2008 ONLINE FILM GUIDE
| Panel / Event Information | Ticket Req'd? | New Filmmaking Technology: What's Now and What's Next Friday, Jan 18, 12:30 PM New Frontier on Main (MICROCINEMA) Ranging from lofty 4K cameras to the humblest laptop editing system, it seems no technology is beyond today's indie filmmakers. How do we choose the best solutions available? Join the makers behind the Festival's most technically innovative films to review the latest in HD cinematography, workflow options, postproduction software, and more. Moderated by entertainment technology strategy adviser Phil Lelyveld, formerly with Disney. Panelists include Alex Rivera (Sleep Dealer), Alex Buono (Bigger, Stronger, Faster*), Nanette Burstein and Adina Sales (American Teen), and Mark Randall from Adobe. |
No | Webolution! - Hollywood Adapts to the Web Saturday, Jan 19, 12:30 PM New Frontier on Main (MICROCINEMA) The writing is on the wall–the industry must adapt to new media or face extinction. Today's studios and independents are finally embracing the challenge of porting content and revenue to new distribution strategies. Join Hollywood power brokers and new media superstars to discuss their strategies for the Web. Moderated by Kara Swisher of the Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD.com. Panelists include Ted Sarandos (Netflix), Dmitry Shapiro (founder and CEO of Veoh.com), Dan Glickman (MPAA), Jason Kilar (CEO of Hulu.com), Mike Volpi (CEO of Joost.com), Erik Flanagan (EVP Digital Media MTV Networks/Comedy Central/Southpark Studios), and Phil Lelyveld. |
No | On Crisis Survival: Stories of Disaster and its Aftermath Saturday, Jan 19, 2:30 PM Prospector Theatre Which crises demand our attention? It falls to journalists and filmmakers to help us understand. But how do they do that? And how should we respond? Disasters demand solutions. So with survival at stake, are you willing to engage? Moderator and journalist John Anderson, author and journalist Naomi Klein, and documentary filmmakers Peter Galison (Secrecy), Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water), Patrick Creadon (I.O.U.S.A), and Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight) discuss the next bad thing, and what to do to head it off. |
Yes | Rewriting the Process Saturday, Jan 19, 2:30 PM Sundance House Putting the creative process into words can be challenge. Fortunately, words are the specialty of this group. Join this illuminating discussion of personal voice, collaboration, adaptation, and the rewriting process as well as opening a window into the experience of the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab with screenwriter and lab advisor Howard Rodman and filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (Sugar), Boaz Yakin (Death in Love), and others. Followed at 4:00 p.m. by Sundance In Person: Connect with the Staff of the Screenwriters and Directors Labs, an informal opportunity to interact with the staff of Sundance Institute's Feature Film Program. |
No | Are You Global Enough? Sunday, Jan 20, 10:30 AM Filmmaker Lodge Join leaders in the international documentary community as they describe new funding and professional training opportunities in an increasingly global documentary world. Panelists include Tom Perlmutter (NFB), Claire Aguilar (ITVS), Leena Pasanen (European Documentary Network), Donata von Perfall (Discovery Campus), David Fisher (Greenhouse/The New Israeli Foundation for Cinema and Television), and Christoph Jorg (Arte). |
No | In 3-D: The Future Is Now Sunday, Jan 20, 11:30 AM Prospector Theatre Lose the red and blue cardboard glasses; this is not your daddy's 3-D. A new generation of groundbreaking technologies offers a wildly diverse range of creative possibilities and the potential to transform the theatrical moviegoing experience. A handful of 3-D's leading practitioners, including Catherine Owens and Steve Schklair (U2 3D), Vince Pace (Pace Technologies), Phil McNally (global stereoscopic supervisor at DreamWorks), filmmaker Jed Weintrob (Scar), and stereographer and historian Ray Zone, invite you for a sneak preview of things to come (glasses provided). Moderated by Jon Fine, media columnist for BusinessWeek. |
