Sundance Journal: Day 6

Panel Discussions = Fun!

Apart from watching a ton of movies and having an almost fatal meltdown at the sight of Shannyn Sossamon in Park City for Wristcutters: A Love Story – the one item that I enjoy most are these panel discussions. In a three-day span, I managed to catch some interesting discussions followed by Q and A’s. Monday I checked out a panel about where is and what the hell is happening with the media – this included names like Control Room’s Jehane Noujaim and Stephen Gaghan who had to do plenty of fact-checking for Syriana – a film which was a big “F” “U” to the oil industry.

The director & producer who gave us Sideways.

Yesterday, was a filmmakers who’s who of the independent scene. Effie Brown (producer: Real Women have Curves), Todd Haynes (no intro needed), Ted Hope (executive producer: Friends with Money and The Hawk is Dying), Michael London (The Illusionist), Alexander Payne and Christine Vachon of Killer Films!!!!! The panel talked about experiencing another age of independent artists working successfully within the studio system – basically there is many opportunities out there for a filmmaker – give yourself a good kick in the butt and just do it.

These two gave us films like Far From Heaven, Safe and the upcoming (to be shot this Summer) I’m Not There: Suppositions on a Film Concerning Dylan.

Haynes unfortunately standing next to film dweeb.

Today I dropped in on a panel for Sundance entry Quinceañera. Todd Haynes executive produced this entry (as well as Old Joy – another Sundance pic this year) and he asked a series of poignant questions on the making of the film by writer-directing team of Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, along with the producer, DOP and the two lead actors.