Docs that make a difference...

Who says that films can't help change the world? Last year at the Sundance Film Festiavl, Kirby Dick's This Film is not yet Rated premiered, a breakthrough investigation into the MPAA film ratings system and its profound effect on American culture. One year later in the same location, Dan Glickman, President and CEO of the MPAA, held a press conference announcing new reforms for filmmakers--crediting Dick's documentary as an influence behind the change.

In the documentary, Dick explored this rating system and asked whether Hollywood movies and independent films are rated equally for comparable content; whether sexual content in gay-themed movies is given harsher ratings penalties than their heterosexual counterparts; whether it makes sense that extreme violence is given an R rating while sexuality is banished to the cutting room floor; whether Hollywood studios receive detailed directions as to how to change an NC-17 film into an R, while independent film producers are left guessing; and finally, whether keeping the raters and the rating process secret leaves the MPAA entirely unaccountable for its decisions.

Of the many new changes that the MPAA has proposed, filmmakers will now be able to cite other movies when waging an appeal for their film and the Classification & Rating Administration (CARA) will post post the ratings rules on the MPAA Web site, describing the standards for each rating. Glickman has also appointed Scott Young, a 19-year MPAA veteran who has been serving as a senior rater, to act as a filmmaker liaison to work directly with directors and producers through the rating process.

Only time will tell if these new reforms will be effective in fairly rating indie films, but I think it's a good sign change itself was brought about by a filmmaker.

Way to go Kirby!

Long live indie film,

Michelle

The weather is getting colder but things are definitely heating up here in Park City. There was a bit of quiet when we first arrived but things have definitely picked up. Sunday AM was beautiful and clear and after being in the grey of London it was wonderful to see the sunshine. Started out the day watching JOSHUA - George Ratliff's new film. I know George from his doc, HELL HOUSE, which I screened many moons ago at the Gen Art Film Festival. JOSHUA is a straight narrative but still has the elements of doc voyeurism. We are given a bird's eye view into what seemingly is a perfect family. As we look closer, the cracks begin to show in a huge and tragic way. The film stars Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga - two actors who are in multiple films at the festival. Both are very good but the real star is newcomer, Jacob Kogan. This kid is a star.

Sundance is not Sundance without the annual Queer Brunch held at the Grub Steak. This event is such a highlight and this year was sponsored by HERE TV. It is a great community event that welcomes everyone. The food is always good and the company exceptional. I love going and this year, the goodie bag was full of treats that I will use again and again.

We also stopped in at the Film Your Issue party - which launched their initative to get young people to make films about issues that they care about. It was a very lovely party. They screened the winners of the previous year's competition which talked about issues ranging from sexual abuse to AIDS awareness to the lack of conversation in society. Kevin Bacon - who just happened to be walking by the party - agreed on the spot to be on the jury. Love him.

At the Discovery Channel party, we stood in the presence of greatness. Buzz Aldrin was there promoting STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON - a film premiering at the festival. Not much of a space buff, but I have to say it was pretty damn cool to see him - talk about bravery.

All in all I would say, it was a pretty good Sundance day. See you next time.

Julie

Saturday night's all right...

Even though this is my ninth time here at Sundance, I still am surprised about how overwhelming it can be. So many movies to see, parties to attend, with cocktail parties and brunches in between. Hard work!

Saturday was big movie day for me. My daily goal is five films per day and I managed to get in four so I felt pretty good.
We started off the day with Snow Angels, the new film by David Gordon Green, director of George Washington and All the Real Girls. Starring Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, and Michael Angarano (Jack's son on Will & Grace), this lyrical drama tells the story of a separated couple who are trying to pick up the pieces of their life, when they are hit with another tragedy that affects the whole town. Keep an eye out for this one. It hit me too the core.
Next up was Teeth, a dark comedy about a girl who discovers she has teeth in her vagina. Oh, yes, vagina dentata. This film was hilarious and you could hear the women laughing much louder than the men. After a break, I saw An American Crime, the new film by Tommy O'Haver (Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss, starring Catherine Keener and Ellen Page. It's based on a true story of Sylvie Likens who was tortured and beaten by a family and the neighborhood kids under the guidance of Gertrude Banisewski. It's a powerful film that you will not forget.

