FOCUS ON FILM: 2017 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
By Michael W. Sasser | Photos provided by Sundance Institute
Around the world, movies made in the United States dominate the marketplace. In fact, a movie that scores only modest success domestically can go on to be considered a smash blockbuster if it scores well in a market like China. Watch aspiring blockbusters, in fact, and you can often see nods to audiences in these markets clearly intended to rake in ticket money.
It is the big blockbuster action movie that acts as ambassador of the American movie industry around the world. It was the latest iteration of Star Wars that was pulling in massive audiences in Asia the past month or so, not Collateral Beauty – and certainly not a “small” film made without the financial backing of a major studio.
However, is it really the latest comic book adaptation that accurately represents what the American film community can create? Is the latest Will Ferrell vehicle the apex of the art of making movies? Even many Americans, blessed with access to virtually everything the industry produces, may often think so, given the influence of mega-mall theaters and multi-million dollar tie-in marketing (complete with collectible cups!).
There is, of course, another side to the industry. While some in the industry rack up fortunes with re-hashed car chase movies and gags about bull semen and excrement, many others toil away outside the limelight of Entertainment Weekly covers. These writers, directors, producers and actors focus on the art of storytelling, of exploring character, themes and the full range of human emotion and experience. Smaller in scale than a space opera, sometimes just the scale of a single experience in a single person’s unremarkable life, smaller films outside the Hollywood mainstream nevertheless attract and foster talent, find audiences and provide the flip-side to the blockbuster: the art.
That’s really where the Sundance Film Festival comes into play.
The festival launched in 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival and was implemented to accentuate American film outside of the studio system and also to heighten film availability and culture in Utah, which hosts the annual festival each winter. Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theater and new media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists by igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling.
The involvement of Robert Redford (thus the “Sundance” reference) and strong early leadership propelled the Festival to unparalleled success. In 1979, the Institute infrastructure was created and over time, it has gone on to expand programming beyond the scope of the Festival proper. In 1984, the Institute took over management of the already-successful U.S. Film Festival and the process of rebranding resulted in the 1991 official renaming of the event. Driven by Redford’s power in Hollywood, excellent organizational leadership and the move of the Festival from late summer/fall to January/February – when the skiing attraction of Utah brings in droves of guests from the West Coast – Sundance’s growth accelerated. Today it is one of the most popular festivals of its type in the nation, attracting in the range of 50,000 guests in recent years and warranting the support of Hollywood studios.
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Whiplash, Boyhood, Rich Hill, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Little Miss Sunshine, sex, lies, and videotape, Reservoir Dogs, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative has showcased groundbreaking media works by artists and creative technologists including Chris Milk, Doug Aitken, Palmer Luckey, Klip Collective and Nonny de la Peña.
The Sundance Festival had a greater impact throughout the industry, however, which its originators might or might not have had in mind. Prior to its popular advent, film festivals were seen by many as overtly highbrow occasions featuring esoteric content for an elite audience. Sundance’s success helped change that perspective. Audiences began to recognize that festivals presented mature works of personal storytelling that were appealing in the way that popcorn-driven blockbusters were not. They were the vehicles for grown-up movies. The paradigm began to shift after Sundance. Films debuted in festivals around the country and subsequently made a splash as commercial releases, piquing interest in festival programs. International films, also often premiering in festivals, became more popular in a “smaller” wired nation and shifting demographics. Global superstars in acting and directing more often began to create or collaborate on “small” films, those more artistic than genre-specific commercial appeal. Culturally, many even casual film fans began to recognize the merit of narrative-driven film generally devoid or less dependent on formula.
Today, Sundance is much anticipated in both the industry and to even the casual movie fan looking for something mentally or emotionally nutritious – and it is that time of year again. The Festival hosts screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City and at Sundance Mountain Resort January 19-29. Once again, the Festival will present more than 100 films – features, shorts, documentaries and anthologies – from dozens of nations and covering a wide range of narrative themes.
