Think of some of the most remarkable directors in contemporary American cinema – Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson – and its clear that their personal careers and the story of the Sundance Film Festival, the home of US independent cinema, are very much connected. If it’s a stretch to say they all started there, it’s certainly fair to acknowledge how important this Utah-based festival has been in making them what they are today.
Sundance Film Festival – Hong Kong Selects is an extension of this event that debuted last month in our sister SAR.
Partnering with The Metroplex, the festival showcased eight films, none of them by famous directors. But that’s the thing about Sundance: in a few years you’ll very likely be hearing everyone talking about people such as Cutter Hodierne, director of Fishing Without Nets, Ryan White and his The Case Against 8 or Maya Forbes, the woman behind Infinitely Polar Bear.
At a panel session entitled Visions of Independence, moderated by Bede Cheng, Senior Program Manager of The Metroplex, these and other filmmakers shared their views on cinema and offered some advice for newcomers.
“Don’t rush too much to make the film – remember that you’re telling a story about people. So much of documentary filmmaking is about managing personal dynamics. Sometimes it’s about knowing when not to film in order to support your subjects through the experience,” said Ryan White, who directed a behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage, shot over five years.
“Don’t talk yourself out of it. Keep your foot on the gas. Don’t get scared of what you don’t know”, added Maya Forbes, who’s Infinitely Polar Bear tells the story of a manic-depressive father trying to win back his wife by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young daughters.
Actor Mark Ruffalo plays the father in Maya’s film, and is just one of the many well-known Hollywood actors jumping from big studio productions to indie films. Superstars Julianne Moore and Kate Winslet are some of the most visible faces of that movement, which can sometimes confuse audiences about which films actually are indie films.
“You know one when you see it”, says Sundance Film Festival director, John Cooper.
Hong Kong not only hosted these award-winning films and their directors, but audiences also had the chance to listen to Cooper, an institution when it comes to indie cinema in the US.
“In our effort to share the best of American independent films with audiences outside the US, Hong Kong seemed an excellent location with a rich cinematic history. In partnership with The Metroplex, we look forward to presenting this program of diverse and high quality independent films”, Cooper said during the opening ceremony, on September 19.
Somehow, away from Hollywood, and with the blessing of legendary filmmaker Robert Redford, who founded the festival back in the 1980’s, Sundance is now entering its third decade. Sundance Institute is much more than just the organiser of a film festival. It has scholarships, awards, regular events and a number of interventions devoted to making American cinema vibrant.
Sundance receives more than 4,000 submissions a year, from which they only show 120 films over two weeks. The next edition is scheduled for January 22 to February 1, 2015. From that selection, a few productions will very likely again make it to Hong Kong next year, presenting an alternative way of looking at the American cinematic landscape.
