Cynematik • Cyndi Greening

A complete List of Films & Directors can be found on the Sundance site along with a link to the PDF of the Film Guide. The festival guide reveals the following data regarding the Film vs. Digital production discussion.

Quirky Characters for 2004

Sundance 2004 looks like it will have its share of odd characters giving the a number of actors the chance to stretch themselves.
Isabella Rosselini as a legless beer baroness in The Saddest Music in the World.
Hilary Swank as a suffragette in Iron Jawed Angels.
Jamie Foxx as Crip Founder Tookie Williams in Redemption.
Gael Garcia Bernal as Che Guevara in The Motorcycle Diaries.
Ashton Kutcher as the Executive Producer of The Butterfly Effect.
Mario Van Peebles as his own father in BAADASSSS!.
Nicole Kidman as a pliable woman on the run from a brutal past in Dogville.
Peter Krause (from HBO’s Six Feet Under) as a Richard Burtonesque professor in We Don’t Live Here Anymore.
Kevin Bacon as a reformed sex offender in The Woodsman.

There doesn’t seem to be a TRIBUTE this year (at least I can’t find it in the guide). I’m curious as to why there isn’t one . There also does not seem to be a non-competition documentary section (although they are still selling the Documentary Package).

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It looks like Park City may be the site of a Cox/Arquette reunion in January. Three films feature members of the clan.

Indigent’s November will star Courteney Cox as a photographer whose world crumbles when her boyfriend is shot during a robbery. (You may recall Indigent’s previous films, Tadpole and Personal Velocity did very well at Sundance.)

Husband David Arquette stars in Never Die Alone with DMX. It’s the story of the events leading to the gangster’s death.

Sibling Patricia Arquette will star in the offbeat Tiptoes with Gary Oldman, Matthew McConaughey, and Kate Beckinsale. In the film, Oldman plays a dwarf(?!), the brother of McConaughey who is engaged to the pregnant Beckinsale. Deeply hidden prejudices are explored as Beckinsale confronts the fact that she may give birth to an exceptionally little person. Even more challenging, she finds herself becoming attracted to Oldman.

Festival Shoo-Ins

There are two films on the docket that were absolute shoo-ins. One stars Robert Redford and the other was executive produced by him. The Clearing is the story of a couple living the American Dream. When Wayne (Robert Redford) is kidnapped by Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) and held for ransom in a remote forest, the couple’s world is turned inside out. Eileen, his wife, (Helen Mirren) finds her home full of FBI Agents and their life under scrutiny.

The Motorcycle Diaries is based on the journals of Che Guevara. It is the coming of age story of Guevara and best friend Alberto Granado as they crossed South America by motorcycle in the early 1950s. It stars the ever intriguing Gael Garc?a Bernal of Amores Perros, The Crime of Padre Amaro and last year’s dot the i.

While I’d love to complain about bias, preferential treatment and prejudice, the irony is that I want to see BOTH of them!

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I haven’t blogged for a few days. I made a quick trip to Edwards Air Force Base for my niece’s graduation. She earned another stripe (Staff Sergeant) so Alec and I made went to the high desert of California for the ceremony. It was pretty awesome. We visited with Andra and her twin sons, Reilly and Jordan. We even got to visit the Base Museum which included a number of contemporary and vintage aircraft. Alec was particularly fond of the SR-71 Blackbird. Soon, I return to the film summaries for the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

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The end of semester is upon me and I am swimming in papers, projects and deadlines. I steal a few moments to read my Sundance Guide and look forward to posting suggestions. Until then, I will heed the Romans (see quotes below) and keep my comments brief.

Other things to do in Park City while you’re at the festival.

• Eat at Texas Reds at the top of Main to step back in time about three decades
• Catch the shuttle to Ski Village and wander around the shops and slopes; settle next to one of the blazing fires to warm your toes
• Walk from the top of Main Street to the bottom of Park (because it’s all downhill and a lot of fun to see the city)
• Have a cup of KickAss coffee at the Jackass Coffee House
• Ski cross country and look for those crazy black and white birds
• Walk home under the fullest moon you’ll ever see … especially if it’s snowing gently

Tomorrow, the first round of film recommendations!

