Everyone's ready to throw in their version of how this year's Sundance Film Festival is going to be different from years past. Films will find it tough to find buyers." "Attendance will be way down." "Corporate America is staying home this year."
Sure, the hard economic times have had their impact on the festival and the film industry in general, but the evidence of such play has been hard to find for those of us "on the ground" at the fest. Shuttle buses are as crowded as ever, many being so full that the doors won't close. Some screening lines are so long that even those who have purchased tickets in advance aren't guaranteed a seat. And the Main Street Deli is still doing booming business. From the trenches there's no noticeable reduction in attendance. Hard statistics may tell a separate tale, but for all ostensive purposes it appears business as usual here at Sundance. Certainly this feeling is mutual amongst other festival goers based on those I've chatted with while waiting in line. Films are being picked up (HBO and Sony just made a number of buys in the past few days) and, if anything, sale quantity seems to be on the rise. I spoke with one producer during the opening night gala who exclaimed she'd already made three sales. And that was before the full festival even got into swing.
However, even with "Brookly's Finest" selling yesterday to Sony for an undisclosed figure of up to $5m, there's little buzz of a breakout sale at the fest and it's uncertain whether there will be anything like last year's much talked about "Hamlet 2" deal. Perhaps that will be this year's defining aspect - no "big" sale. Certainly plenty of industry players have been saying for the past few years that an end to expensive pickups at the fest is overdue. And that was before the financial system soured. Have we hit a point where festival buying has finally gone south? Maybe, but bear in mind that Hollywood just closed out one of its best years on record according to total box office sales. Certainly, from my own perspective in the thick of the studio production system, the amount of "work" in the pipeline over the past six months has done nothing but increase. While conglomerate parents decry that pennies must be pinched, distributors are still thirsty for product, particularly product that's already been developed, has a known audience reaction, and is effectively screen-ready. The films offered for acquisition at Sundance provide cost-effective options for studios looking to fill slates and cash in on the fact that hard economic times seem to bring people to movie theaters just as they did during the Great Depression.
Perhaps the only thing that's certain this year is that sponsor representation isn't what it used to be. Indeed, "subdued" seems to be the word du semiene for corporate involvement with this year's festival. They're here and making their presence known, but parties and overall strength are definitely more anemic that in years past. One woman who was in attendance on behalf of a corporate sponsor said that she knew of many cases where both her company and others were at the festival, but instead of sending the usual 30 people they'd sent only 10.
So what is the legacy of the 25th Sundance Film Festival? From where I stand here in the midst of the festival it seems very much to be that "film prevails" even with much-subdued corporate attendance. The industry, for all the disorder of the past year, is alive and well.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Burma VJ
EMPIRE AVENUE, PARK CITY
Insanely intense. That's probably the best way to describe this documentary film from Danish director Anders Ostergaard.
Armed with pocket-sized video cameras, a tenacious band of Burmese reporters face down death to expose the repressive regime controlling their country. In 2007, after decades of self-imposed silence, Burma became headline news across the globe when peaceful Buddhist monks led a massive rebellion. More than 100,000 people took to the streets protesting a cruel dictatorship that has held the country hostage for more than 40 years. Foreign news crews were banned, the Internet was shut down, and Burma was closed to the outside world.
We witness these events through the eyes of shaky, handheld footage shot entirely by the undercover reporters and then smuggled out of the country first via the Internet and then on the backs of elephants once network servers are shut down by the government. It's an emotionally raw experience seeing tensions build, watching people take to the streets in protest and then seeing the military respond with intense force leaving many dead and wounded. Culled from what must have been thousands of hours of eyewitness footage, this is not your typical documentary. You can't help but feel like you're right in the midst of the conflict as the reporters themselves fight to save their own lives. It's a view unlike any you've ever seen.
"Burma VJ" was preceded by the short film "Lies," directed by Jonas Odell, joining animation to three stories of lies told by various people.
Insanely intense. That's probably the best way to describe this documentary film from Danish director Anders Ostergaard.
Armed with pocket-sized video cameras, a tenacious band of Burmese reporters face down death to expose the repressive regime controlling their country. In 2007, after decades of self-imposed silence, Burma became headline news across the globe when peaceful Buddhist monks led a massive rebellion. More than 100,000 people took to the streets protesting a cruel dictatorship that has held the country hostage for more than 40 years. Foreign news crews were banned, the Internet was shut down, and Burma was closed to the outside world.
We witness these events through the eyes of shaky, handheld footage shot entirely by the undercover reporters and then smuggled out of the country first via the Internet and then on the backs of elephants once network servers are shut down by the government. It's an emotionally raw experience seeing tensions build, watching people take to the streets in protest and then seeing the military respond with intense force leaving many dead and wounded. Culled from what must have been thousands of hours of eyewitness footage, this is not your typical documentary. You can't help but feel like you're right in the midst of the conflict as the reporters themselves fight to save their own lives. It's a view unlike any you've ever seen.
