Another Year, Another Sundance

It's hard to believe that Sundance '08 is less than a week away. And yet, January is here again, when most people anticipate the New Year as the start of a new life and a time for resolutions, lofty goals, and eventual self-imposed disappointment. However, for me the New Year means that in 3 weeks the party will be out in Utah, when Hollywood and all its' residents suddenly converge on this tiny Wasatch Mtn town of Park, spilling over into Salt Lake, Ogden, Kimball Junction, and Mr Redford's Sundance Resort. For me it means an impending week of dark rooms, large crowds, and my annual film scout. Yes, I am afforded this wonderful opportunity to spend a week at Sundance, scouting films for our SouthSide Film Festival.

Our tiny little Festival takes place each June here in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. And though we are not one of the "big boys" in the Film Fest circuit, we have been fortunate enough to entice many of these films to participate in our Festival, bringing a little bit of this excitement to our appreciative community of filmmakers and film lovers.

For me Sundance time is like hunting season, as I choose my targets, select my ammo, and aim for the kill. The "kill" in this case being the films I screen, and the trophy is found in gaining the rights to screen these wonderful films as part of our SouthSide Film Festival. The hunt is relentless, and starts weeks before Sundance, as I begin to browse the selected film list, picking and choosing a "wish list" of films, cross-referencing with various outlets of Industry buzz and recommendations from our friends in the Industry. And to be perfectly honest, often my choices come down to a simple "gut reaction". I often avoid the "biggies"; the big actors, the big-name directors, the big company productions, and anybody else constantly on the "A" list of Film. Face it, why should I screen a film at SouthSide if it's going to end up at the multiplex? And to be honest, as much as I love a challenge, I can also recognize a dead-end or a useless cause. The big guys don't play nice with the little guys, as they're bottom line is always the "net profit".

In the end, some of my decisions are based on availability of tickets, as I can't very well invite a film to our Fest if I haven't even seen the film. And those realities again slapped me in the face yesterday like an inevitable collision, as yesterday was MY online ticket selection time, and it got ugly. Though in the end, I usually manage to screen wonderful films, including some I just crossed off my list because there were no online tickets to be had.

I'll tell you more about this process later, but for now life overrules the blog. Until then, enjoy my past blogs or just sit tight as I will give a few updates leading up to my visit at Sundance 1/20-1/30. And then once I'm immersed in the Festival, I will blog daily, giving all of you a brief taste of the excitement and buzz of this grand event, Sundance '08.