“Whatever advice you give, be brief.”
    Horace (65 BC - 8 BC)
    Roman Poet

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It’s here! The complete 2004 Sundance Film Guide is ready and you can download the PDF (5MB) at the Sundance site. I’m already making my choices! Rudolph and Santa brought an early gift! (Bumbles didn’t make the publicity photo!)

And Liz Levy Made My Day!

As an unintended birthday gift, Liz Levy gave me a shout out on her blog! How wonderfully exciting. Like Liz, I sometimes get bogged down and wonder why I keep blogging. I wonder if anyone is reading it or I’m wasting all of these electrons on the ether. Liz’s blog is always well-written and visually enticing. Check out Liz Levy’s POV on Independent Film at Persistence of Vision and make it a regular read.

Animation freaks are reminded of her excellent Big Bunny & Other Animation Links post. Former student Isaac Hingley sends word of another good animation site. Pocket Movies offers a number of animations you can view. Until then!

“Even pleasure itself is a toil.”
    Manilius (~1 BC)
    Roman Politician

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Happy Birthday to ME! Yes, it’s my birthday, today. My nephew, Jason, the young buck, sends reminders that I am getting to be an old goat. But, as an old woman said to Richard when he was a very young man, “As I am now, you soon shall be.” That old clock just keeps ticking. Unfortunately, I’ve been sick for so long now (since November 20, not that I’m counting) that the clock seems to be ticking agonizingly slowly. I guess time only flies when you’re having fun.

Speaking of fun, a couple of fun links for today. For amusement, today check out the Animation Watch and get caught up on Rust Boy.

“Wisdom doesn’t automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It’s true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place.”
    Abigail Van Buren (1918 - )
    U.S. Advice Columnist

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I’ve been very verbose the last few days so I’ll be briefer today. The Sundance Film Festival is held in Park City, Utah every January. That’s the heart of winter and Park City is in the heart of gorgeous ski country. (It was the site of the Winter Olympics in 2002.) So, it’s beautiful but chilly.

It’s important to secure lodging early (you may already be too late to find anything remotely reasonable) because you don’t want to be driving from 30 miles away when the weather is bad. Not to mention the fact you want to be in the heart of the action! I’ve had really good luck with Deer Valley Lodging. The goal is to find something on or near the shuttle routes. You want to get to the screenings quickly and find your way home easily.

Which brings me to my last bit of advice for today. DON’T rent a car unless you plan on going up to the Institute. The town is TINY and parking is virtually impossible. You will get around town FASTER on the shuttles. Plus, you meet some really interesting people on the shuttle. I met folks like Oliver Stone, Alyssa Milano and Todd Solondz on the shuttles.

“With most men, unbelief in one thing springs from blind belief in another.”
    Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)
    German Physicist

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I have been attending the festival since 1996 and I have a few insights and suggestions for choosing films. These are strictly my opinions. Sundance has several categories of films that are screen. They are:

• Premieres — Premieres screen most often in the evenings, generally have well-known cast members, can be a known actor’s directorial debut, and nearly all will generally get distribution.
• Dramatic Competition — These 16 films (and documentary below) get the bulk of the awards (and, accordingly, press coverage) at the festival; they are dramatic narratives, may or may not have known cast and crew. About half generally get distribution.
• Documentary Competition — The other 16 major films, the documentary competition category receives a number of awards and most will be distributed theatrically, on PBS or cable channels.
• American Spectrum (non-competition drama) — Other dramatic narrative or documentary films the selection committee selected for screening although they are not in competition. Fewer of these films are distributed.
• American Showcase (new category last year) — Another grouping of non-competitive screenings that doesn’t seem to have returned this year (but may yet).
• Short Films — Most short films are grouped and screened en masse but several are screened with a similar or complementary feature. There are usually four or five groups and an Animation, Native American, and Frontier grouping as well. An award is given for short films. Short films are rarely distributed except through Sundance and/or IFC premium cable film channels.
• World Cinema (documentary and dramatic categories) — One of my favorite categories. I have seen some of the BEST films in this category. Perhaps the thing I love most about world cinema is that the stories are fresh and different and the settings are unfamiliar. It makes for an exciting viewing experience. A few of these films get distribution.
• Native American Cinema — Films made by or with a Native American sensibility. This category has grown dramatically over the last ten years.
• Frontier — I am not very fond of this category. These are films that often have a VERY non-traditional story-telling style, graphic imagery, discordant sound, and extreme points of view. While I’m glad they make room for leading-edge exploration at the festival, I’m awfully glad I don’t have to watch them.