Yes | The Artists of the New Frontier Sunday, Jan 20, 12:30 PM New Frontier on Main (MICROCINEMA) Today's fine artists are increasingly incorporating the tools of filmmaking into their work, blurring the boundaries between disciplines. The result is some of the most independent, technologically savvy visions at the Festival. Join the artists of the New Frontier as they discuss the space between art, electronics, and moving images. Moderated by Mike Plante, CineVegas programer and Sundance New Frontier programming consultant. Panelists include many of this year's Sundance Film Festival New Frontier artists: Hasan Elahi, Marina Zurkow, Robert Boyd, Hank Willis Thomas, Daniel Rozin, and Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky. |
No | Film Church with Martin McDonagh Film Church is a rant. Film Church is a sermon. Film Church is whatever needs to be said! Sunday, Jan 20, 7:26 PM Filmmaker Lodge Sundance offers nondenomination lessons in what's wrong or what's right with cinema…from people who have something to say. Film Church is bad for you. Martin McDonagh is notorious for a particular brand of blistering, postmodern, dark comedy that brilliantly slides into the extremes of ugliness, violence, and brutality in a way that may best be described as grotesquely absurd. Born in London to Irish immigrant parents, he began his career scripting radio plays and has since won two Olivier Awards and been nominated for four Tony. His plays include The Lieutenant if Inishmore, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and The Pillowman. His first foray into filmmaker was the Oscar-winning short Six Shooter. In Bruges is McDonagh's first feature. |
No | Sundance Work-in-Process Monday, Jan 21, 10:30 AM Filmmaker Lodge Join documentary filmmakers who have been supported by the Documentary Film Program and labs as they reveal the good, the bad, and the just plain crazy; all in pursuit of a great film. Panelists include Ellen Kuras and Thavi Phrasavth (NERAKHOON), Robb Moss (Secrecy), Edet Belzberg (An American Soldier--The Recruiter), Mahmoud al Massad (Recycle), and Tanaz Eshaghian (Be Like Others). |
No | Alternative Storytelling For New Digital Media Platforms Monday, Jan 21, 12:30 PM New Frontier on Main (MICROCINEMA) How do you tell good stories in a world where your computer is a television, your cell phone is a movie screen, and your avatar addresses a global virtual audience? Join visionary new funders, media artists, tech pundits, and program innovators to discuss the development of next-generation content for emerging platforms. Moderated by Wendy Levy of the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC). Panelists include Elspeth Revere, vice president of general programming at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Claire Aguilar from ITVS, Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield from Hoodlum, Bernhard Drax, and Susana Ruiz. |
No | The Producing Cap Monday, Jan 21, 2:00 PM Filmmaker Lodge Nobody calls you when it's good news. The financing fell through, the tax incentive fell through, an actor fell through, a tree fell through (the roof). It's raining. The D.P. needs this thing...from N.A.S.A.. Producing is tough, and the cap you wear is generally of a problem-solving variety. In this panel, a group of seasoned producers bring a range of problems to the table and share their solutions. Panelists include Danielle Renfrew (American Son), Anthony Bregman (Sleep Dealer), Graham Taylor (Endeavor), Mary Vernieu (Choke, American Son, Downloading Nancy), and Lynette Howell (Phoebe in Wonderland). |
No | On Comedy: Are We Laughing in Dark Times? Monday, Jan 21, 2:30 PM Prospector Theatre Depression, substance abuse, family strife, and suicide--has life always been this funny? Humor seems to be tackling pretty dark stuff. Is the comedy of perversity, taboo, and dysfunction just a means of coping? What are we allowed to laugh at? This panel, which includes filmmakers Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You for Smoking), Clark Gregg (Choke), and Jay and Mark Duplass (Baghead), and screenwriter Pam Brady (Hamlet 2), may not have all the answers, but we'll let them discuss the subject for a while. |
Yes | Meet the Film Funds and Commissioning Editors Tuesday, Jan 22, 10:30 AM Sundance House Hear directly from the decision makers who could support your next documentary, including reps from A&E, ITVS, PBS and PBS strands, HBO, the Sundance Documentary Fund, and many others. Sign up at the Filmmaker Lodge. Sessions will fill up; register early. |