John Cooper, director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Some of the most pressing themes that we can trace through the Festival lineup – the environment, political upheaval, social change – are distilled to their very human essences in both comic and dramatic stories. These stories, and the conversations they spark, start here and will extend well beyond the mountain and the Festival in the months ahead.”
In addition to the screening lineup, additional programming includes off-screen panel discussions, workshops and the longstanding Power of Story series, among much more.
Wire Magazine presents a sampling of some of the numerous films making up the Festival in the pages to follow. Visit www.sundance.org for more details, complete information and schedule of events.
Spotlight Films
Beatriz
at Dinner
2016, U.S.
Director: Miguel Arteta
Starring: Salma Hayek, John
Lithgow
Sundance Summary
Beatriz (Salma Hayek) is a miracle
worker – highly sensitive with her touch, and passionately dedicated to curing
pain through holistic therapy. After treating the mother of a young woman
Beatriz helped recover from chemotherapy, her car breaks down, so she is
invited to stay for a dinner celebrating a lucrative business deal.
An interloper inside this private enclave of the have-mores, Beatriz is politely acknowledged by the guests, with the exception of Doug, a mega brazen and successful business developer. Believing she knows him from somewhere, Beatriz becomes increasingly unsettled. Uninhibited, she questions whether Doug’s accomplishments have come at the expense of other people’s suffering – to the chagrin of the sycophantic hosts – pitting the guests into opposing forces.
Beatriz at Dinner is riveting, yet with an apprehensive tone. Half chamber drama, half dark dramedy of errors, director Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl, 2002 Sundance Film Festival) discerns his characters by showing their most telling reactions, such as the subliminal determination of Hayek’s face, while spinning an indelible wickedness onto this tale of a fateful encounter.
Before
I Fall
2016, U.S.
Director: Ry Russo-Young
Starring: Zoey Deutch,
Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Elena Kampouris, Diego Boneta
Sundance Summary
Sam is one lucky teenager. She’s
beautiful, rich, and popular, with the hottest boyfriend and the most loyal
friends. But she and her posse can be cruel and heartless; since elementary
school they’ve relentlessly bullied one of their classmates. On Friday,
February 12, driving home from a party, Sam is in a dramatic car crash. She
should be dead, but wakes the next morning to find the date hasn’t changed. In
a Groundhog Day-like time loop, Sam must unravel the mystery of why the
last day of her life keeps repeating again and again. Along the way she
realizes that every little deed has a consequence, and every action can change
another person’s future.
Based on the bestselling young adult novel, Before I Fall features a fluid, riveting performance by Zoey Deutsch as Sam – a girl learning to disentangle her values from high school’s rigid social structures to discover her true self. Director Ry Russo-Young smartly and lushly layers high school drama with chilly noir and suspense genres to deliver a thrilling, profoundly moving ride.
Cries
from Syria
2017, U.S./Syria/Czech Republic
Director: Evgeny Afineevsky
Sundance Summary
A strikingly intense portrayal of a
dire situation, Cries from Syria serves as a potent record of the events
that have transpired there since 2011. Inspired by the Arab Spring, Syrians
were hopeful they could end their country’s 40-year reign of brutal
dictatorship. Instead, their efforts yielded horrific consequences as the
government swiftly punished those in opposition, demonstrating their
ruthlessness by targeting and torturing children. As peaceful protests were
held, the government retaliated with extreme force, resulting in a full-blown
civil war. From cutting off the food supply to the use of chemical weapons and
targeted airstrikes on hospitals and schools, those fighting for freedom have
endured a grave humanitarian crisis.
Incorporating gripping firsthand accounts from activists, child protesters, and a former army general who joined the uprising, director Evgeny Afineevsky has created a powerful and immediate depiction of the recent and current situation in Syria. This compelling documentary bears witness to the resiliency of the people in the wake of their exposure to unthinkable crimes against humanity
Fun
Mom Dinner
2016, U.S.
Director: Alethea Jones
Starring: Katie Aselton,
Toni Collette, Bridget Everett, Molly Shannon, Adam Scott, Adam Levine
Sundance Summary
At some point, Emily stopped being
“Emily” – high-powered lawyer, strong woman, sexual being – and
became, simply, “Mom.” It’s like, her kids and husband are great, but
there’s got to be more to life than diapers, playdates, and fingerpaint, right?
