What I Might Have Missed If I Had Gone To Sundance The First Time I Had A Chance
Today I am going to Sundance, but it will be for my shortest time ever. Our film CASSANDRO premieres on Friday at 530P at The Ray and I am truly excited. Ironically, I think Good Machine (or rather our former machinists) has a record number of films there this year. That said, stuff requires me to flee at dawn the next day. It would have been a joy to see twenty or so movies and catch up with old friends. But I am also looking forward to what may happen by not being there.
The Sundance Film Festival has always felt like the part of our film ecosystem most closely aligned with my hopes and dreams. As a producer, I have had over thirty films at the festival and I have been a producer on three that won the Grand Jury prize. We’ve sold and bought a ton of films there. I was on the jury once, and although she wasn’t there with me, it was during that time that Vanessa and I were first falling in love. It always felt like the festival could — one way or another — make or break me every time, and that is exhilarating.
That Sundance holds such an outsized place within the film ecosystem requires us to consider it from many different perspectives, including not just what it is but also what it is not. In some ways I always feel it is unfair to ask things to be what they aren’t but since Sundance has an unrivaled success & impact in this country, it totally overshadows everything else, and that is quite unfortunate.
The question of “How can my success not inhibit your growth and opportunity?” probably has no more applicable application than the institution at is Sundance. What would our world be like if we really had another launchpad for new work other than Sundance? What would our industry be like if we had another sales opportunity for American Independent film other than Sundance? What work would come if there was another Artist Development Lab on the scale and influence of Sundance other than Sundance? Sure, there are many other entities in those spaces, but no one really comes close to the impact of Sundance? But could it be otherwise? What would happen if it ceased to exist? Or radically transformed?
I find it surprising that we don’t actually have that article or think piece yet on what Sundance is or is not and could be. People write about the sales and the market place. They write about the hype and celebrities. They write about the breakthrough films and the duds. But it is all accepted as a given. And it doesn’t have to be. Historically, it feels that Sundance has always been responsive to change. It evolves, expands, and contracts. But we accept it as it is, instead of articulating what we want it to be. It’s the same with all festivals and markets and labs and… and… and everything. Maybe we really shouldn’t let that be that way…
The first year I got a film into Sundance, I couldn’t afford to go. James Schamus and I had just started Good Machine. Hal Hartley’s TRUST was in which I had worked on and ultimately won the screenplay prize that year. James had executive produced Todd Haynes’ POISON, which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize. We didn’t have money for us both to go, but really I had no clue why anyone would want to go where there was a lot of snow and it was cold just to see some movies. I was thrilled when James volunteered to go. I didn’t yet really understand what Sundance or really any film festival yet was. Plus my girlfriend had left me so all I wanted to do was bury myself in my work.
Which was what I was doing at 8P one night when what I thought was a food delivery guy found his way to the closet I worked out of. He wasn’t carrying food though. In his bags were two scripts. It became clear he wasn’t a delivery guy when he said “I am Ang Lee and if I don’t make a film soon I will die.” The whole story is in my book but suffice it to say that the best professional decision I have ever made may well perhaps be to not go to Sundance when my first film got in.
I have all sorts of experiences at the festival, once I decided to start going. Some of which Sundance saw fit to memorialize:
Those of you who ARE going, not only do I hope you have an easier time getting there than I did in the video above, I hope you have a great festival. I know that sometimes it is not even YOU that struggle to go, but those are around me. American Splendor was one of my best times at Sundance. As nice as it was to win, it was even nicer to witness the years shedding off of Harvey Pekar when he realized people not only loved the film, but loved him. But he wasn’t even going to go. He was afraid the film wouldn’t go over.
But happens, will set the table for what is next served up. Will Indie survive? Will it evolve?
“I don’t think it’s an existential moment, because I think that indie films will survive, but certainly old models are being, let’s say, heavily reevaluated.” — Howard Cohen, co-president of Roadside Attractions
So… to those of you who are staying at home instead, may it be the best choice you have made yet! Remember that is just not where we are or what we have done. It is also the alternatives that are not blooming as a result of what we are now doing. How do we decide what is needed more now and which will truly be most satisfying?
If you are reading this post, then you know that not all of my newsletters get sent to your inbox. Perhaps you’ve missed some because they were online only. If you want to catch up…
But if you are going, dress in layers. It will be cold.
The first time I went to Sundance we brought our one year-old son who, this year, just turned thirty-one. Have a great trip!
Thank you very much for removing the paywall. What a great screening story.