The guide will contain the full descriptions for all of the COMPETITION films (in the documentary and feature for both U.S. and world categories). The NON-COMPETITION section will include the premieres, spotlight films, NEXT (ultra-low budget films), from the Sundance collection, short films and animated films. The OFF SCREEN section will list all of the panel discussions, music cafe appearances, networking opportunities (like meet the funders and filmmaker outreach) and presentations. NEW FRONTIERS describes the new cinematic art forms and presentations (generally on Main Street). Finally, the TIMETABLE will list all of the films, panels, presentations and their screening times.

Download it now! Start reading. There’s some amazing stuff in Park City this year!

My favorite sections? When Mariah Carey thanks director Lee Daniels for taking a shot on her. I am told that Carey’s performance was terrific … NOT diva-ish at all. There’s an extraordinary moment with Mo’Nique (who was given a Special Jury Prize for her performance in PUSH) when an audience member asks her what she’ll wear to the Oscars. “Nothing,” is her reply. Now, that I would have to see. It would make Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction seem pretty tame.

PUSH (now PRECIOUS) Q&A

Part 1 of 3 :: One of the BEST things about attending the Sundance Film Festival (or any festival for that matter) is hearing the artists speaking about their projects. I was (sooo tragically) unable to attend PUSH because I had to do some press for our documentary. Alec and Mike came back raving about the film. Alec said he wanted to see it again … if there were any way possible … he’d go again at Sundance before we left. That told me that the film was amazing and incredible. I am very grateful that the guys captured the Q&A following the Friday evening screening at the Racquet Club in Park City, Utah. I had to break it into three parts to put it on YouTube. Enjoy.

PUSH Q& A: Part 1 of 3 (below)
PUSH Q & A: Part 2 of 3
PUSH Q & A: Part 3 of 3

Thanks to Videographer Michael Montesa. All Rights Reserved.

Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic:
PUSH: Based on a novel by Sapphire Lee Daniels.

Audience Award, Dramatic:
PUSH: Based on the novel by Sapphire directed by Lee Daniels.

Shortly after the festival, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey put their full support behind the film. It got an excellent distribution deal and I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival at the local multiplex.

The Sundance Film Festival Job Manager is an online job board that lets users create / upload their resume and apply for jobs for the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Positions that are filled relatively quickly. If you are interested in applying for any of the positions, you will need to begin by registering! Click here to register!

Examples of the sorts of jobs that might be available include:

Assistant Coordinator, Press Materials, Closing Date: 11/18/2009, Park City, UT;
Assistant II, Production, Closing Date: 12/09/2009, Park City, UT;
Coordinator, Ticketing Helpdesk; Closing Date: 10/07/2009, Park City, UT;
Coordinator, Transportation; Closing Date: 11/04/2009, Park City, UT;
Editorial Intern, Closing Date: 11/06/2009, Los Angeles, CA;
Marketing Intern, Closing Date: 11/03/2009, Park City, UT;

Sundance Institute strongly believes in strength in diversity and actively encourages applications from women, people of color, differently abled people and all persons who support the Institute’s mission. Positions are constantly be added. Check in on the website for latest openings!

Volunteer Options

Sign-Up Volunteers, 24+ hours, you sign up for your schedule:
Commit to a minimum total of 24 volunteer hours, sign up for more hours as you desire-minimum of three to six shifts (depending on shift lengths) during the Festival. Sign up in advance for specific shift times of your choosing, as available. Attend pre-Festival trainings and New Volunteer Orientation.

Full-Time Volunteers, 80+ hours, we assign a Full-Time schedule:
Commit to a pre-assigned Festival schedule of eight to 10 hours each day (approximate total of 80-90 volunteer hours).
Be available to work the entire Festival period as determined by job assignment (varies). Attend pre-Festival trainings.

Volunteer Benefits

Volunteers are essential to the Festival. We recognize the time they devote to the Festival and provide benefits to volunteers as a thank you for volunteer service. Benefits are provided in conjunction with the number of hours volunteered, and for Full-Time Volunteers, the skills needed for the position held.