Right?!
When some of the other moms at school propose a Chardonnay-soaked night out, Emily is in. She even drags her reluctant friend Kate along for the ride. But what starts as gossip and tapas quickly turns into a night that these ladies will never forget (even though they’re all super duper high).
Deftly infusing zany hijinks with real feeling, director Alethea Jones and writer Julie Rudd deliver a riotous comedy that spares no rods and spoils no children. The titular moms (Katie Aselton, Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, and Bridget Everett) make a truly formidable ensemble, dispensing dick jokes and tearful revelations with equal aplomb. Together, they prove that “mom” is more than a dirty word – it’s a badge of honor.
Manifesto
2016, Germany
Director: Julian Rosefeldt
Starring: Cate Blanchett
Sundance Summary
Tour-de-force: a term so overused
that we need an undeniable acting performance to renew its meaning for cinema.
Cate Blanchett has just given us one, going all-out in Manifesto.
Already respected as one of the best actresses in film, Blanchett raises the
bar even higher by playing 13 different roles in Manifesto, embodying
some of the most influential and emotional artist manifestos in history.
The architect of this unique film idea is director Julian Rosefeldt, a veteran of intricate films and installations. In Manifesto, he uses the words from various twentieth century manifestos of artists, architects, and filmmakers for dialogue. With a gorgeous production and luscious cinematography that would make Baz Luhrmann proud, Rosefeldt puts Blanchett in the everyday world – as a housewife, a factory worker, or a TV anchor – declaring the words that have inspired whole art movements. Manifesto is entertaining while also asking us to question if these passionate statements still hold true and inspire us today.
Marjorie
Prime
2016, U.S.
Director: Michael Almereyda
Starring: Jon Hamm, Geena
Davis, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins
Sundance Summary
Eighty-six-year-old Marjorie spends
her final, ailing days with a computerized version of her deceased husband.
With the intent to recount their life together, Marjorie’s “Prime”
relies on the information from her and her kin to develop a more complex
understanding of his history. As their interactions deepen, the family begins
to develop ever-diverging recounts of their lives, drawn into the chance to
reconstruct the often-painful past.
Built around exceptional performances from a veteran cast and shot with the intimate rhythm of mortality, Marjorie Prime shines a light on an often-obscured corner in the world of artificial intelligence and its interactions with death. Bringing us robustly into the future, Michael Almereyda’s poetic film forces us to face the question – If we had the opportunity, how would we choose to rebuild the past, and what would we decide to forget?
Mudbound
2016, U.S.
Director: Dee Rees
Starring: Carey Mulligan,
Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund
Sundance Summary
Set in the post-WWII South, this
epic pioneer story pits two families against a barbaric social hierarchy and an
unrelenting landscape as they simultaneously fight the battle at home and the
battle abroad. Newly transplanted from the quiet civility of Memphis, the
McAllans are underprepared and overly hopeful for Henry’s grandiose farming
dreams while Laura strives to keep the faith in her husband’s losing venture.
For Hap and Florence Jackson, whose families have worked the land for
generations, every day is a losing venture as they struggle bravely to build
some small dream of their own. The war upends both families, as their returning
loved ones, Jamie and Ronsel, forge a fast, uneasy friendship that challenges
them all.
Mudbound boasts a screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees based on the acclaimed novel by Hillary Jordan. The stellar ensemble cast – Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan and Carey Mulligan – fiercely commits to the grit demanded by extraordinary writer/director Rees (Pariah, 2011 Sundance Film Festival; HBO’s Bessie). Devastating in its power and authenticity, Mudbound is destined to become a classic.
Rebel
in the Rye
2016, U.S.