If that doesn’t seem like enough, there are additional events and screenings that compete for your time and attention.

• Tributes — An independent filmmaker, visionary is honored each year.
• Panel Discussions — I LOVE these things. Read my summary of the B. Ruby Rich panel from a few years ago to get some insight.
• Park City at Midnight — For people who stay up much later than I want to and enjoy being cold.
• Sundance Collection — Often historically relevant films. I rarely have enough time to see any of these.
• House of Docs — Screenwriters delight in scripts to read and writers to meet.
• Music Cafe — Last year Hem was there, as was Beck. Michael Stipe showed up one year. Always fun.
• Sundance Institute Village — For people who like to drive an hour into the wilderness and see where the workshops are held, catch a screening or dine at the (pricey) restaurant. One year, there was an avalanche that trapped folks at the institute for a day or so.
• Animation Spotlight — See every variety of animation!

Yesterday, I also spent a lot of time updating the Links for Short Films from 2003. Some have IMDB links, media links, website links and interview links.
The film festivals are an amazing experience that I think ALL film lovers should have at least once in his/her life. Start planning for it now! Next, I’ll talk about packages, hotels, and transportation. If you find this information interesting or valuable, comments (below) are welcome.

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
    Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)
    U.S. President

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Finally! I found the PDF (with all 92 pages) of the Sundance Film Festival Guide for 2003 (that’s last year’s catalog). If you are a film lover or a potential Sundance festivalgoer, I strongly recommend that you download the 2003 Film Guide PDF here and study it! Even if you don’t attend the festival, I recommend that you BUY one every year. “Why?,” you ask.

First, many of the films that screened at Sundance last year are just now being released. Studying the Film Guide helps you keep an eye out for great independent films that will be coming to a theater near you in the following year. The guide has detailed summaries, photos, contact information and a brief cast and crew list.

Speaking of summaries, I use the film summaries two ways. Since I try to attend the festival every year, one of the primary uses of the summaries is choosing the films I want to attend. By studying the cast and crew lists, I can find out who felt the project was valuable enough to commit creative energy and time. I can see if someone is trying out a new creative role (actors often make directorial debuts at Sundance). And, studying the shorts is an excellent way to find upcoming talent.

The secondary use of summaries is as a review tool. I have learned to watch WHO reviews the film in the guide. I have found that some of the reviewers and I simply do NOT have the same taste in film. If certain reviewers rave about a film, I can be pretty sure it’s not for me. (Even if you don’t attend the festival, this is useful when selecting films in your own area.) I’ve also learned there are certain phrases that signal caution; phrases like “lyrical tale”, “told in an atypical or non-traditional fashion”, “assaultive images”, and “barrage of sound and images”. It only took one year for me to realize that you have to watch the reviewer, too.

Tomorrow, I’ll have more suggestions for choosing films at the festival.

” The reverse side also has a reverse side.”
    Japanese Proverb

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Well, the opening came and went and it was a great success. There was a steady crowd all evening. To get a look at the scene, check out Mike Montesa’s Blog. You’ll see Joan, Diana, Josh, Kate, Adam, James, Mary, Mike and his family. Also in attendance were Terry & Barb, Brandi & Philip, Robin & Leslie, although we didn’t get photos of them.

I finished my video art installation piece on time (almost a miracle in the penultimate week of the semester). Inspired by the odd carved dancers left hanging on the gallery wall, my video piece consisted of African and Polynesian dancers layered with an asynchronous pulse of multiplied light and a linear motion blur to focus on the art of creative self-expression using one’s body and music. While the Herding Cats show consisted of a variety of visual arts (and certainly video art has a visual component), video art creates a bridge to the performing arts with its multi-sensory elements. It was satisfying to watch lots of people spend time engaging with all of the pieces.

One of my favorite video artists is Bill Viola. I became aware of him because a friend worked as his assistant for quite some time. I am constantly amazed at how a personal connection to an artist influences my desire to follow his/her work.

