Daily Loaf

Jerad Ford: Talking about Movies

Jerad Ford

For me, Sundance has been a once in a lifetime experience. Being in Park City surrounded by thousands of people who are all here to watch films and to support independent cinema is very exciting, because everyone is here for the same cause, to support art. Everyone is willing to talk about movies and trade stories about their experiences here. it’s easy to find out which films are good and and bad just by catching the bus and striking up a conversation or even just listening to other people talk about films. I certainly didn’t expect to make friends with two middle aged men, Jim and Rene, who told me they had been coming to the festival for the past twelve years. But that’s just the kind of thing that happens, you’ll be standing in a line for something and soon you’re discussing all of the films you’ve seen and haven’t seen. I ended up talking to both Jim and Rene a handful of times during the festival, as I always seemed to find them at my screenings. Both of them wished me good luck in making films, and they promised they would keep an eye out for a film by me at Sundance after five years or so.

Rajeev: Get out of the Condo!

Rajeev Rupani

The festival in itself was a great event for me to meet individuals who were really enthusiastic and emphatic about independent cinema. While having conversations with these people, in theater ticket lines, I learnt about some famous independent filmmakers and some movies that are a must-see. Meeting some of the staff members and volunteers, at the festival, gave me a chance to get information on how the festival worked and the manner in which it was set-up. I felt that talking to and interacting with as many people possible provided me with insight and good educational information on the world of independent cinema. The only downside of the festival was that the transit system took a while getting used to because the shuttles would not follow the simple pattern provided in the guidebook. As an official Sundancer – at this point – my advice would be to enjoy the festival as much as possible and interact with people as much as you can. If you are sitting at the condo and have a bunch of free time, just go down to Main Street, or take a chance on a film that you can waitlist for. Some of the best movies that I have seen here so far were either on impulse or because a friend convinced me to go along with them. Don’t spend your time sitting in the condo or watching television, you can do that in Florida, be outgoing and make some new friends in the group that you are with: I did and had the best time of my life. The festival is the opportune time to learn and experience the most that you can about this very unique branch of cinema, and this can be an experience that will last a lifetime.” Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Saturday night in Park City and another festival is winding down.  The first weekend of the festival is always the most chaotic and crowded.  I find the second weekend more pleasant even if it is a bit sad to see things coming to a close.  Shuttle buses are less frequent, people more relaxed.  For the first time in ten days it is snowing, and with the weather everyone seems to be mellowing out, finding some place to stay warm.

I had a ticket to the Grand Jury Prize Documentary Award winning film – and had settled down into a cozy seat in the Library theater, waiting for the announcement as to which film it would be.  I was slightly disappointed to hear it was something I’d seen just yesterday – I’d been hoping to catch something I’d missed – but in hindsight the award makes complete sense: Ondi Timoner’s We Live in Public was disturbing but brilliant, a powerful portrait of an internet pioneer with a remarkable vision of the future we are living now.  Unlike many of the documentaries that played at Sundance this year, this one (by the director of Dig!) makes inventive and entertaining use of the possibilities of the medium, and was definitely not made for a PBS audience.

I’ve seen just over 30 films here in Park City, at both Sundance and Slamdance, and in my opinion this is the strongest lineup I’ve encountered in the years I’ve been coming to the festival.   Read the rest of this entry »

… or at least you ought to try and see when you have some free time and the inclination to stretch your cinematic imagination. On the eve of a new year of discovery and hype (Sundance starts tomorrow, January 15th), it’s as good a time as any to see for yourself why indie filmmakers and distributors still pin their hopes on the festival that got its improbable start in the snowy mountains above Salt Lake City, Utah. Between Netflix and Blockbuster and your local library, you should be able to find most of these.

John Lurie and Richard Edson go to Florida in Stranger than Paradise

Sundance really hit its stride in 1985. Before that it was called the Utah/US Film Festival and hadn’t yet been sponsored by Robert Redford and the Sundance Institute. In 1985 it got a new name and gave the world an introduction to two of the most prolific and exciting filmmaking teams. Jim Jarmusch brought his second feature (following the largely unheralded debut film Permanent Vacation), and introduced the world to his own peculiar take on America in Stranger than Paradise. The Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan) stunned audiences with their visceral take on pulp film noir in Blood Simple. Their ability to create intensity through memorable images – a shovel dragging on the pavement, shafts of light that stab through the darkness as bullets penetrate the walls that shelter a terrified Frances McDormand – signaled the emergence of a powerful new team of storytellers. Read the rest of this entry »

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 paid explicit homage to the genre he’d grown up on and loved.

Shaft was remade in slick Hollywood style 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” category films at Sundance. If the trailer below is anything to go by, the funky magic and excitement appears to be back. Black Dynamite looks hilarious and hotter than TNT: Read the rest of this entry »