SUNDANCE 2023 Film Festival Coverage

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ORIGINALLY POSTED January 31, 2023

I wasn’t sure I was going to be covering Sundance 2023 – 1) because I forgot to ask for press credentials until late. 2) My mother has taken ill and I’ve been tag teaming with my sister on being her caretaker, which is kinda consuming my life right now, and yet, I’m glad to have this time with her. That being said, all in all, I still fit in quite a good number of films, although, I wish I’d made time for a few more shorts.

(Post Update: 2/5/23 My Mom passed on to the next realm peacefully yesterday afternoon, February 4th at 85 years old 🕊️).

This year Sundance fully returned to in-person, those of us attending virtually still had great access to the films, but not the Q&A’s. And I really missed the New Frontier VR interactions. Last year’s Spaceship Platform was so innovative, interactive and really fun! I read where Sundance New Frontier is being revamped and will return next year in some format, but I feel it won’t be as the Spaceship, which was built mostly to allow for attendees to interact in a simulated way to being in Park City.

I understand with pirating concerns, the festival must protect the filmmakers films and keep some control over how long and how many people can view each film. But it would be such a dream to simply have full access to every film for the full run of the festival. It was better this year that at least you didn’t have to watch the Premieres at a designated time, but still, it’s too restrictive. We have to choose our films ahead of the festival and lock them in. When the festival starts you’re given a window of 3 days to watch those films. I didn’t want everything to be within the same windows, so I tried to set some to watch later in the festival, but that didn’t work, I was never able to unlock those. I always have such trouble with these types of platforms working for me anyway. The other problem being, once the fest starts, certain films start getting heavy social media buzz, at that point you want to switch to those films, for instance, Jonathan Majors in MAGAZINE DREAM. Don’t ask me why it wasn’t already on my list, but it wasn’t and at that point I was just SOL.

Of the films I did choose, I noted a lot with themes of how hard it is to be a parent. I also feel I saw more sex scenes than in recent years. I also gravitated to so many more docs this year than I normally would. I find the bigger payoff with covering film festivals is to keep a steady stream of posts to social media. So I would post my immediate thoughts to IG Stories after a screening, then I’d screenshot that post to Twitter and add an additional impression, thus giving a good highlight of the films; hopefully to whet your appetites to see these features when they arrive in theaters and streaming.

Note: the image of the little emoticon holding a star is my rating system outta 5.

The guys held up taping the Sundance Wrap-up Podcast until I was feeling able to join. Listen below…

Film Scribes shares its epic #Sundance2023 wrap-up show, featuring the top picks from the festival from @danthefan @garymkramer @StephenSilver @FilmBuffRich and @tinseltine Moderated by @heimlich, produced by @danthefan

Day 1

WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY | 5 Part DocuSeries |Directors Thom Zimny & Oren Moverman

A Statement From The Directors:

Several years back, we were sitting at the Sight Unseen Union Square office in New York City with legendary music manager Mark Rothbaum and Keith Wortman, of Blackbird Presents, talking about Willie Nelson. It wasn’t some random conversation. The idea for a Willie Nelson documentary was already percolating among the four of us before the meeting, and so we gathered for the first time to drink black coffee, look each other in the eye, and talk about what a Willie Nelson film could be. There’s never been one — although Willie was reaching his mid-eighties at the time — not officially anyway, not sanctioned, not one that the Red-Headed Stranger himself wanted done. It felt historic. Exciting. Even overwhelming, though not in a bad way; we felt blessed – we became obsessed. We shot in Nashville, Maui, Los Angeles, Northern California, Texas, and New York, tracking downmusicians from Willie’s past and present, lifelong friends, producers, even a lawyer or two, his booking agent, tour manager, his driver, a couple of Willie-ologists and more. We had the awesome responsibility of getting Willie’s complete story down from every possible perspective. We called these interviewees “witnesses.” Each was left alone in a precisely- lit space with black all around and a camera fixed on them.

