Okay, so I went back to Sundance after a two year sabbatical. Just like last time, I had friends whom I will leave nameless (Frank Scherma, Philip Fox Mills) who told me they could get me into their director’s film. So off I go and I am waiting in the wait-listed line freezing my ass off just to be told, “F__k off.”
I did see several winners: Frozen River, An American Soldier (The Recruiter) and Birds Of America; three totally different, excellently directed films.
The scene in Park City was great. Full of young and old, some to see movies and some to see celebrities, some to get work, some to buy work, and some to get booty. I was after all of the above.
There seemed to be more women directors this year or maybe I was lonely so I noticed them more.
The restaurants were not as crowded but I did go later in the week. The highlights were Crosby Stills and Nash (couldn’t get in) U2 (couldn’t get in) Phoebe in Wonderland (couldn’t get in) Hamlet (couldn’t get in). I felt like Pee Wee Herman at a Republican Convention. I told one 6’8″ door man, “Do you know who I used to be”? The good part is I almost saw Scarlet Johansson and she almost saw me. At first I think she thought I was Peter O’Toole, then she moved on. (Matthew Perry and Hillary Swank can really act.)
This year still has a lot of violence (what’s up with that?). If I want to see violence, I can watch the news or volunteer to go work for Baghdad Films (a new AICP company).
Harry O’s had a great party going. Then they showed a film about how Black Musicians were ripped off by White Musicians and didn’t get any credit for the early sound of Rock and Roll and the Blues. Ok I’m in, but wait, after the film they bring on a band from Chicago, a blues band of all white guys. YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP! They finally had a great legend from Chicago play a few songs with them, but HELLO? The movie trashes every white artist including Elvis and then we’ve got Five Blue Eyed soul brothers. It makes no f__ing sense. Its like Bill and Hillary vs. Obama. Help!
Sundance is great but I feel like it has gone a little Hollywood. You expect it to be new filmmakers making movies on their credit cards and its actors are also the crew but it has a lot of films that have celebrities and high production value. Which usually means Money. I hope that it doesn’t get swallowed up by the money bombs and who’s who. It is getting like Cannes, too much with the big shots and politics, which push the Independents to the back of the line.
Executive producer Tom Mooney recently launched New York-based production company Moon (www.moonmedia.tv). The new venture (SHOOT, 1/25) is backed by Screen Gems and features a spot directorial roster that consists of Agust Baldursson, Philip Kates, Adriano Falconi, Ducio Fabbri and feature filmmaker John Moore. A couple more signings are in the offing.
Oscar Nominees Delve Into The Art Of Editing At ACE Session
You couldn’t miss Sean Baker at this past Sunday’s Oscar ceremony where he won for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay and Editing on the strength of Anora. However, earlier that weekend he was in transit from the Cesar Awards in Paris and thus couldn’t attend the American Cinema Editors (ACE) 25th annual panel of Academy Award-nominated film editors held at the Regal LA Live Auditorium on Saturday (3/1) in Los Angeles. While the eventual Oscar winner in the editing category was missed by those who turned out for the ACE “Invisible Art, Visible Artists” session, three of Baker’s fellow nominees were on hand--Dávid Jancsó, HSE for The Brutalist; Nick Emerson for Conclave; and Myron Kerstein, ACE for Wicked. Additionally, Juliette Welfling, who couldn’t appear in person due to the Cesar Awards, was present via an earlier recorded video interview to discuss her work on Emilia Pérez. The interview was conducted by ACE president and editor Sabrina Plisco, ACE who also moderated the live panel discussion. Kerstein said that he was the beneficiary of brilliant and generous collaborators, citing, among others, director Jon M. Chu, cinematographer Alice Brooks, and visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman. The editor added it always helps to have stellar acting performances, noting that hearing Cynthia Erivo, for example, sing live was a revelation. Kerstein recalled meeting Chu some eight years ago on a “blind Skype date” and it was an instant “bromance”--which began on Crazy Rich Asians, and then continued on such projects as the streaming series Home Before Dark and the feature In The Heights. Kerstein observed that Chu is expert in providing collaborators with... Read More