or going on a vacation, but it’s about sharing an accomplishment.  It’s about sharing your love of movies with other people.  But most of all it’s about respecting the dreams that so many have worked so hard to pursue, produce, and accomplish, and that is why I am attending the festival.” (Emily Behrens, ‘08)
• “What draws me to watch an independent film is the fact that the film will touch me on some daringly real level….I watch independent films because there is a sense of truth that validates the lives we lead.” (Sharon Oegerle, ‘08)
• “Overall I am just hoping to see original and well made films that tell a great story while keeping me attracted to it without boring me.  And even if I don’t like any of the films I see I will still enjoy seeing how well these young film makers have done and to see what stories they have to tell.” (Bill Griswold, ‘08) (more…)

Michael Jai White is Black Dynamite!

Back in the day, films like Shaft, Foxy Brown and Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song styled funkalicious jazzy soundtracks, tough black heroes and heroines and corrupt white cops and politicians. A new genre was born, both celebrating and exploiting black culture, targeting urban African-American audiences with its style and subject matter. Some of the best of these films have become cult favorites, and have influenced new filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, whose Jackie Brown was an explicit homage to the genre he’d grown up on and loved.

Shaft was remade in slick Hollywood fashion by John Singleton (Boyz ‘n The Hood) in 2000, featuring Samuel Jackson in the title role. But for the original low budget style and campy flair you had to go to the bargain bin DVD versions, until now.

Scott Sanders’ blacksploitation spoof Black Dynamite premieres this year as one of the “Midnight” films at Sundance. If this trailer is anything to go by, the funky magic and excitement appears to be back. Black Dynamite looks hotter than TNT:
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Slamdance was established in 1995, several years after Sundance had been established as the hotspot for American independent film.  Started by a group of filmmakers who, for whatever reason, couldn’t get their films into the increasingly competitive bigger name fest, it has now become extremely competitive in its own right.  One of the unique things about the festival is that in the competition screenings they show only films without prior theatrical distribution and with budgets under $1 million, from first-time feature directors.  Sundance claims to emphasize indie-fare, but many of the films — even in competition — turn out to be vehicles for major stars to get their “indie-cred” and come to the festivals with indirect studio backing.  Slamdance ensures that its films — at least those in competition — are on an even playing field.  

Every year, in addition to a lineup of sincere fictional and documentary films, they tend to have a decent list of tongue-in-cheek and scary horror flicks.  Last year my whole group went to see the low-budget but extremely effective “Paranormal Activity” and were all creeped out — apparently the rights to a bigger budget bigger names version have been purchased by Dream Works.  

This year Slamdance is opening with I Sell the Dead, a film that has already generated a huge amount of buzz on the internet and from horror afficionados and stars Dominic Managhan (Merry from Lord of the Rings), Ron Perlman (you know, Hellboy), and Larry Fessenden (longtime veteran and creator of indie horror, director of The Last Winter that we showed at Eckerd’s Environmental Film Festival in 2008).  It’s also showing Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Undead, and Zombie Girl, and several other scary flicks.  For my money, the horror films at Slamdance tend to be every bit as exciting as the “Midnight” screenings at Sundance.   (more…)

From 3,661 feature-length films that were submitted this year, the Sundance staff has selected just 118 to fill the slots in its documentary and feature competitions, as well as in its Spectrum, Frontier, Midnight and Premiere categories.  The competition was even more intense when it comes to short films - a mere 96 were selected from 5632 submissions from around the world.  

According to Geoffrey Gilmore, longtime director of the festival, and John Cooper, director of programming, the films this year emphasize creative storytelling and emotional resonance. (more…)