Growing up my Mom liked Willie Nelson and we used to listen to her albums, so we liked Willie Nelson. I never thought about him beyond his long pigtails, kerchief headband, laid-back demeanor and uniquely pleasing gravelly warble. But now I know there’s so much more to this 89 year-old singer-songwriter. The 5 part docu-series lays out Willie’s formative years on a farm in Abbott Texas being raised by his grandparents along with his soul companion, his sister Bobbie. Then we skip ahead and in episode 2 come back to cover more of his upbringing. Which of course is the benefit of a docu-series over a documentary or biopic, it allows space and breath to more fully reveal the person and those around them and time to hear more of the music. There’s places of redundancy, but on the whole, I’d say you need all 5 episodes and I was never bored.

Willie Nelson is someone who knew his own talents at an early age. He actually started writing songs/poems at the age of 6, but there was no early success for him, it was a long, hard road of trying to make a living doing all manor of jobs for countless years. Having married at 18 he was also trying to support a family, but still always holding on to his musical aspirations. Even after writing “Crazy” which got into the hands of Patsy Cline, giving him his first taste of real success as a songwriter, Willie’s need to perform stayed strong. But he had a clean cut look, like Johnny Mathis or Wayne Newton and it just wasn’t working for him. He played small venues and even got a record deal with RCA, but he was not catching on. Around this time he felt led down a path of spiritual discovery resulting in the concept album “Yesterday’s Wine” which RCA didn’t understand and the public didn’t buy. He even retired from music at this point, but it started a change in Willie, who despite his wanderlust and reputation was always a man of faith, having been raised in the church, but little by little he was becoming Zen. So when he came out of retirement he was no longer grasping. It was as if he found his authentic, yes, pot smoking, self, and let it all hang out. His audience found him.

Of course, that’s hardly the end of the story, there’s a gun fight, movie career, devastating fire, more marriages, more kids, the duet period, The Outlaw period, The Highwayman period, the 32 million owed to the IRS and more, but in all of it he’s a thoughtful, loving, interesting, introspective, generous, talented man. And I plan to take some time to listen to more than just his greatest hits.

Day 2

Day 3

brith/rebirth | Producer Mali Elfman | Writer/Director Laura Moss

THE POD GENERATION | MK2 | Writer/Director Sophie Barthes

THE LONGEST GOODBYE | Autlook Film Sales | Writer/Director Ido Mizrahy

Day 4

RADICAL | 3PAS Studios | Writer/Director Christopher Zalla

LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING | Bugalow Media + Entertainment | Director/Producer Lisa Cortés

Day 5

ALIENS ABDUCTED MY PARENTS AND NOW I FEEL KINDA LEFT OUT |
Visit Films |Director Jake Van Wagoner | Austin Everett

JUDY BLUME FOREVER |Documentary |Director(s) Davina Pardo & Leah Wolchok | Exe. Producers Ron Howard & Brian Grazer

Director’s Statement: How do you know all our little secrets?” This line from a letter written to Judy in 1979 has stayed with us since we first read it. For so many readers, it felt like Judy Blume was inside our heads; as if she knew what we were thinking and feeling. But as much as we got to know her characters, we’ve never really known who she is. For us, this film was a chance to try to see her as clearly as she’s always seen us. How did Judy Blume become the fairy godmother who embraces our imperfections, validates our innermost thoughts, and illuminates what we don’t understand about ourselves and others? Judy is effervescent, full of life and energy, and spirit. Even her handwriting is youthful; she writes in big, curvy bubble letters, with exclamation marks and doodles all over the page. Her eyes sparkle when she talks. But just like her books, there’s more to Judy underneath the surface. She describes the story of her life as ‘Fearful anxious child grows up into a badass woman.’ She wrote through two messy divorces and faced backlash from critics, censors, and a high-brow literary world that never fully embraced her. We knew we wanted the film to celebrate Judy as a badass, but most importantly we wanted the film to be honest – about Judy’s personal story, about her work, about growing up.

