Sundance 2012

Hey Team,

So begin, I know it's like MARCH..and I still haven't posted about Sundance. For shame self. So here it goes. I was really wary about returning to Sundance in 2012, because 2011 was my first year, and it was just magic. It truly changed my life. So how could I top that? Plus meeting Bobby Kennedy Jr.? I mean seriously!?

So I am so happy to report that they did top themselves. They somehow pull it off each year, and I couldn't be more thrilled to go again next year. Here are some highlights.

I saw five films, and four out of the five were documentaries. My cup of tea if you will.

First, "Putin's Kiss". It was an inside look at Putin's Youth, the pro-Putin youth group in Russia, and the rise and fall of one young girl who was the face of the group. It would be a great watch in light of Putin's current re-election, and the scandal constantly surrounding him.  It was really interesting, and also kind of scary. I'm always grateful to live in America. Though people may hate my President, I respect him, and none of us will ever understand how much pressure he faces, and in my opinion, he is doing a great job.






Second, "Chasing Ice". This was a wait list at the SLC library. Great new venue I might add. We were sitting like front row, so it was truly in your face. It followed the National Geographic Photographer James Balog, and his journey to the colder corners of the earth to capture global warming through photography. He set up cameras facing glaciers, and with the help of timers and heavy duty set up, they captured the glaciers melting over a few years. It was so visually stunning I nearly died of happiness. Balog somehow made the most treacherous of landscapes beautiful, and important to those who have never journeyed to those places. See It. I think National Geographic was in talks of showing it on the cable channel. So keep your eyes peeled. You can also follow their company, Extreme Ice Survey online, chasingice.com or on Twitter. (EIS)

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Third, was "The Imposter". This was the craziest movie ever. It was the story of a Texas family whose son went missing in 1994. In 1997 they got a call from a foster home saying they found the boy. In Spain. So the sister travels over there and picks him up. The only problem we're facing? It isn't really her brother. CRAZY ENSUES. Huge twist, and just edge of your seat kind of movie. Wonderfully thrilling movie. I was thinking about it for hours afterward I was that thrown. The filmmakers were British, so I don't know what the future of the movie is, or if it will be released in the U.S.




Fourth, was "Detropia", a film about the growing problem of Detriot's bankrupt and uncertain future. It took you to the everyday people of the city, the mayor, the opera house, and my personal favorite, the abandoned train station. They had one of the male vocalists from the opera house sing in the train station to end the film, and I was just in hog heaven. It was such an in depth look at the city, and all of the glory it once had, and how we can restore that glory now. Good look into Detriot from Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady.
The film is currently being shown in Michigan, and throughout the U.S. Watch for it.




And last but not least, "Liberal Arts". This was also a waitlist, and we met the coolest girls from California. They had been waiting there for hours, and the volunteer put the four of us in the wrong place. So some punks got ahead of us because they told us wrong, but all was well and we still got in just fine. That does not mean however we were contemplating some arson and real trouble if we didn't get in. But all was well, and it was such a funny and well done movie. It really taught some fantastic lessons, and it was enjoyed by all. Fantastic work Josh Radnor, who wrote the screenplay, directed and starred. Also, this was my first time seeing Elizabeth Olsen, the talented little sister of the twins, who has done work at Sundance before. Great cast. I really hope it is released wide so I can go see it over and over.

The only celebrity spotting was at the Yarrow Hotel at dinner. The "Supersize" me guy was there, having coffee with a potential screenwriter. Awesome. So thank you Sundance for another fantastic year! I'm so excited for next year, and for this year's movies to be released wide.