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Thirteen Ways of Looking at Sundance

What does Sundance mean to independent film and filmmakers in 2008?

January 23rd, 2008 | Erin Trahan
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Breaking Through: For the makers of "Slingshot Hip Hop," a film about Palestinian rappers, Sundance is a place to get noticed.

Sundance is growing in every which way, from the number of submissions (more than 8,000 this year) to the festival's online presence (which now includes a number of downloadable shorts). But as it gets bigger, is it getting better? That's the question that The Independent's Erin Trahan posed to upstarts looking for their big break this year, veteran filmmakers, Park City locals and more.

Sundance is growing. More submissions than ever--8,000 for 2008. More screenings. More countries of origin represented in both the feature and documentary competitions. More arms of the Sundance empire--institutes, labs, the Sundance Channel--at work. More categories to sift through than a sane film-goer can practically comprehend, let alone stand in line for.

A Sundance Channel Segment on "Anvil! The Story of Anvil!"

A look at a film about a hair band that was screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival

January 23rd, 2008
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Subtitle:

A look at a film about a hair band that was screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival

See Also:
A Sundance Volunteer Blogs All: Part One

A Sundance Volunteer Blogs All: Part Two

Therese Shechter responds to readers' questions in her second dispatch from Sundance

January 26th, 2008 | Therese Shechter
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One to Watch: Shechter's 2008 crush, Diego Luna (right), speaks at Sundance's "Latin Resurgence" panel.

As Sundance devotees start packing their bags, filmmaker and festival volunteer Therese Shechter fields reader questions, including whether or not an average moviegoer should try to attend Sundance at least once, how she pitched her documentary project to potential backers and distributors, and what films she saw at the festival that readers should keep an eye on. She also talks about actor Diego Luna, pictured at left, who participated in the "Latin Renaissance" panel. Apparently, he's very thoughtful about film.

Number of narrative fiction films out of 3,624 submitted that got into the fest: 125
Number of documentary films out of 1,573 submitted that got in: 41
Number of shorts out of 5,107 submitted that got in: 85
Percent likelihood that an indie filmmaker will submit again anyway: 100

A Sundance Volunteer Blogs All: Part One

Filmmaker Therese Shechter tells all in the first of two dispatches from Sundance

January 22nd, 2008 | Therese Shechter
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Hailing the Hair Band: Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner get their on-screen due in "Anvil! The Story of Anvil."

Didn't make it to Park City this year? Therese Shechter did—in fact, for the seventh year in a row, she's volunteering at the festival. So what makes this Sundance different from every other one? After a few days in Park City, Shechter finds herself lamenting a lack of a functional hot tub at her condo and professing love for strangers who deliver hot food. Oh, and she has caught a few films—so far, Anvil! The Story of Anvil! (pictured at left) is her favorite—in between pitching her latest documentary, The American Virigin, to movers and shakers in the indie world. In her next dispatch, Shechter will answer readers' questions about Sundance. To submit one, click here.

Films I've seen: 5
Good films I've seen: 1.5
Hot meals I’ve eaten in five days: 2
Vodka-based cocktails drunk in five days: Lost count sometime in the middle of the Queer Lounge kickoff party
Mg of vitamin C ingested per day: 3,000
Good it's done me: 0
Number of “demi-gods of Canadian metal” I've met: 3
Number of Irish filmmaker/playwrights who make my knees weak: 1

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