After American Crime, I needed a break so I headed up the Blackhouse, a new spot put on by the Blackhouse Foundation. This is a great little place that was put together by a group of filmmakers to help spotlight the films by African American filmmakers. You can check your email, meet with other filmmakers, and they have a happy hour every day. This has quickly become my favorite place to hang out at Sundance. We even saw Dan Glickman, president of the MPAA, talking with the filmmakers.

My last film of the day was Broken English written and directed by Zoe Cassavetes. Starring Parker Posey, Gena Rowlands, and Drea de Matteo, it's about a girl in her 30s who is still single while the rest of her friends are married or have children. Then she meets someone who changes her perspective on relationships. Or in other words, this the story of my life. It had a very Sex in the City meets Before Sunset vibe to it, but I really liked the film.

I have to run to a movie, but we'll be back with a full report on Sunday's events. Stay tuned!

Live from Park City,

Michelle

Friday: the arrival...

Well, after a long day of travel, I arrived in Park City yesterday afternoon. I had a close call and almost didn't make it. I used a buddy pass from my sister, a flight attendant, and little did I know I was flying stand-by. The flight was delayed for two hours which turned out to be a blessing in disguise because there was also a dress code i wasn't aware of. Thanks to some nice guys from the Airport Hilton (who drove me to Target to buy a new outfit) I made my flight and looked presentable enough to board.

I arrived in Park City just in time to pick up my press pass from Festival Headquarters. And it was there i saw my first celebrity sighting: Crispin Glover. He was being interviewed for his film "It's Fine, Everything is Fine" which premiered last night. After chatting with some friends I haven't seen in a long time (festivals are the equivalent of high school reunions) I headed back to the condo to wait for Julie to arrive.

After traveling for 13 hours, Julie arrived from London. She was exhausted but somehow mustered up enough strength to go to the GEN ART party held at Delta Sky Lodge on Main Street. Or should I say, attempt to go. We arrived only a half hour from the parties start time but the event was already full capacity. Julie decided to go get some rest, but not before seeing her first celebrity: Lance Bass (bye, bye, bye...). I decided to stay and soon was let into the party.


I didn't see many GEN ART folks but it turns out they were sharing the party for the short film, High Falls, directed by Andy Zuckerman (pictured). Starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (the latter two were at the party), the film is about a man and his pregnant wife who share their secrets with their best friend, on a weekend in their country home. Zuckerman, who is also a photographer, had an incredible press kit with stills from the film. Here I had a couple of more celeb sightings: Screech and Beth from Real World. Oh, the horror.


After a couple of cocktails, I headed up to Slamdance for the party for the premiere of Weirdsville, directed by Allan Moyle. I missed the film but everyone was raving about how great it was, saying it was a cross-between Slackers and Pulp Fiction. Two of its stars were on hand: Wes Bentley and Scott Speedman. After that, I decided to head home, making my way through the people fighting to get in parties on Main Street. Wanted to get some rest to prepare for a full day of movies on Saturday. After all, that is why I came!

Long live indie film,
Michelle

I will admit it upfront. I am a Mac girl - always have been and probably always will be AND I am a bit of a tech idiot which is why it is not surprising that I was scouring various and sundry news sources this week about Steve Jobs' announcement of what he is calling Apple TV. "I don't understand" How does it work again?"" What will I need to buy and how much will it cost me?" Here is the skinny: Essentially, Apple TV is a Mac combo of itunes and IPTV. It will consist of a wireless box that will sit on top of your television with a 40G hard drive capable of storing 50 hours of video. You will be able to download films, video content, etc from your computer to this box and watch on your television. I think the whole thing is pretty fantastic. For one, it has brought the talk of IPTV to the mass media and the public and two, because I firmly believe that it will change the face of the independent film industry. If successful, it is going to change the way indie films are distributed, marketed and eventually financed.