Director: Danny Strong
Starring: Nicholas Hoult,
Kevin Spacey, Sarah Paulson, Zoey Deutch, Hope Davis, Victor Garber
Sundance Summary
This chronicle of one of the twentieth
century’s greatest writers, J.D. Salinger, begins as he embarks on his writing
career and enters into a tumultuous relationship with young starlet Oona
O’Neill. Having tried to establish his career in New York’s literary circle in
the late 1930s, but with numerous rejections and with no prospects for success,
he enlists in the army to fight in WWII. It is on the beaches of Normandy and
across the battlefields of Europe that Salinger begins writing the iconic
novel, which would ultimately become The Catcher in the Rye.
A hugely successful actor and writer for television and film – who co-created Empire, among many other credits – Danny Strong makes his feature directing debut with an expertly realized film that truly does justice to the beloved subject. Bolstered by a keen attention to period detail and stellar performances from the entire cast, Rebel in The Rye will make you clap for all the right reasons.
The
Big Sick
2016, U.S.
Director: Michael Showalter
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani,
Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher
Sundance Summary
Based on the true story of the
film’s writers (and real-life couple), Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani,
this modern culture clash shows how Pakistan-born Kumail and his American
girlfriend, Emily, have to overcome the expectations of his family and their
1,400-year-old traditions. As his parents relentlessly set him up with
potential brides for an arranged marriage, Kumail navigates treacherous waters
in the worlds of both dating and stand-up comedy.
Produced by Judd Apatow, The Big Sick features a sterling collection of comedy talent in front of and behind the camera. Having acted in numerous previous Sundance Film Festival selections, Michael Showalter returns this time as a director with a hilariously insightful film that shrewdly puts the spotlight on its writer/star Kumail Nanjiani (HBO’s Silicon Valley). A revered comedian, Nanjiani shines in the lead role, bringing his singular voice to center stage. Mining his personal stories for comedy gold, he shares his experiences that are uniquely Pakistani but will resonate for everyone who has ever fallen in love.
The
Last Word
2015, U.S.
Director: Mark Pellington
Starring:
Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Heche, Thomas Sadoski, Philip Baker
Hall
Sundance Summary
Harriet Lauler (Shirley MacLaine), a
once successful businesswoman, has always been in tight control of every aspect
of her life. As she reflects upon her accomplishments, she’s suddenly inspired
to engage a young local writer, Anne Sherman (Amanda Seyfried), to pen her
life’s story. When the initial result doesn’t meet Harriet’s high expectations,
she sets out to reshape the way she is remembered, with Anne dragged along as
an unwilling accomplice. As the journey unfolds, the two women develop a unique
bond, which alters not only Harriet’s legacy, but also Anne’s future.
Director Mark Pellington returns to the Festival with a film as funny as it is moving. MacLaine shines, and it’s a rare pleasure to watch her front and center, telling a story with every line. Her character is a tough perfectionist, but through a fleeting smile or a look of quiet regret, she makes Harriet something richer and more complicated. Emboldened by three generations of indomitable female characters, The Last Word is a triumphant tale about living life to the fullest – at any age.
The
Polka King
2017, U.S.
Director: Maya Forbes
Starring: Jack Black, Jenny
Slate, Jason Schwartzman, Jacki Weaver, J.B. Smoove
Sundance Summary
This exuberant tragicomedy recounts
the remarkable but true story of the rise and fall of Polish émigré Jan Lewan
(Jack Black), from striving tchotchke shop owner in the ’70s to the undisputed
“King of Pennsylvania Polka” in the early ’90s. Lewan pursued the
American Dream by any means necessary, fleecing investors and bribing officials
to build a personal musical empire in what became the world’s only known Polka
Ponzi scheme. Swept up by Lewan’s charismatic charm are his devoted wife, Marla
(Jenny Slate), and his neurotic sidekick, Mickey (Jason Schwartzman).
Co-writers and directors Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky, who previously teamed up for Infinitely Polar Bear (2014 Sundance Film Festival), infuse The Polka King with an infectious energy and fill the frame with kitschy period detail, taking us through two accordion-fueled decades of grift and glory. Throughout, producer/star Black breathes life into the eccentric Lewan, finding pathos beneath his cockeyed optimism and showbiz hustle.
This
Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous
2017, U.S.
