Five years ago a friend bought a house in Park City, UT. “Interesting!”, I thought.
This year marks my fourth of attendance at the Sundance Film Festival, a production of the Sundance Institute. Some years I bought individual tickets, some years relied on wait list and the kindness of strangers, twice I’ve spent a bundle on a package of tickets.
The festival has something for almost everyone: the politically active and aware not least.
Last year I saw and was moved by the powerful documentary “Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution”. It will air on PBS stations February 16, 2016, more than a year later. Check it out.
Activists like Amy Goodman come to the festival. She spokefor an hour and a half at a local bookstore about her new book, The Silenced Majority, and related interests.
In addition, as usual, Goodman broadcast from the festival all week, highlighting films of interest.
Saving best for last, this year’s winner of both the Audience and Judges Awards for best U.S. Dramatic picture is Birth of a Nation, a retelling of the largest slave rebellion in U.S. history.
Written, produced, directed, and acted by Nate Parker, the film sold for a record 17.5 million dollars to Searchlight/Fox, and will undoubtedly be seen in theatres this year.
One of the most interesting and fun features of Sundance are the audience Q&A sessions following most screenings, and always following premieres. Here’s the Q&A for BOAN.
Given the controversy over the lack of diversity in the Oscar nominations for 2015, it is easy to predict that the Hollywod Empire will strike back with some well deserved statues for Nate Parker next year!
Look for it.