[PREMIERE SCREENING: Saturday, Jan. 17, 5:30 pm — Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City] As an artist I am at liberty to use everything as an influence to tell the story. I have made a three-minute wonder that was entirely filmed on a mobile phone. A series of three-minute films were commissioned by the British television stationChannel 4, and the films aired before the 7:00 p.m. news. I discovered early on how to be true to materials, and this awareness is reflected in my work. The Internet and YouTube are sources for information at our fingertips. I am, however, very […]
[PREMIERE SCREENING: Saturday, Jan. 17, 12:15 pm — Eccles Theatre, Park City] I didn’t respond to the changes in the way people are beginning to view cinema today. My story development process, which began back in 2003, was very much influenced by my own personal experience and my need for authenticity, especially in light of the political issues that rose to the forefront after 9/11 and the subsequent invasion of Iraq. From the start I knew that I wanted to craft a universal story and imbue it with humor so that it was accessible and relatable to a mass audience, […]
[PREMIERE SCREENING: Saturday, Jan. 17, 6:15 pm — Holiday Village Cinema IV, Park City] As a documentary filmmaker I am always telling a story, painting a picture of a reality that to some may be disturbing, to others offensive, but hopefully always eye-opening and informative. As such it will always be the content, the core and the soul of the film that is the driving force behind my creative process. The technological aspects and various formats are secondary. My latest doc The Queen and I is a simple story marked by extraordinary events. Whether my films are screened on iPods, […]
[PREMIERE SCREENING: Saturday, Jan. 17, 3:00 pm — Temple Theatre, Park City] Over the Hills and Far Away is a piece of true magical realism. A family struggles to cope with their son’s autism. In an act of inspiration and desperation combined, they travel to Mongolia and journey through the country on horseback in search of mysterious shamans who they believe can heal their son. It’s hard to believe that this is a documentary and not a dramatic narrative. It’s a filmmaker’s dream to be able to work with such material. So for me it wasn’t a question of finding […]
[PREMIERE SCREENING: Saturday, Jan. 17, 3:15 pm — Eccles Theatre, Park City] It probably would have been smarter if I had thought of kids on a subway watching my movie on their iPod — but then I would have come to the inevitable conclusion that they would never be moved by a drama where you can’t see an actors’ eyes and immediately gotten bored and turned it off. I wanted most of all to make a film similar to the character-driven dramas of the late ’70s that I loved so much as a kid. I can’t imagine those play well […]
[PREMIERE SCREENING: Saturday, Jan. 17, 6:15 pm — Eccles Theatre, Park City] I think “story” is the same as it has always been. Maybe the delivery devices change, maybe the venues evolve, maybe the audiences can absorb information faster and maybe they’re more sophisticated in their demands. But the basic craft and fundamentals of story remain unchanged. We certainly didn’t adjust the concept of the film for YouTube, or any small screen for that matter. Maybe on some subconscious level, the short episodic nature of “the days” grew from watching too many YouTube video bursts. But I can’t say for […]
[PREMIERE SCREENING: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2:15 pm — Racquet Club, Park City] I knew before we began making Barking Water that I wanted to try something different. The story is about an older couple who has had a very tumultuous relationship for the past 40 years. The woman, Irene, comes to the man, Frankie, on his deathbed and agrees to take him from the hospital and get him home. The problem, of course, is that Frankie is dying, so the film explores their relationship as she tries to get him home to see his daughter before he dies. Under the […]
I may be at Sundance, but it’s still cool to be able to embed Grant Gee’s Joy Division doc for you here, courtesy of Pitchfork. It’s live for one week.
Wake up, edit a few pieces for our standalone festival page, and then head to the registration office where I get my badge in about one minute’s time. Walk over to a press screening where I enter just as the movie is starting and get a seat. Later, meet some friends and snag a table for six on Main Street for dinner. Another press screening — this time I stroll in during the opening credits and easily score a good seat. Am I at Sundance? Yes, it is quieter this year. It feels like a lot less people are here. […]
Just a couple of days after I noted SAG’s response to the question of whether or not studios could acquire films made under their Guaranteed Completion Contracts, the guild has now decided to stop issuing these waivers to indie films entirely. Dave McNary reports in Variety: With a SAG strike becoming less likely, the Screen Actors Guild has announced it’s pulled the plug on offering waivers to indie film producers that would allow production to continue if there’s a work stoppage. SAG made the brief announcement Friday evening, suspending a program that’s covered over 800 productions in about a year. […]