Director: Barbara Kopple
Sundance Summary
In 2008, Gregory Lazzarato, a young,
nationally ranked Canadian diver, walked away from the pool and began a YouTube
channel focused on makeup tutorials. Unwilling to be intimidated by bullies
either online or in high school, Lazzarato became the fierce, outspoken Gregory
Gorgeous, amassing a loyal following who found strength and inspiration from
his public coming out as a gay male.
Despite this success, the Internet personality harbored a secret – one that was revealed in a December 2013 video titled “I Am Transgender.” Motivated by the death of her mother, the YouTube star took on the new name Gigi Gorgeous. Gigi, supported by her loving father and brothers, offers a candid look at her transition, sharing its hallmarks online with her legion of fans as she embraces a new world of possibilities.
In capturing Gigi’s moving transformation, two-time Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple (Harlan County U.S.A., 1976; American Dream, 1990) puts a spotlight on her subject’s uplifting, empowering message of self-acceptance, as Gigi blossoms into a self-assured, happy – and, yes, gorgeous – young woman.
Where
is Kyra
2016, U.S.
Director: Andrew Dosunmu
Starring: Michelle
Pfeiffer, Kiefer Sutherland
Sundance Summary
Mild-mannered, sheltered Kyra,
played with intensity by Michelle Pfeiffer, begins to spiral after the death of
her mother. Long out of work, the deep-in-debt Kyra struggles to support
herself. As she becomes increasingly desperate and isolated, longing for her
mother, she launches a cryptic, last-ditch scheme to keep from being evicted.
She also finds solace in another lonely soul, Doug (Kiefer Sutherland), from
whom she initially tries to hide her plight, but Kyra slowly ropes him into her
deception.
Writer/director Andrew Dosunmu returns to the Festival with his evocative and stylish third feature. Using impeccably composed frames and guided by sharp art direction, Dosunmu and two-time Sundance Film Festival Cinematography Award winner Bradford Young situate the fragile Kyra in a dark, antagonistic NYC. The intensely warm glow of an illuminated palette married to the cold negative space reflects the stark tension with this enigmatic character, who feels out of place in this world.
Wilson
2016, U.S.
Director: Craig Johnson
Starring: Woody Harrelson,
Laura Dern, Judy Greer
Sundance Summary
Woody Harrelson stars as Wilson, a
lonely, neurotic, and hilariously honest middle-aged, misanthropic dog lover
who reunites with his estranged wife (Laura Dern) and gets a shot at happiness
when he learns he has a teenage daughter he’s never met. In his uniquely
outrageous and slightly twisted way, Wilson sets out to connect with her in
what could be his last chance at having a family.
In Skeleton Twins, which won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, director Craig Johnson displayed a knack for finding humor and warmth in the darkest of places, which is why he was the perfect choice to bring to life this Daniel Clowes graphic novel of the same name. The writer of the Ghost World and Art School Confidential graphic novels, Clowes is a master of making the unlikable lovable. His Wilson is a bit of jerk, but a jerk who refreshes our empathy for people – in all of their imperfections.
Wind
River
2016, U.S.
Director: Taylor Sheridan
Starring: Jeremy Renner,
Elizabeth Olsen, Jon Bernthal
Sundance Summary
U.S. Fish & Wildlife agent Cory
Lambert discovers a body in the rugged wilderness of the Wind River
Indian Reservation. The FBI sends in rookie agent Jane Banner, but she’s
unprepared for the difficulties created by the oppressive weather and isolation
of the Wyoming winter. When she employs Cory as a tracker, the two venture deep
into a world ravaged by violence and the elements. Wind River is a stark
look at life on the edge of an imposing wilderness, where the rule of law is
eclipsed by the laws of nature.
Acclaimed screenwriter Taylor Sheridan makes his directorial debut with the final film in his trilogy of screenplays on the American frontier. He showed the power of his writing in Sicario and Hell or High Water, both of which reverberated with unforgettable characters and dialogue, while creating a level of texture and detail that felt more like a novel. Sheridan continues that here, with an excellent cast – including many Native American actors – that vibrantly brings to life this thrilling tale of forging morality in extreme nature.
This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 02.2017