I was so captivated by this film. It’s the only one I gave 5 stars at this year’s Sundance. I’m always fascinated by how someone comes to stand for something and finds their niche and Davina Pardo & Leah Wolchok did a great job of leading us in this discovery for Judy Blume.

Judy Blume Forever will begin streaming globally on April 21, 2023 on Prime Video.

STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX FILM | Documentary | Writer/Director Davis Guggenheim

Day 6

EILEEN | Likely Story Films |Director William Oldroyd | Writer Luke Goebel

CAT PERSON | StudioCanal |Director Susanna Fogel | Writer Michelle Ashford | Composer Heather McIntosh

College student Margo played by Emilia Jones, star of last year’s Oscar winning Best Film CODA (A movie I still don’t think deserved Best Picture). In this movie, she’s channeling a Zoey Deschanel-esque quality. Jones is in Fairyland also screening at this year’s Sundance (see below).

Margo works concessions at a movie theater and flirts with a slightly older film-goer Robert (Nicholas Braun). They begin a texting relationship, inching toward romance. Finally, they make a casual date for him to bring her takeout to the Anthropology lab where she’s studying. But once’s she’s there alone with him, with no one to hear her in screaming distance, she begins to feel mistrustful of him. We then get sucked into her horrid imaginings, which are both comical and frightening. It’s not that Robert seems like a possible serial killer or rapist. He’s just a little nerdy, but not weird. The movie is illustrating how women feel in general when meeting someone new and dating. The film starts with a quote from Margaret Atwood (Handmaids Tale author) to paraphrase – That men’s worse fears are of a woman laughing at them and women fear being killed by men.

I never read or even heard about The New Yorker® Magazine short story by Kristen Roupenian, which Cat Person is based upon. Sometimes I feel I live under a rock, like when ZOLA premiered at Sundance 2020 (Janicza Bravo) I hadn’t been aware of the 144 tweets posted by Aziah “Zola” King which that movie was based upon. Same with this, supposedly there was a lot of controversy and backlash that the story was one-sided and did a disservice to men. The movie, however, feels like an over correction. At first I felt like, Oh, it’s good to see both sides of a misunderstanding in a romantic relationship play-out. Then later when I thought more about it, I feel like the ending makes the guy seem victimized and the girl look crazy. But I will say, it’s still an entertaining film with great beats and energy. So feminism aside, I really liked it. 4 Stars

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE |Documentary |Director Nicole Newnham

Was it because Dr. Ruth came on the heels of Shere Hite that I missed hearing about her? This goddess like author, a contradiction of feminist and femme fatale. One thing’s for sure, if she had only hired the right publicist, she never would have felt she needed to leave the country. Unfortunately, she would agree to do all these interviews and then become enraged and defensive if anyone criticized her findings or misunderstood her motives for compiling the Shere Report and subsequent Reports on Human sexuality. But the right PR/Spin Doctor could have coached her on how to win over and influence people. How to answer some of the questions in a way that gets her point across and is still jovial in tone. Her work was important, it shouldn’t have been overshadowed by an ill temper, no matter how righteous the anger.

Day 7

L’Immensità | Music Box Films |Italy | Writer/Director Emanuele Crialese

MAMACRUZ | LA Claqueta |Writer/Director Patricia Ortega | Spain

Day 8

GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT |Documentary | RadaStudio | Director(s) Joe Brewster & Michele Stephenson

GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT #Sundance2023 Dirs Joe Brewster & Michèle Stephenson I dig Giovanni’s identification as an Earthling, that’s how we all should see ourselves and each other. I do wish she had been willing to expand a bit on her personal life. #Sundance

FAIRYLAND | American Zoetrope |Writer/Director Andrew Durham | Producer Sofia Coppola

When I wrote this IG Story, I didn’t know Sofia Coppola was a producer on “Fairlyand”…

Day 9

BAD BEHAVIOR |Badly Behaved Babes Ltd |Writer/Director Alice Englert

Director’s Statement: Bad Behavior is a valentine to adults who are still coming of age. Especially mothers and daughters.This story takes place in the space where tragedy is still taking its time (really taking its time…) to turn intocomedy, where some wounds still feel fresh and others that might have healed have been picked at out of “the devil you know” human habit for eons. My intention is to tell a story about the stories we tell, the egos that love them, the worlds that they build, the escapes we attempt, the futility of thinking and the thrill of it. This story is not a verdict on spirituality, but a contemporary, female lead adventure into it.