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”
    Martha Graham (1893 - 1991)
    Dancer & Choreographer

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I’ve been working on a video art project for the last few weeks. I’ve been inspiring myself with African, Cuban, Polynesian and Haitian music. I’ve really been enjoying an album I’ve had for a few years now by Boukman Eksperyans. Boukman first rose to popular interest after they began winning Best Song at Carnival. In the aftermath of the the September 1991 army coup against the Aristede government, Boukman struggled against censorship culminating in having their 1992 Carnival entry, Kalfou Danjere, banned by the military authorities as "too violent". They were excluded from Carnival celebrations and their songs were prohibited from being aired on the radio.

Boukman take their name from a Vodou priest who helped to unify the Haitian slaves. The slave leader led the revolution against the French colonists which ended in 1804 with the former slaves victoriously forming the first Black republic in the world.

This summary is from the African Music Encyclopedia. Another detailed biography can be found at DirtyNelson.Com.

“To fly we have to have resistance.”
    Maya Lin (1959 - )
    Artist

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Marcus McLaurin (age 7) made the mistake of talking about his non-traditional family at his Lafayette, Louisiana school. He was waiting in line to go to recess on November 11 at Ernest Gallet Elementary School when a classmate asked him about his mother and father. He responded that he didn’t have a mother and father; instead he has two mothers. When the other child asked why, Marcus told him that it was because his mother is gay. The other child then asked what that meant, and Marcus explained, “Gay is when a girl likes another girl.”

Upon hearing this, Marcus’s teacher scolded him in front of his classmates, telling him that “gay” is a bad word and he should never say it at school, then sent him to the principal’s office instead of letting him go to recess. The following week the school required Marcus to attend a special behavioral clinic at 6:45 in the morning, where he was forced to repeatedly write “I will never use the word ‘gay’ in school again.”

“To tell a 7-year-old boy that he can’t talk about his family not only makes that child feel confused and hurt–it violates his Constitutional right to free speech and equal treatment,” said ACLU attorney.

“I was concerned when the assistant principal called and told me my son had said a word so bad that he didn’t want to repeat it over the phone,” said Sharon Huff, the second-grader’s mother. She added, “But that was nothing compared to the shock I felt when my little boy came home and told me that his teacher had told him his family is a dirty word. No child should ever hear that, especially not from a teacher he trusted and respected.”

In addition to being reprimanded and forced to come to school at 6:45 a.m., he also had to write an essay about how he had Sed Bad Wurds (I hope that was his spelling and not his teacher’s). You can read all about it on the ACLU site.

Ironically, this month’s issue of Vanity Fair is all about TV’s Gay Heat Wave. Mainstream television (which is, of course, produced primarily on the urban coasts) is presenting a world of greater tolerance and diversity. The backlash in the heartland seems particularly rigorous in the wake of the recent judicial rulings in Massachusetts. Hopefully, this is just that thing where the pendulum has to swing WIDE both ways to find the middle ground.

“The highest result of education is tolerance.”
    Helen Keller(1880 - 1968)
    U.S. Educator

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I’m excited again today. The Sundance 2004 Program Guide has been released. The Sundance Festival website has the complete list. I save all of my program guides so I can go back and see what films were ultimately distributed, which filmmakers returned and (especially when viewing the shorts) see which filmmakers might be on the rise.

Trying to find past program guides online proved to be frustrating. I went to Archive.org to try and locate older PDFs or pages of programs. The best I could do was a link to Past Sundance Festivals but most of the links turned out to be broken. I could see some neat poster art and find some tidbits, but not much more.

I did find the Sundance 97 Film Guide but all of the images were missing. If you have any of the old guides in digital format, I’d love to know about it. Please email me the links or files.

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Come to a very unique art exhibition this Friday, Dec 5th from 6 to 10 pm, at the 111 W. Monroe art space (SW corner 1st Ave. and Monroe) in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. “Herding Cats” is an exhibition by 6 artists exhibiting strong, dynamic work including painting, photography, steel sculpture, and video. There will be live acoustic guitar and refreshments, and the artists will be on hand to discuss their work.

Unwilling to wait for developers to get organized–they banded together (rented the space, curated the show, produced the work, handled the marketing, secured the musician, bought the tasty beverages and refreshments) to show the fine art and creative energy that is already here in Phoenix. I am confident you will be amazed with the work, and I think you will have a good time, too!

“The defining function of the artist is to cherish consciousness.”
    Max Eastman
    Inventor

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