No | Black in America Tuesday, Jan 22, 2:00 PM Filmmaker Lodge The African American experience is the subject of many of the documentaries in this year's Festival. In this panel hosted by film critic Elvis Mitchell, actor, activist, and producer Danny Glover (Be Kind Rewind, Trouble the Water), filmmaker Katrina Browne (Traces of the Trade), and screenwriter Paris Qualles (A Raisin in the Sun), among others, discuss the pivotal questions for African American communities today and talk about where the most progress is being made. |
No | On Invention: The Cinema and Science of Moving Forward Tuesday, Jan 22, 2:30 PM Prospector Theatre Whether they're in the employ of labs or tinkering in the shed, the inventors of the world are united by vision and imagination. With the history of invention as captivating as those who fill it, what role do they play in the world of science? And neurobiologically speaking, what does it mean to have an inventive mind? Moderator Ira Flatow, science author and NPR host; and panelists Alan Alda, PBS host and actor in Diminished Capacity; Amy Redford, director of The Guitar; Alex Rivera, director of Sleep Dealer; Paul Schneider, director of Pretty Bird; science author and producer Evan Schwartz; and Benedict Schwegler (vice president and chief scientist with Walt Disney Imagineering, will tinker with the idea.. |
Yes | Going it Alone: Digital Distribution for Indie Filmmakers Wednesday, Jan 23, 12:30 PM New Frontier on Main (MICROCINEMA) The myriad distribution options facing today's filmmakers makes for a landscape of both opportunity and confusion. How can you maximize your digital rights potential? Where are the best revenue opportunities? Join buyers, sellers, and filmmakers to discuss rights, royalties, and windows in the wild world of digital distribution today. Moderated by Meyer Shwarzstein, CEO of Brainstorm Media. Panelists include Yvonne Welbon, Steven Starr (CEO of Revver), Slava Rubin (IndieGoGo.com), Julie Supan or Sarah Pollack (YouTube),Tiffany Shlain, and David Straus (Withoutabox). |
No | The Latin Resurgence Wednesday, Jan 23, 2:00 PM Filmmaker Lodge Across the Latin American cinemascape, change is in the air. Latin stories are reaching wider (sometimes global) audiences, there's a virtual renaissance in Mexico, there's more diverse output from Brazil and Argentina, and industries are flourishing all the way from Peru to Colombia and even Panama. What's going on? How do producers view the changing climate? Can we still think in terms of national cinemas? Join us as journalist and moderator Carlos Augusto Brandao and panelists Rodrigo Guerrero, producer of Perro Come Perro; Diego Ojeda, producer of Mancora; filmmaker and NHK finalist Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, filmmaker Lucrecia Martel (La Cienaga), actor and filmmaker Diego Luna (Y Tu Mama Tambien), Alex Garcia from Figa Films, and Eileen Rodriguez from the Weinstein Company address these questions. |
No | On Cinematic Imagination: New Spaces for a New Cinema Culture Wednesday, Jan 23, 2:30 PM Prospector Theatre How do you establish an environment in which originality can flourish? For artists working outside of traditional modes of moviemaking, the creative freedoms and unique perspective found there profoundly influence the cinematic imagination. The resulting work from this important space is exploding on-screen convention and transforming the ambient images of our everyday lives. Join New Frontier artist Doug Aitken (Sleepwalkers), filmmaker Isaac Julien (Derek), and moderator Thelma Golden, curator of Harlem's Studio Museum, for this stimulating discussion. |
Yes | Stories That Must Be Told: Today’s Human Rights Documentary Movement Thursday, Jan 24, 10:30 AM Filmmaker Lodge Human rights and documentary are joining forces to powerful effect. Here from experts working globally about the growing use of filmic storytelling in human-rights work. Panelists include Paul van Zyl (International Center for Transitional Justice), Gillian Caldwell (1Sky Alliance), Oren Yacobovitch (B'tselem), Lucia Noyce (Amnesty International), and others. |
No | Social Cyborg: How Technology is Changing Us Thursday, Jan 24, 12:30 PM New Frontier on Main (MICROCINEMA) Beyond the way we act, the Internet affects the way we think, raising questions of who we are as individuals and a community. Social networking, user-generated content, multiplayer gaming, file sharing–we are joined in previously unimagined ways. Join leading innovators as we explore the ramifications of a wired populous. Moderated by Katie Hafner, technology reporter for the New York Times with Jason Calacanis (CEO of Mahalo.com), Anthony Marshall (Current TV online), Ken Jordan (social network/tech author, Reality Sandwich), Daniel Pinchbeck (consciousness author, Reality Sandwich), Sameer Padania (The Hub), and Andrew Parry (Microsoft). |