"Burma VJ" was preceded by the short film "Lies," directed by Jonas Odell, joining animation to three stories of lies told by various people.
I Love You Phillip Morris
EMPIRE AVENUE, PARK CITY
This film has nothing to do with tobacco. There... that's out of the way.
Last night was the world premier screening of "I Love You Philip Morris." With both Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in attendance, this was a close second to the most "Hollywood" screening I've attended this year in terms of screaming fans, red carpets and paparazzi chaos ("Spread" takes first place with Ashton and Demi getting mobbed by a crowd of mostly screaming teenage girls).
So what is this film about? Well, it's an improbable but true story of a spectacularly charismatic and resourceful con-man’s journey from small-town cop to flamboyant white-collar criminal. Created by the guys who brought you Bad Santa, what lands on screen is truly stranger than fiction. It's a comedy. It's a love story. And you never really know where it's going to go next. When a local Texas policeman, Steve Russell (Carrey), turns to cons and fraud to allow him to change his lifestyle, his subsequent stay in the state penitentiary results in his meeting the love of his life, a sensitive fellow inmate named Phillip Morris (McGregor). What ensues can only be described as a relentless quest as Russell attempts escape after escape and executes con after con, all in the name of love. And yes, it features many scenes of Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor making out and otherwise getting it on.
I'll admit I have mixed feelings about this film. I came in with low expectations, primarily because I've been burned far too often by films that bank on people being drawn by the idea of two brand-name male actors humping each other. But the film doesn't use anything like that as a crutch and I found myself genuinely enjoying the film for the most part. I wouldn't say it was way up there on my top films of the fest, but it exceeded expectations and I wouldn't be adverse to watching it again. It does help to be in a theater with 1200 people, most of whom are friends of those involved with the film.
This film has nothing to do with tobacco. There... that's out of the way.
Last night was the world premier screening of "I Love You Philip Morris." With both Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in attendance, this was a close second to the most "Hollywood" screening I've attended this year in terms of screaming fans, red carpets and paparazzi chaos ("Spread" takes first place with Ashton and Demi getting mobbed by a crowd of mostly screaming teenage girls).
So what is this film about? Well, it's an improbable but true story of a spectacularly charismatic and resourceful con-man’s journey from small-town cop to flamboyant white-collar criminal. Created by the guys who brought you Bad Santa, what lands on screen is truly stranger than fiction. It's a comedy. It's a love story. And you never really know where it's going to go next. When a local Texas policeman, Steve Russell (Carrey), turns to cons and fraud to allow him to change his lifestyle, his subsequent stay in the state penitentiary results in his meeting the love of his life, a sensitive fellow inmate named Phillip Morris (McGregor). What ensues can only be described as a relentless quest as Russell attempts escape after escape and executes con after con, all in the name of love. And yes, it features many scenes of Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor making out and otherwise getting it on.
I'll admit I have mixed feelings about this film. I came in with low expectations, primarily because I've been burned far too often by films that bank on people being drawn by the idea of two brand-name male actors humping each other. But the film doesn't use anything like that as a crutch and I found myself genuinely enjoying the film for the most part. I wouldn't say it was way up there on my top films of the fest, but it exceeded expectations and I wouldn't be adverse to watching it again. It does help to be in a theater with 1200 people, most of whom are friends of those involved with the film.
Endgame
Jonny Lee Miller, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Pete Travis take audience questions
EMPIRE AVENUE, PARK CITY
The time - late 1980s. The place - South Africa. Buried under years of oppression, the African National Congress (ANC) wages an armed struggle against apartheid. President P.W. Botha clings to the last threads of power as the country finds itself on the brink of bloody civil war. Based on true events, this film follows the struggle from Nelson Mandela’s prison, to Botha’s chambers, to ANC headquarters, and, to the car of a British businessman. Consolidated Gold, a British mining company, is convinced that a peaceful resolution to the conflict in South Africa serves their interests. Thus, they initiate covert, unofficial talks between the opposing sides while bombs continue to destroy civilians. "Endgame" chronicles these talks where Michael Young, Consolidated’s head of public affairs, pushes a reluctant group to confront intractable obstacles in the way of reconciliation.
From director Pete Travis, this film is not an action movie. This is first and foremost about the history of South Africa, the fall of apartheid and the steps taken to resolve the conflict between the ANC and the white government. While strong performances abound from the likes of William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jonny Lee Miller, you're not going to walk away feeling like you really saw the true Mandela or really dug deep into the psyche of those involved.
Calling it a night
I'm three films behind for the day - "Endgame," "I Love You Phillip Morris" and "Burma VJ." Pretty far past exhaustion at this point, having been on the go for the past 20 hours - since 7am this morning. Will post the balance tomorrow after so much-needed sleep.
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