2023 Sundance recap
Films, Q&A panels, events and so much more
Stella Schneider / Asst. A&C Editor / The USD Vista
Olivia Synek / Associate Editor / The USD Vista
Jessica Mills / A&C Editor / The USD Vista
After a two year COVID-induced hiatus, the Sundance Film Festival returned to Park City, Utah this year with its former passion and commitment to independent film. Held from Jan. 19-29, USD students attended the festival through the intersession course American Independent Cinema (COMM 433). Along with other students, we arrived in Park City by Jan. 15 and learned about themes, distribution, economics and more in relation to independent cinema.
Senior Vice President and Provost Dr. Roger Pace and Dr. Eric Pierson have taught the course together since 2005.
“The [course] was designed to give students a film study experience outside of the traditional classroom,” Pace and Pierson explained. “[It] is an excellent example of ‘high-impact learning’ — from start to finish students are immersed in an engagement with film.”
High-impact learning typically takes place outside of the classroom, and while many courses offer community-based experiences and seminars, Dr. Pace and Dr. Pierson’s class fully immerses students into the film industry.
“The Sundance Festival offers films, panel discussions, Q&A after every screening, access to film professionals and a host of special events and speakers, which is more than we could offer in a Camino Hall classroom,” they explained. “The course often changes the ways students think about and discuss film, which at its core should be a goal for all academic experiences.”
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, the Sundance Institute upholds the reputation of hosting one of the most prominent film festivals in the world. The nonprofit festival hopes to support talented and oftentimes unknown storytellers in getting their films screened.
Every year, the institute invites emerging filmmakers to the festival, in order for them to network with directors and get insider knowledge on the industry.
Sundance is an independent film festival, meaning only independent, or “indie” films, are screened. Independent film is reserved for movies that go against Hollywood norms.
Usually in indie films, characters are more important than the plot and the endings are unpredictable. Watching an independent film is an experience, and more often than a typical Hollywood film, it requires the audience to think and even criticize the modern world, because many focus on present-day social issues.
There are roughly 100,000 attendees of the festival every year, and this year we got to go and take advantage of the opportunities that Sundance has to offer.
As editors of the USD Vista, the three of us had the opportunity to attend various press lines and red carpets to talk to the cast and crew of the movies premiering at Sundance this year.
Considering the big names contributing to many films this year, a lot of noteworthy members of the film industry walked the red carpets. From Will Ferrell to Tiffany Haddish, the red carpet was full of personality and well-known celebrities.
Ferrell attended the film festival as a producer of the new movie, “Theater Camp,” and Haddish was the lead actress and executive producer of the movie adaptation, “Landscape With Invisible Hand.” In interviews, they expressed their excitement for their respective projects premiering at Sundance.
Two-time Academy Award winner Jeremy Kleiner was at Sundance as a producer for “Landscape With Invisible Hand.” During the press line he showed his excitement for young people like us attending Sundance.
“That’s so cool you get to be a part of this… that’s amazing,” Kleiner said.
Not only were the press lines the time to learn about the movies premiering, but they also became great opportunities to connect with other individuals in the film industry. Getting to hear about how people got to where they are and talking to other journalists about what they do, taught us more about the ins and outs of the film industry.
This networking is not only possible in these press lines; it can happen anywhere in Park City during the time of the festival. Waiting in line for movies, going to a local coffee shop or stopping by Sundance sponsor pop-ups can get you that much closer to talking to other people in the film industry.
After watching a combined 73 films, we have curated a list of our favorite and least favorite movies.
Favorite films
“Victim/Suspect,” a documentary directed by Nancy Schwartzman, follows Rae de Leon, a reporter at the Center for Investigative Reporting. She discovers a shocking pattern of nationwide legal cases of women reporting their sexual assault to the police, only to then be accused of falsifying their allegations. These women are charged with crimes, such as filing a false police report, and, for many, end up spending time in prison.
Based on true events, de Leon collects firsthand accounts from the survivors, their families, police officers and legal personnel.
