“You are not here by luck”: Johanna Nyberg and ‘Comedians’

“Comedians”

Johanna Nyberg

It felt so strange leaving the airport in Salt Lake City and leaving the bubble I’d been caught up in for almost a week. I am sure the latitude and jetlag was behind some of it, but not all of it. I tried to grasp the feelings from what I had experienced and it was just too surreal and overwhelming to even know where I should begin.

The bubble I am referring to is the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Ignite fellowship. It took me to this amazing, heartwarming, and incredible film festival filled with inspiration. A film festival based on the rights to have your own voice, the rights to be able to tell your story. A film festival devoted to embrace independent filmmaking, and it couldn’t be more up-to-date in today’s frightening political climate.

I had submitted my film Comedians sure in doubt of even becoming a finalist. As soon as I had uploaded my film I simply closed the browser and tried to forget about it, like how you want to escape an awkward interaction with your dentist at the supermarket. Turns out I actually just uploaded a ticket towards one of the greatest experiences of my life, a Sundance Ignite Fellowship supported by Sundance and Adobe Project 1324. The Festival staff and Ignite crew were amazing, and I won’t forget what they told us at arriving there: ”You are not here by luck; you are here because we want to support you as filmmakers.”

Johanna Nyberg

There are so many highlights from my experience, I can’t really choose one. It’s me being completely swept away by meeting Alethea Jones (director, Fun Mom Dinner) at the Ignite Speed-Dating event and hearing how she began her career and her advice to young (female) filmmakers. She jumped on to the next table leaving me with a feeling that I am kind of invincible.

The day before that I went to a screening and film chat with Quentin Tarantino and Michael Madsen where they discussed the casting sessions for “Mr. Blonde” in Reservoir Dogs. Did I already mention the word surreal? Anyway here we go again: surreal.

As Ignite Fellows we also got the chance for a more intimate sit-down with filmmakers. I soaked up inspiration from Michael Larnell and listened to him describe his process of making the incredible biopic Roxanne, Roxanne.

But maybe most of all, I cherish meeting the other fellows whom I was truly inspired by, both as fellow filmmakers and as friends. Some of us already have plans to collaborate, and I can’t wait.

Back home in Sweden I am part of the director-duo Cherry Cobra. We were recently signed by the Stockholm production company Hobby Film and right now we are excited to be working on a music video. Alongside my work at Hobby Film I continue to discuss my goals and work with my awesome mentor Matthew Takata (Manager, Sundance Institute Feature Film Program). Among those goals: to complete a script for a second short film by the fall of 2017.

I encourage everyone who is an aspiring filmmaker to submit to the Sundance Ignite Fellowship for an experience you’ll never forget and an incredible opportunity to develop further as a filmmaker.

(Note to self: Bring snow boots next time)

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From the Archives: Revisit Robert Redford’s Words of Wisdom

To much of the world Robert Redford is Roy Hobbs, Bill McKay, Jeremiah Johnson, or invariably, The Sundance Kid. He is an artist, an activist, and a creative leader. But Robert Redford also inhabits another world, one where he’s known simply as “Bob.

From the Archives: Sundance Institute Founder Robert Redford on Why He’s Always Believed in the Power of Documentary Filmmaking

The Sundance Film Festival’s longstanding commitment to documentary has been driven by the personal connection founder and president Robert Redford feels for the form. Leading up to the premiere of Chicago 10, the second doc to ever open the Festival, we talked to Redford about the past, present, and possible future of documentaries.You made an early commitment to documentary.

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