According to his son Boy, Alamein, the absent and idolized father in Taika Waititi’s inspired second feature Boy, is “overseas doing some pretty important stuff.” Boy, who’s obsessed with Michael Jackson—Boy is set in 1984 in rural New Zealand—tells his classmates that his father is a “master carver, deep sea treasure diver, the captain of the rugby team, and he holds the record for punching out the most people with one hand.” Boy then sits down after he’s done giving his presentation about himself and his family to his class.

It’s 10:00 p.m. Do you know where your children are? If they’re in Park City, chances are they’re scooting up Main Street in heels, without coats, bare-legged and looking for the next party at the door of every other hopping bar (“Is this the place where Usher is at?”).

At the very end of the Q&A for the fantastic Catfish, co-director Henry Joost implored the audience: “Refrain from giving away too much.” He explained that they wanted those who hadn’t yet seen the film to have the same experience we’d just had, the same experiences that the filmmakers had had in making the film. It’s difficult to write about experiencing a film that you’ve been instructed not to write too much about.

Ron Galella is the man behind some of the most widely recognized and iconic celebrity photos of all time. He’s been punched by Marlon Brando (resulting in $100,000 worth of dental reconstruction), he’s sued and been counter-sued by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and he’s sold pictures of Katherine Hepburn and Michael Jackson without them actually appearing in the photos. Sundance Institute president and founder Robert Redford talked about him at length in the opening day press conference.

The virtual world Second Life provides an online existence for its users and a booming online industry for virtual entrepreneuers. With an avatar, you can portray a different person or a dream extension of yourself, buy and sell virtual goods with real money, and interact with other real people. Boasting the “billion” world, in terms the hours users have spent online, Second Life is poised for numerous film characters and plots.

A packed house for one the Sundance Film Festival’s openers, Howl, gave John Cooper a rousing wave of applause as he announced, “I’m John Cooper, director of the Sundance Film Festival. How did that happen?”
Begun as a doc with funds from the Sundance Institute, Howl’s directors, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, made the risky decision to switch course. “It just wasn’t working so we needed to do something bold,” said Friedman.

Writer/director Chris Morris answered some questions with his Four Lions team about his hot-button film set to premiere on Saturday, January 23, at the Sundance Film Festival.Q: How did the film come about?Morris: I was reading about a plot to ram a U.S.

Amidst the bustle of out-of-towners checking in, the opening press conference, the premieres of two Competition films and a shorts program, and the launch of New Frontier on Main, a quieter but no less celebratory event was unfolding on the edge of town. At the Temple Theatre, a small crowd of 170 guests gathered to celebrate Day One of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Titled “An Artist at the Table,” the event was inspired by Sundance founder Robert Redford’s deeply held belief in the value that artists bring to society at large, and the vital role that an artist’s perspective can play in addressing social, political and environmental issues.

Although the new opening day format was never intended to be a competition among the three opening night programs, it made me a little antsy: which of the three movies should I go to? I think I chose the right film. Or at least the one that was right for me. Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, seasoned war correspondents, unveiled Restrepo, their raw, visceral, and even mournful documentary about a small U.

For the diverse group of international artists whose work is highlighted at the 2010 edition of New Frontier at Sundance Film Festival, film isn’t a means for escape, but rather a call for immersive engagement. If art is a reflection, or refracted version of reality, this collection of films, video presentations and site-specific installations project reality right back into the physical world in playful and fascinating ways.
New Frontier on Main opened its doors to the public on Thursday, and the artists were on hand to introduce and discuss their works.

PARK CITY, UTAH — As further commitment to expanding audiences for independent films, Sundance Institute today announced a collaboration with YouTube to make available for rent three world-premiere films from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  Beginning today, films will be spotlighted on the YouTube homepage, after which they will also be available until January 31 at YouTube Movies.  Two audience favorites from the 2009 Festival will also be made available for rental.

Greetings, weary traveler, and welcome to exotic Park City, land of enchantment and the finest short film treasures this side of the mountain.
Ah, I know what you came for, what you traveled far and wide to see—that’s right, our exceptional collection of animated wares. Well, you came to the right place, because this year contains a wealth of dazzling visceral gems and mesmerizing intimate affairs, along with all sorts of wonders in-between.

Getting sick at Sundance is hell. Sleep deprivation, cold, elevation, and the sheer number of walking germ factories make it inevitable Festivalgoers will come down with something. Roadside Attraction’s Dusty Smith puts the experience best… “At Sundance 2008 I caught the vicious bug that everyone was passing around which caused me to pass out three times during ‘Man On Wire’ and gave me a massive 20-minute nosebleed during ‘Pretty Bird.