Side note: Filmmaker Alice Englert is featured in Goran Stolevski YOU WON’T BE ALONE which screened at Sundance 2022. Check out T&T’s Interview with Stolevski from last year

MILISUTHANDO |Early Hours Films | Writer/Director Milisuthando Bongela

Day 10

RYE LANE |Searchlight Pics | Director Raine Allen-Miller (Directorial Debut)
Writers Nathan Bryon & Tom Melia

So many films at this year’s Sundance are writer/director vehicles and yet surprisingly, this one is not. It’s so charming & intimate and also feels like it’s from a female perspective, that it’s hard to believe Raine Allen-Miller did not pen the screenplay. Although I read, once she came onboard she did help shape it.

It’s a simple boy meets girl story or rather in this case, girl meets boy crying in a bathroom stall. Dom (David Jonsson) is attending a friend’s art exhibit of f’d up teeth and dreading meeting his ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend for lunch after the event, as the two of them have seriously betrayed him recently by hooking up and becoming a couple. Yas (Vivian Oparah) has a brief exchange with Dom in the bathroom, but neither of them see each other’s face. She, however, recognizes him in front of some particularly gruesome tooth photography, by his shoes. They strike up a conversation which leads them out of the gallery into the South London neighborhood of Peckham, which serves as a vibrant, colorful character in the film. From there it becomes a day of banter and hi-jinks. Including Yas crashing the dreaded lunch and coming to Dom’s rescue – allowing Dom to start embracing Yas’s more carefree attitude toward life, but is she really zen or just good at bravado?

People are comparing it to Richard Linklater’s classic Before Sunrise starring Ethan Hawke & Julie Delphy, which is understandable in that it’s a walking and talking and getting to know you plot. The big differences being tone. Rye Lane is humorous, with several fisheye shots and comical close-ups. It’s extremely contemporary and also includes extended flashbacks where the characters illustrate their former relationship. A definite Festival Favorite which will start streaming on Hulu March 31st.

See Award Winners Below

GRAND JURY PRIZES
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to A.V. Rockwell for A THOUSAND AND ONE U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: A.V. Rockwell, Producers: Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani, Brad Weston) — Convinced it’s one last, necessary crime on the path to redemption, unapologetic and free-spirited Inez kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in New York City. Cast: Teyana Taylor, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, Aaron Kingsley Adetola. World Premiere. Available online.
Jury citation: Never have I seen a life so similar to my own rendered with such nuance and tenderness. I walked out of the theatre and wept in front of people I barely know because this film reached into my gut and pulled from it every emotion I’ve learned to mask in these spaces. As a jury we know how impossible it is to make work that is real, full of pain, and fearless in its rigorous commitment to emotional truth born of oppressive circumstances. It is our honor to award the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic to A Thousand and One.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson for GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Producer: Tommy Oliver) — Intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of poetry take us on a journey through the dreamscape of legendary poet Nikki Giovanni as she reflects on her life and legacy. World Premiere. Available online.
Jury citation: This film focuses on a singular, unapologetic voice, and through her story it captures the experience of the collective. The strong directorial vision illuminates the joy and the raw reality of the Black experience. Also it is fucking funny. The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary goes to Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Charlotte Regan for SCRAPPER / U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Charlotte Regan, Producer: Theo Barrowclough) — Georgie is a dreamy 12-year-old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Out of nowhere, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality. Cast: Harris Dickinson, Lola Campbell, Alin Uzun, Ambreen Razia, Olivia Brady, Aylin Tezel. World Premiere. Available online.
Jury citation: A charming and empathetic film full of integrity and life. Scrapper is a poignant study on grief and how the protagonist attempts to shrink her world. Through a child’s eyes, we observe abandonment, detachment and coldness, delivered with love, humor and warmth. The jury was drawn by the honest and sincere performances, strong direction, playful cinematography, and impressive script. The authenticity and command of place and space by the filmmaker and her insistence in creating a world where pain and joy align perfectly delivered a story full of heart and soul. The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic goes to Scrapper.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Maite Alberdi for THE ETERNAL MEMORY / Chile (Director and Producer: Maite Alberdi, Producers: Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue) — Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Both fear the day he no longer recognizes her. World Premiere. Available online.
Jury citation: This film opened our hearts by bringing us closer to the meaning of life and death, and the element that threads sense into all of it – love. Through a simple yet complex portrayal of a confinement, it brings us to the lives of these fascinating characters who make us wiser and more loving the longer we stay with them. The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary goes to The Eternal Memory.

