Desert Tale
Number 1, Volume 8
Sundance Film Festival 2020
"Dismantle Sundance," sprayed in blue and red paint on the white snow sent a clear message from Parkites who were not happy with the onslaught of thousands of people arriving in Park City, their quiet little town. Or, perhaps it was a not-so-subtle communication to Hillary Clinton who arrived at the festival for the first screening of Nanette Burstein's documentary: 'Hillary.'
On the opening day of the festival at Old Town, the locals displayed their true feelings about $60 a day parking, barricades and voluminous traffic disruption despite the shuttle buses to their famous ski resort.
The forty year old non-profit Sundance Institute was busier than ever with Robert Redford's grandson listening to him open the festivities at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City.
Ron Howard kicked off the festival with a documentary: 'Rebuilding Paradise.'
On January 29th, at Filmmaker Lodge the event was open only to "credential holders" for 'How Can Artists Reshape Politics.'
Legendary women's rights activist, Gloria Steinem, Eva Longoria, and Hillary Clinton, participated in the annual 'Women at Sundance Celebration,' talking about their vision for the future of women and gender non-conforming artists.
Also, Alison Brie, made her screenwriting debut with 'Horse Girl.'
Sadly, this year's festival did not concentrate on the hard work of the film makers bur rather on their political persuasion which discriminated against those artists with opposite political thoughts who dared not express them.
Many celebrities in attendance were: Taylor Swift, Anne Hathaway, Naomi Watts, Glen Close, Julianne Moore, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Seal, Ethan Hawke, Debby Ryan, Alec Baldwin, Jaden Smith, America Ferrara, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, among many others.
Screenings were shown at the Eccles Theatre in Park City. Director Josephine Decker (Madeline's Madeline) premiered her tale about horror novelist Shirley Jackson.
Free screenings - 'Save Yourselves,' featuring a Q&A with co-directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, were held at Tower Theatre in Salt Lake City.
First time French feature director, Florian Zeller, wanted and got Anthony Hopkins for his drama about dementia, 'The Father.'
'Minari' was written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, from his memories growing up as an immigrant in rural Arkansas in the 1980s.
'Worth' with Michael Keaton describes the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
The brutal killing of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, was directed by Bryan Fogel, a previous Sundance documentary winner.
The winner of the Short Filmmaking selected from a staggering 10,397 entries was awarded to: 'So What If The Goats Die,' directed and written by Sofia Alaoui, presented by Southwest Airlines.
Police were occupied with an unfortunate accident resulting in a woman being run over by a car on a slippery road in Park City, and at Sundance Ski Resort, where the 83 year old actor and founder of Sundance Institute, has his ranch when two cars skidded into the icy ravine with two hysterical women. Miraculously they were not badly hurt much to the amazement of the deer hiding in the pine trees covered in fresh snow! It was a gorgeous winter wonderland full of powder snow that makes Utah so famous to skiers.
Several traffic problems with congestion despite shuttle buses, and residents complaining about drivers leaving their automobiles in their driveways and others' parking spots kept the police busy, especially with rapper Wiz Khalifa's concert which was stopped for several violations after it got rowdy when a police officer was hit in the head with an object causing him injury.
Distributors were there looking for cheap celluloid but most passed, with the exception of Apple, Hulu,and Amazon Prime.
Dozens of volunteers were available to answer questions and direct people to shuttle buses. They deserve a big THANK YOU!
Sundance Film Festival 2020, was not the upbeat, nice indie world I have seen in the past. This year's event was quite disappointing. Too much emphasis was placed on social issues with a distinct political message, and not enough enjoyable entertainment.
Alinka Zyrmont