The documentary was made with Netflix and is rumored to premiere on the platform later this year. The film discusses tough topics such as rape, and viewer discretion is advised.
Originally a short film, “Theater Camp,” created by Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin, premiered as a feature length film at Sundance this year. With all four returning to write, direct and star in the film, the movie was one of the most widely-discussed at the festival for its ensemble cast and hilarious mockumentary approach. When the founder of camp AdirondACTS falls into a coma, her son, Troy, must keep the camp running during its summer session. However, with his lack of theater knowledge and financial ruin looming over camp, Troy must work with other eclectic teachers at camp to figure everything out before opening night.
A great appeal of this film are the perfectly timed jokes and amazing improvisation by the cast members. In an interview with Will Ferrell, he applauds the improvisation in the movie.
“That’s what’s so cool about finally seeing [the film] put together was how cohesive it feels, even though the cast was improvising all of it,” Ferrell said. “Theater Camp” was picked up by Searchlight Pictures with a theatrical release later this year.
“The Eternal Memory” is another documentary, directed by Chilean filmmaker Maite Alberdi. It follows a married couple of 25 years in Chile who go through a challenge no couple ever wants to endure. Augusto and Paulina met when both were relatively famous, one being a journalist and TV personality and the other an actress.
Eight years prior to the movie’s start, Augusto was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and Paulina decided to be Augusto’s caretaker, thinking of it as a blessing rather than a burden.
The documentary follows the couple through many ups and downs, but their love never wavers. Alberdi created a film that could have been dark and disheartening and turned it into one of the most beautiful and real love stories out there. MTV Documentary Films bought “The Eternal Memory” and will release the film in theaters this year.
Least favorite films
Director Jacqueline Castel premiered her midnight horror film “My Animal” at this year’s Sundance festival. Social misfit and queer hockey player Heather is kept on the sidelines of both the game and her life. Then she meets Jonny, a flirtatious figure skater that pushes Heather outside of her comfort zone, forcing Heather to embrace her darkest secret: she’s a werewolf.
Although Castel focuses on relevant issues — how draining it can be to suppress one’s sexuality and identity — “My Animal” ultimately bit off more than it could chew. The plot was predictable: Heather is able to find an escape through Jonny but eventually takes things too far and reveals her werewolf secret. The film regularly shows the teens drinking and driving, giving the impression that the actions are condoned. In our collective opinion, the characters were underdeveloped and contributed to the film’s disappointing flatness.
Alice Engert wrote, directed, co-produced, co-composed and acted in “Bad Behaviour,” a film about a mother with toxic habits attending a silent retreat. On the other end of the world is her daughter, played by Alice Engert herself, a stunt person training for a fight scene, who worries about her mother and their codependent relationship. In this film about anger, past relationships and toxic behavior, the storyline feels erratic and meaningless.
The tone was all over the place, and the film struggled to fully dive into the plot and characters, leaving the development of both characters feeling aimless. This was the only film in our screenings where no one clapped when the credits rolled.
“Fair Play,” directed by Chloe Domont, portrays a secret office relationship gone wrong.
Emily and Luke spark up a relationship that quickly turns into an engagement, but no one at work has any idea the two are seeing each other. When a promotion is up for grabs and is given to Emily, Luke becomes enraged and disrespectful. The film continues with moments of abuse and assault, because a woman threatens the power of a man.
While female filmmakers are finally emerging, it is confusing why a film about disrespect and objectification in the workplace needs to be released. Hollywood already has tons of these types of films, one popular example being “The Wolf of Wall Street.” “Bridgerton” actress Phoebe Dynevor is the only thing that saved the predictableness of the film. Netflix ended up buying the film for $20 million dollars, showing that Netflix was willing to spend big in order to keep Dynevor’s work on their platform.
Overall, the Sundance Film Festival was a unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience to attend as college journalists. Dr. Pace and Dr. Pierson will likely continue this tradition for years to come, and we highly recommend that students jump at the opportunity.