All Volunteers:
Festival Access: Volunteer Credentials allow access to Festival panels and some official Festival venues on a space-available basis (similar credential costs $200). We also offer a few screenings just for volunteers. Most of all, we want to be sure volunteers can see films. For almost every screening, we set aside a certain number of tickets only for volunteers. Film access depends on the number of hours volunteered:

• 24 hours: Receive one volunteer voucher for every four hours volunteered. Volunteer vouchers are redeemable for one film ticket for the volunteer through the volunteer or waitlist line as space is available. Vouchers and credentials are non-transferable and must be used by the volunteer with their credential.
• 40 hours: Benefits above, plus two guest waitlist ticket vouchers. Another guest voucher can be earned at 60 hours.
• 80 hours/Full-Time: Vouchers are replaced by a volunteer photo credential, allowing the volunteer access to unlimited Festival screenings through the volunteer line on a space available basis (when not volunteering, of course!). Also four guest waitlist ticket vouchers, if local/providing own lodging.

Uniform: Jacket and Volunteer Credential.
Party: Ticket to the Staff and Volunteer Opening Night Party.
Refreshments such as bagels and other snacks will be provided at the offices, venues, and theatres where volunteers are working.

Email: volunteers@sundance.org
Reception Phone: (435) 658-3456
Volunteer Hotline: (435) 776-7870
For more information: Sundance Site FAQ

IN ORDER TO PURCHASE A FESTIVAL PASS OR TICKET PACKAGE, YOU MUST FIRST REGISTER ONLINE ANYTIME BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 22 AND OCTOBER 9, 2009. After the close of registration, you will receive an email on October 14, 2009 indicating whether or not you were randomly selected to receive a half-hour timeslot. If you receive a timeslot, you will be sent the website link and phone number you can use to purchase your Festival Pass or Ticket Package. Quantities are very limited and registration does not guarantee a timeslot or availability. Purchase dates and times are randomly assigned by a computer.

A FESTIVAL PASS does not require any ticket selection. Patrons simply need to be seated 15 minutes prior to showtime for any film presented within the restrictions of their particular pass dates/locations/time periods. Companions must have their own pass. Festival pass prices range in price from the $300 Film School Pass to the $3000 Express Pass A.

A TICKET PACKAGE requires ticket selection after films are announced. Selection times are during the first week of January. A patron may select one to four tickets per screening within the restrictions of their ticket quantity limits, dates, or geographic locations. And, since all Ticket Packages come with two Festival Credentials, they are ideal for sharing among couples looking to attend the Festival. Ticket package prices range in price from the $200 Credential pass to the $750 Ticket Page A.

NEW THIS YEAR: Patrons may purchase a combination of up to four DIFFERENT Festival Passes and/or Ticket Packages. Each patron is restricted to selecting only one TYPE of Festival Pass, Ticket Package, or Festival Credential per transaction, with a limit of four items total per order. Please note, each Ticket Package will be assigned a unique half-hour timeslot in January to select tickets. For example, you may select your tickets for a Ticket Package A on Monday, but may not select tickets for a Discovery Package until Wednesday.

As a filmmaker, this is it. Your last chance to enter your film in Sundance 2010 is Friday, September 25, 2009. As a film lover, you should be starting to make your plans for the Sundance Film Festival of 2010. The 2010 website is up and it’s got lots of stories about previous festival successes. There’s information on places to stay and how to get tickets. So, those who don’t like to come screaming up to a deadline, now is the time to get ready for the festival.

For the deadline (aka adrenaline) inspired, here are the links and information on the final moment to enter your film.

LATE SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
Monday, September 21st, 2009 – $75 ENTRY FEE

U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES
Friday, September 25th, 2009 – $100 ENTRY FEE

Please note that the above dates are not postmark deadlines — they are the dates by which your film MUST be received in their office! If your film does not arrive by the deadline for which you have registered, you will be prompted to make an additional payment in order to bring your account up to date.