No | Imagining a Market for Short Films Thursday, Jan 24, 4:30 PM New Frontier on Main (MICROCINEMA) As the zone between making short films and reaching an audience gets more explosive, new companies and technologies are changing the landscape daily. Sundance has stepped into the void to help get the power and profit into the hands of the filmmakers. Come meet the folks and filmmakers who manage the Sundance shorts deal (iTunes/Netflix/Xbox). Moderated by a surprise guest with John Cooper, Sundance Film Festival's director of programming; Christopher Barry from Sundance Channel, and Jason Turner with Mediastile. |
No | Producing Native Cinema Thursday, Jan 24, 7:52 PM Filmmaker Lodge How things have changed! More Native films are being produced each year: how is it happening, and who's behind it? What does it take for a Native film to get off the ground (and does it help if your producer was a fashion model)? Join Heather Rae, producer of Frozen River; Chad Burris, producer of Four Sheets to the Wind; filmmaker Kevin Lee Burton, director of Nikamowin (Song); and members of the filmmaking collective behind The Wind and the Water, including Vero Bellow, as they discuss these issues. |
No | Critics Cornered? Friday, Jan 25, 10:30 AM Filmmaker Lodge Do critics still matter? Maybe the better question is, what factors contribute to their perceived relevance? What have blogging and "critic-proof" marketing changed? Do critics still have the power to help films? And forgetting the box office for two seconds, what about the culture where films are received? So do critics still matter? Ask them. Join moderator Scott Foundas of LA Weekly and a panel of critics that includes Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly, Mark Bell from Film Threat, Eugene Hernandez from IndieWire, and Sean P. Means from the Salt Lake Tribune as they ponder their impact (or lack thereof) in the current film climate. |
No | Collision Course: Content Providers And The Creative Community Chart - A Course For The Future Friday, Jan 25, 12:30 PM New Frontier on Main (MICROCINEMA) In 2007, Hollywood chose to stop production over unresolved new-media revenue issues. Instead, we at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival look forward to dealing with this new challenge. How do we quantify the distribution models? How do we share? Join industry and indie prognosticators as we examine subscription models, targeted advertising, revenue sharing, and other emerging business strategies. Moderated by Scott Kirsner of Variety. Panelists include John Pattyson (UStream Entertainment), Gregg Spiridellis and Evan Spiridellis (JibJab), David Gale (MTV New Media), Tiffany Shlain, and Maria Maggenti (writer/director and www.aworkingwriter.com). |
No | The Double Bottom Line: Too Good to be True? Friday, Jan 25, 2:00 PM Filmmaker Lodge Measuring social good alongside financial profit is the business framework for companies like Participant Productions and Reason Pictures as well as individual filmmakers. But what exactly is the double bottom line? Is it working, and what does it mean for the future of media investment? Join panelists Jess Search (Channel Four Foundation), John Schreiber (Participant Productions), Bristol Baughan (Reason Pictures), Annie Sundberg, director of The Devil Came on Horseback, and others for this provocative discussion about future trends. |
No | On Plurality: The Middle East in Perspective Friday, Jan 25, 2:30 PM Prospector Theatre With such distinctive voices and interests, the film work from the Middle East this year reinforces the sense of a vibrant cultural plurality. Whether combating reductive representations and articulating complex political, religious, and social issues; exploring Islam, or expressing personal stories, these filmmakers speak as many voices, and each film holds transformative power. Come and listen as moderator Reza Aslan, author, religion scholar, and NPR commentator; and filmmakers Philippe Aractingi (Under the Bombs), Amin Matalqa (Captain Abu Raed), Sabiha Sumar (Dinner with the President), Tanaz Eshaghian (Be Like Others), Mahmoud al Massad (Recycle), and Jackie Salloum (Slingshot Hip Hop) discuss their work and share their insights. |
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