Sundance Film Festival
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“A Narrative Investigation of Masculinity”: Director Andrew Neel | Goat
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? For me Goat is a narrative investigation of masculinity. This isn’t a secret, but it certainly is an […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 23, 2016 -
DP Robespierre Rodriguez on Colombian Sundance Feature Between Sea and Land
Robespierre Rodriguez served as the cinematographer on Between Sea and Land, a World Cinema Dramatic Competition selection at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. In his interview with Filmmaker, Rodriguez outlines a calamitous shoot in Colombia filled with canoe rides, sudden rain and ever-dwindling sunlight. He also discusses his impromptu role as the film’s DP and his methods to “capture all of the actor’s feelings” through his images. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? Rodriguez: I was a producer for the film and started talking to Manolo about the cinematography and post-production on color, and he thought it was interesting. Additionally, the person who […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 22, 2016 -
“In My World, Hatred Only Begets Hatred”: Director Martin Zandvliet | Land of Mine
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? My “hidden” motivation. You could say that I’ve tried to make a political film, hidden within a […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 22, 2016 -
“The Film Conjured Up Many Forgotten Memories”: Director Babak Anvari | Under the Shadow
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? I don’t think there is a secret story. The main plot, and the subplots and the themes […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 22, 2016 -
“The Secret Ingredient Was Institutionalized Love and Compassion”: Director James Redford | Resilience
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? Our core concern in making Resilience was to popularize the dangers of chronic stress on the developing child. […]
by Soheil Rezayazdi on Jan 22, 2016 -
“I Never Expected to Be Attacked by Screaming Mobs”: Director Nanfu Wang | Hooligan Sparrow
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? This is a not a film that I planned to make. When I started this film, I […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 22, 2016 -
The Sundance Question: What Is Your Film’s Secret Story?
Each year Filmmaker asks all the incoming feature directors at Sundance one question. This year, our question regards the secret story behind each film. (To see past years’ questions and responses, click here.) This year’s question: In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 22, 2016 -
“Something Fun and Totally Indulgent”: Director Jim Hosking | The Greasy Strangler
In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story? After I had spent a long time labouring over a couple of other scripts, I decided to […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 22, 2016 -
Eight Recommended Short Films at Sundance 2016
Features premiering at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival tend to receive the most media attention and press coverage, but there are a number of short works making their debut this week that deserve equal or greater consumer attention. Documentary filmmakers trying their hand at narrative work, established producers getting behind the lens for the first time: many of the shorts in this year’s Sundance lineup feature filmmakers stepping outside of their comfort zone to expand their careers and diversify their storytelling output. The short form is an ideal place to try new things, of course, and it’s encouraging to see filmmakers of […]
by Erik Luers on Jan 21, 2016 -
Hits & Misses: How Seven Films from Sundance 2015 Performed
The health and identity of American independent cinema has always been difficult to gauge and define, but Sundance is our default arbiter and explainer. Of course, indie film exists far beyond the limits of Park City in January, but the festival gives the nebulous American indie sector a test sample — and as any scientist will tell you, that’s the first step in making an accurate hypothesis. So what can the films of Sundance 2015 clarify about the state of American indies, now and in the future? Some trends can be attributed to random cycles and one-time events, but there […]
by Anthony Kaufman on Jan 20, 2016