If you already have an account with withoutabox.com, you may use it to login in. If you do not, one will be created for you when you fill out the application. You may make changes to your application at any time by logging in at www.withoutabox.com. If you have any questions, you may contact them via e-mail at programming@sundance.org.

CLICK HERE TO GET REGISTERED! You’ll have to deliver your film TOMORROW!

And, to find out about the different Sundance categories, here’s the FAQ PDF link!

Former Sundance programmer Roberta Munroe

If you’re thinking about making a short film, RUN (don’t walk) to the nearest bookstore. The book is a bible for short filmmakers. Among the things Roberta covers: how to keep your story fresh, getting your story to the right length, finding and keeping a great producer, finding the money, getting the talent, getting into an A-tier festival and using your film to launch your career. It is simply excellent. There’s even a cliche list of things to avoid. It is painful to find something you wrote on the list but infinitely better than losing a shot at a festival because you didn’t know every lame short has that cliche in it. Get the book. Read the book.

There’s even a better option for short filmmakers. Roberta offers a one-on-one consulting service. She’ll review your script, let you know if it’s worth your time and effort to make and, if it is, offer notes and detailed advice on how to strengthen it for the A-tier film circuit. If you’re working on a feature, she can help you with that as well.

I sent her a short script I’d been loving for a couple of years and the guys were wanting to shoot. Before we committed the time to do it (because we have so many other projects going on), I wanted to get her thoughts on it. She was direct and thorough in her analysis of the characters and the story. She offered concrete suggestions (without rewriting it or making it her story) to bring it up a notch. She cut to the chase and now I’m more enthused than ever about doing it. More importantly, the film will be stronger because of her input.

So, if you’re a short filmmaker, read the book and consider having Roberta read your material. It may make the difference between a tepid response and a rapid rise in the festival circuit.

Click the desired video format to watch the Q & A.
MPEG4 format     Flash Video Format     Windows Media

While we were at Sundance, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. Everything stopped at Sundance on that Tuesday morning. We all watched the proceedings and then returned to our panels, screenings and meetings. Amazingly, the night before, we attended a screening of PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI about a town that just finally had an integrated prom in the spring of 2008. That’s right, 2008.

From the Sundance film guide, ” In 1997, Academy Award–winning actor Morgan Freeman offered to pay for the senior prom at Charleston High School in Mississippi under one condition: the prom had to be racially integrated. His offer was ignored. In 2008, Freeman offered again. This time the school board accepted, and history was made. Charleston High School had its first-ever integrated prom—in 2008! Until then, blacks and whites had had separate proms even though their classrooms have been integrated for decades. Canadian filmmaker Paul Saltzman follows students, teachers, and parents in the lead-up to the big day. Freeman addresses the student body. Girls shop for dresses and get their hair done. Boys rent tuxedoes and buy corsages. These seemingly inconsequential rites of passage suddenly become profound as the weight of history falls on teenage shoulders. We quickly learn that change does not come easily in this sleepy Delta town. Freeman’s generosity fans the flames of racism—and racism in Charleston has a distinctly generational tinge. Some white parents forbid their children to attend the integrated prom and hold a separate white-only dance. ""Billy Joe,"" an enlightened white senior, appears on camera in shadow, fearing his racist parents will disown him if they know his true feelings. Prom Night In Mississippi captures a big moment in a small town, where hope finally blossoms in black, white, and a whole lot of taffeta.”

As I said in the posting about ADAM, I keep promising myself that I’ll break the videos that Michael Montesa shot into shorter, 10-minute chunks for posting on YouTube but, thus far, time doesn’t seem to be appearing. So, I’m doing the lazy human version, linking to his site so you can enjoy the video in this lifetime! Thanks to Michael for his prompt posting and diligent recording!! Go check out his wonderful photos and videos at MichaelMontesa.com!

Courtesy of Michael Montesa. ©2008, All Rights Reserved.

