The Sundance Film Festival has been a learning experience for me in many ways, good and bad. I got to meet many of the celebrities that I had only seen in movies or heard about. Many of them were nice and down-to-earth individuals, who would engage in conversations and would answer any questions that one could have about their movie or performance. However, I also met some who were really snobbish and would completely ignore people who were just willing to talk to them or ask them any sort of questions. This gave me a better outlook on the lives of these individuals and how extreme their personalities could be, just like normal people. I also had the opportunity to interact with some upcoming directors and filmmakers, such as Kanji Nakajima (Clone Returns Home) and Ross Katz (Taking Chance), who had made an impact on me with their respective movies. I heard about the difficulties and experiences that they had in making these independent movies, and was able to experience a different side to cinema that is often overshadowed by mainstream movies.

(more…)