FESTIVAL FAVORITE AWARD
Selected by audience votes from the feature films that screened at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the Festival Favorite Award was presented to RADICAL / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Christopher Zalla, Producers: Ben Odell, Eugenio Derbez, Joshua Davis) — In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, a frustrated teacher tries a radical new method to break through his students’ apathy and unlock their curiosity, their potential… and maybe even their genius. Based on a true story. Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Haddad, Jenifer Trejo, Mia Fernanda Solis, Danilo Guardiola. World Premiere. Fiction. Available online.

ORIGINAL POST HIGHLIGHTS LEADING UP TO DAY 1

Looking forward to once again virtually attending Sundance Film Festival (January 19-29) A number of Film Festivals did away with their online screenings in 2022, or offered very little to experience online. Sundance makes a commitment to their online platform allowing film lovers and press the opportunity to take part without the expense of flights, accommodations, meals and just the sheer exhaustion of attending in person.

“Maintaining an essential place for artists to express themselves, take risks, and for visionary stories to endure and entertain is distinctly Sundance,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. “The Festival continues to foster these values and connections through independent storytelling. We are honored to share the compelling selection of work at this year’s Festival from distinct perspectives and unique voices.”

“As a program of the Sundance Institute, the Festival provides a place for artists globally to connect with audiences around a shared and inclusive experience of discovery,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “These filmmakers reflect the world around us through bold and thrilling storytelling.

#Sundance2023 has programmed 101 feature-length films representing 23 countries, World premieres make up 93%, of the Festival’s 99 feature films – 32 of 115 (28%) feature film directors who are first-time feature filmmakers, and 17 of the feature films and projects were supported by Sundance Institute in development through direct granting or residency labs.

FEATURE FILMS I PLAN TO SEE DURING SUNDANCE 2023

click above link then calendar to see each day’s line up of screenings

The 25th Anniversary Digital Restoration Screening of SLAM

Writer/Director Marc Levin (THUG LIFE IN DC,Sundance Channel’s Brick City); co-written by Richard Stratton, Sonja Sohn, Bonz Malone, Saul Williams. SLAM made its world premiere in the US Dramatic Competition at Sundance 1998, where it claimed the Grand Jury Prize. As part of Sundance Institute’s Archives & Collection Program, SLAM has been digitally restored from the 35mm interpositive and a new DCP created, in collaboration with the Academy Film Archive, the UCLA Film & Television Archive, and Lionsgate.

SLAM tells the story of Ray Joshua (Saul Williams), a gifted young Black poet and rapper trapped in a war-zone housing project in Washington called Dodge City. Imprisoned for a petty pot crime, Ray copes with the danger and despair in the DC jail by using his wits and verbal talent, finding salvation in his rhymes.

Filmed in what Levin called “dramatic verité” style, SLAM thoroughly blurs the line between narrative and documentary, resulting in a film of astonishing immediacy and impact. At considerable risk, Levin and his team went deep inside the DC jail system for both locations and on-screen talent. SLAM reveals the deep structural inequities of that criminal justice system—which remain every bit as intractable today—and the liberating ability of art to transcend the most formidable boundaries…. MORE