Apple has already made a deal with movie studio, Paramount Pictures for about 250 titles to make available for download. Included in this mix will be titles from Paramount Vantage - the studio's indie specialty arm. As small a step as this may seem, this allows more people to have access to films that a) do not come to your local cinema or festival and b) may not be available at your video store. In another indie friendly move, itunes has also struck a deal with this year's Sundance Film Festival. A number of this year's festival shorts will also be available for download. This fabulous but I am sure not flawless technology is paving the way for more and more people - that means you - to see and experience independent film. Each film that is available this way is automatically given a much further reach than ever before and each filmmaker who may not ever have been able to get their film released in the traditional theatrical or DVD way will now have a chance. All good, right? Well that remains to be seen.

The downside of all of this "new" technology is that is just that new. Not everyone from filmmakers to the consumer is going to feel comfortable with it. The issues of broadband vs a T1 cable or dial up will make the download times for films vary tremendously. If it takes you longer to download a film than to go out to the store to rent it or get it from Netflix, will you do it? But as someone mentioned to me the other day, when ipods first came out - even though they knew they really didn't need the CDs once the songs were downloaded and backed up - they still bought and kept them. Now years later, this same person NEVER buys CDs and downloads all of her music from itunes. It is all about mindset, convenience, and access,

So how this all plays out remains to be seen, but I would guess that a year from now more and more people will be downloading their films, more and more filmmakers will be looking at downloading as just another means of distribution and we will still be here keeping you up to date on all of it.

Keeping it indie,

Julie

New Year's Resolutions

Okay, okay... Obviously if you really want to quit smoking or drop some pounds it's a good thing. But so many of us get so overwhelmed by the pressure that comes with the new year, by mid-February we're back to binge eating and chain smoking. I have decided to skip the grief and have come up with a few that I may actually be able to keep.

--See a film that's not "my kind of movie"
Last weekend, I went to see Pan's Labryinth. Initially, when I first heard about the film, I had no desire to see it. Sure, it was made by a great filmmaker and had rave reviews at Cannes, but this is not the movie I'd typically see. Yes, I like the romantic dramas that are guaranteed to have you bawling in the end. But, I was curious and also was going with a friend who I thought might like the fantasy-element of the film. I'm glad i did because I LOVED it. Sure, I covered my eyes through half of it because of the vicious detail Mr. del Toro is known for, but had I stuck to my "genre", I would have missed out on a great film.

--Don't be tempted to "wait for the DVD"
As we speak, they are perfecting the technology that soon we won't have to leave the house to see a film in the theater. Everyone is saying it, and I am fighting it because I believe films are meant to be seen on the big screen. But, sometimes I am lazy. Sometimes I get busy. Sometimes I'm broke. Whatever the reason, I catch myself saying, I'll just wait for the DVD. Then, months later when I catch the film (and it's good) I always say, man, I wish I would have seen that in the theater. I don't know how many times someone has told me they didn't like a film and then after a bit of discussion, I find out they watched it over three sittings in three days at home. That is not a way a film is meant to be seen people. So, I am going to make a conscious effort to get my butt to the theater.

--See a film I've never heard of
Everyone once in a while, mostly at festivals, I'll pick a film solely because I like the photo or it's just playing at the right time. But it's an unknown director with unknown actors. Sometimes I get a dud, but I have discovered some of my favorite films that way. Take a risk, you never know what you might find!

If anyone would like to join in my quest, I think it will be much more fun challenge than eating boiled eggs and grapefruit. And, of course, you can find out about all the great films here on our lovely site (shameless plug). Whatever the choice, it'll be a good year me thinks.

Long live indie film,

Michelle