RE......think.

So I thought that I would blog a little bit about the "theme" of Sundance this year... REBEL. It is something, that I am sure many of you find, not a bit surprising, that I am an expert in!! Well, I have to say, I am glad to see Sundance heading back into the original direction it was in when I first started attending the festival, almost 10 years ago. Back in the day, and even before.... Sundance was a festival committed to bringing new artist, directors, writer, actors together, exposing the broader public to a grittier, somehow more "real", raw, gorilia style of film making. It was an artistic endevour for all "small fish in a VERY big pond" filmmakers to have their film even considered for the festival, even greater to get in! I have seen some genius films in the past, made for very little money ($25,000 or so) and being SO happy for the director when he / she stands up in the crowd to accept the accolades of the cheering film aficionados and shyly answer intriguing questions at the Q&A..... But then, something changed, around 2004 or '05.... films started appearing on the roster that were already "picked-up" by MAJOR labels.... no more of the "poor filmmaker, 'I put it all on my credit card'", kind of stories. Instead, they were all "tapped" by the institute (Sundance Institute). They all "knew the right people".....

So, why go to an "independent" film festival, if it's "corporate"?? I think that must be the question many people began to ask not only themselves, but Sundance, as well..... When you have to be bothered by hoping traffic is not cut off because Brittany Spears is coming down the sidewalk with an entourage, you know it's gotten WAY TOO TRENDY. Trendy is NOT independent!

This year, though, was a breath of fresh air. Maybe it was because of the recession, and only people who really WANTED to watch movies came. Or maybe it was the selection of very indie feeling, gritty films about rebellion, rock & roll and freedom movements that kept the weaker away..... THANK GOODNESS! This year, the theme was "rebel" but it was also "re _____" in general.... you know, rethink, renew, redux, reveal...etc... you get the picture. Basically, rethink what you know, what you do, who you see and make it all better, more original, more.... REal.

Shannon