Click the desired format below to watch the video of the Q&A at Park City, Utah
MPEG4 format     Window Media    Flash Video Format

I wasn’t able to attend the screening of ADAM, I was on an airport run. I keep promising myself that I’ll break the videos that Michael Montesa shot into shorter, 10-minute chunks for posting on YouTube but, thus far, time doesn’t seem to be appearing. So, I’m doing the lazy human version, linking to his site so you can enjoy the video in this lifetime! Thanks to Michael for his prompt posting and diligent recording!! Go check out his wonderful photos and videos at MichaelMontesa.com!

From the Sundance Film Guide, "In movies, when two twentysomethings serendipitously wind up under the same Manhattan roof, witty repartee usually transpires, then sparks fly, and eventually they fall into bed. But the boy and the girl in Adam are no ordinary characters, and their romance is anything but familiar. Soon after moving in, Beth, a brainy, beautiful writer, encounters Adam, the handsome, but odd, fellow in the downstairs apartment. A pleasant chemistry flows, but his awkwardness is perplexing. Whether avoiding eye contact or standing by blithely while Beth drags a heavy load up steep stairs, Adam seems utterly oblivious to social convention. Then one night, Adam regales Beth with an elaborate outer-space light show. It’s a magical moment, tainted slightly by his obsessively thorough astronomical explanation. Their connection is palpable. It becomes clear that Adam’s inability to decipher nonverbal signals is beyond his control. And yet Beth doesn’t balk. Their mutual interest tentatively takes root.What makes this rare story about obstacles to human intimacy credible is its tremendous psychological wisdom; what makes it transcendent is the intelligence and authenticity radiating from actors Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. Though their particular challenges are extraordinary, Beth and Adam’s tricky relationship elucidates something universal: truly reaching another person means bravely stretching into discomfiting territory—and the shake-up can be liberating." CAST: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Frankie Faison, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Mark Linn-Baker

Courtesy of Michael Montesa. ©2008, All Rights Reserved.

In 2001, Lee Daniels was a producer on the Academy-Award-winning MONSTER’S BALL. The film was distributed by Lionsgate. Perhaps everyone is hoping for Academy lightning to strike again … Daniels does seem to have the midas touch.

It’s also been posted in two segments on YouTube now.

Distribution Panel, Part 1

Distribution Panel, Part 2

One of the champions of the film was OPRAH WINFREY. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Oprah Winfrey, “The moment I saw “Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire,” I knew I wanted to do whatever I could to encourage other people to see Tyler Perry, Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz. The deal was brokered by Cinetic’s John Sloss.

My favorite sections? When Mariah Carey thanks director Lee Daniels for taking a shot on her. I am told that Carey’s performance was terrific … NOT diva-ish at all. There’s an extraordinary moment with Mo’Nique (who was given a Special Jury Prize for her performance in PUSH) when an audience member asks her what she’ll wear to the Oscars. “Nothing,” is her reply. Now, that I would have to see. It would make Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction seem pretty tame.

It’s Super Bowl Sunday. The Arizona Cardinals are in Tampa (and they’re not doing very well right now). Alec is getting ready to return to NYC. He and Pacino have some projects that need to get completed in the next few weeks. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival is a memory, now. I’m still processing and posting videos from the festival. I’ve been going through the photos, too. I found one of Alec that I really liked. I don’t know for sure who took it or where it was taken. The ubiquitous Sundance lanyard is around his neck.

Part 1 of 3
One of the BEST things about attending the Sundance Film Festival (or any festival for that matter) is hearing the artists speaking about their projects. I was (sooo tragically) unable to attend PUSH because I had to do some press for our documentary. Alec and Mike came back raving about the film. Alec said he wanted to see it again … if there were any way possible … he’d go again at Sundance before we left. That told me that the film was amazing and incredible. I am very grateful that the guys captured the Q&A following the Friday evening screening at the Racquet Club in Park City, Utah. I had to break it into three parts to put it on YouTube. Enjoy.

PUSH Q & A: Part 2 of 3

PUSH Q & A: Part 3 of 3

Thanks to Videographer Michael Montesa. All Rights Reserved.