SUNDANCE 2014

 

Ever since attending the Telluride Film Festival for the first time in 2012 I’ve made it a goal to hit all the major festivals (Sundance, Toronto, NY, Venice, Berlin…Cannes if I can ever get an invite) on the global and awards circuit. Considering the geographic and fiscal restraints of many of the festivals the logical choice for my second major festival was Sundance. So this year, with the help of a cheap ticket on Frontier and the hospitality of staying with friends who live in Salt Lake, I was able to make the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Sundance, along with many of the other festivals, works a little differently than Telluride. The schedule is released well in advance and if you aren’t a pass holder you even have the opportunity to buy single tickets online before getting to the mountains. Sundance lasts much longer and includes more films, Sundance lasts ten days while Telluride is only four. The biggest and most apparent difference however is the festivals coverage.

Although Sundance is famous for its inclusion of primarily indie films the media hype and corporate presence is vast. Telluride had 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Wind Rises…some of this year’s biggest Oscar contenders, yet it feels like Hollywood isn’t even there. No huge VIP parties, no goodie bag giveaways, I didn’t even see a cop the whole time I was there last year. The reason being is everyone in Hollywood is trying to find that next big thing, where they can invest on the cheap and reap a big return. Whereas festivals like Telluride and Toronto have the big lineups and the majority of the films already have the distribution backing needed.

There are definite benefits to the way Sundance is conducted. The ability to see what’s playing and get tickets (if you’re not a pass holder) before showing up is a big selling point and relieves some of the stress of uncertainty that Telluride poses. The inclusion of a large corporate presence is nice because there are freebies everywhere. Chase Sapphire, one of the festival’s main sponsors, hosted a free VIP party with cocktails and appetizers for cardholders, while Airbnb had a free Bingo and Beer event. Only being there for a few days meant missing some of the other opportunities to score some giveaways but the two events I was able to go to where awesome.

Unfortunately there are downfalls as well. Because the film is made up of lesser known films, studios, and filmmakers there is a greater possibility you’re going to run into a dud of a film. Case in point: Jamie Marks Is Dead, the first film I saw. The director Carter Smith has only one recognizable film under his belt, Ruins, which was eh…ok at best. It suffers from a terrible script, no conceivable message, and lukewarm performances. Most of the audience didn’t stick around for the Q&A afterwards. Also, the corporate presence, although welcomed in some areas, can be a little overbearing and take away from the real reason most of the attendees are there, the films.

The only other film I got to see was Rich Hill, the eventual winner for U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary. The film was an intimate portrait of three families struggling with poverty in Middle America. The film did a great job showcasing the hardships of the families while also showing the inherent hope they all possessed.

All things considered I was very impressed with the festival Sundance puts on and I look forward to returning next year. NOTE: The film Whiplash won U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic, look for it to get wide distribution later this year.