Sundance is about chances ...
Sundance is about chances ...
- a chance for all to see a film that might not be mainstream enough to make it to the Big Screen
- a chance to make a film that means something to you
- a chance to network with those in the film industry
- a chance to ask a director how she got Jennifer Aniston and Joan Cusack to star in her film
- a chance to get your tongue frozen stuck to a metal pole
- and a chance to see that when a movie star wears a beanie, they too get "Hat Head"
I have to tell you that when I signed up for classes at Mesa Community College, in Arizona, I never expected it to lead me to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Thanks to Cyndi Greening, my instructor at MCC, I got the chance to experience a long weekend surrounded by creative energy that was as original as each snowflake that fell from the Park City sky.
My days were spent viewing films and sitting in on the Question & Answer sessions that followed each film. I was able to soak in information about the film making process from those who know it best, the writers, the executive staff, the directors and the actors of the films that I was viewing. To be the first to watch films that have never been viewed before was exciting, but when you get a chance to hear the director say that this is his first feature film and that he never expected to be standing before you -- this is inspiring. The intimacy of the Q & A allows you the unique opportunity to form a connection to the film that you might not have had without the "story" of its creation.
I so enjoyed my conversations with Sundancers that I met standing on the many lines or riding the shuttle bus from theater to theater. Most of them were people who were more interested in movie making as an art form and less interested in what bar Paris Hilton was hanging out in or why she was wearing short shorts when it was 10 degrees. I must admit, I enjoyed some star gazing myself. It was definitely way cool to have Robert Downey, Jr. pose for a photo with me and to be sitting right next to Sting (he is so hot!).
Ashley Judd is as beautiful off screen as she is on screen, but what I am most impressed with is that when she speaks, she is smart, sophisticated and a generous humanitarian, working as the YouthAIDS Global Ambassador. She spends her time and her money in Africa and the US. She uses her limelight to help stop the spread of AIDS among young people. In COME EARLY MORNING, Ashley gave writer/director Joey Lauren Adam's character, Lucy, a chance to jump off the pages. Her pungent performance shows us that we don't have to inherit our family's inability to have a meaningful relationship. This is a choice we make and you can wake up one day and decide to make choices that bring you inner peace.
My favorite time of each day was meeting back at the condo with my film-loving "Sundance Family" and discussing all that we saw and heard and learned as we tried to warm our Arizona feet by the fireplace. A chance to transform our Sundance Experience into memories that will last a lifetime!
--Gina Puma
