SUNDANCE AND MASSACHUSETTS
To be from Massachusetts made it an especially good yearto be in Park City, Utah, the home of both the Sundance and Slamdance film festivals which run simultaneously. In addition to the buzz about the growth in film production in Massachusetts because of the recently passed tax incentives (l0 films have been made in the past year), the newly activated Massachusetts Film Office under the savvy direction of Nick Paleologos, there were at least l5 films with strong Massachusetts connections that were presented in Park City, the most in the last seven years.
For years until 200l, Massachusetts had a strong presence. There were l5 consecutive years whare a documentary film had been in competition in Sundance, and eight consecutive years for the dramatic competition. Then, there was the void
This year was different. Not only were there films from Massachusetts in competition, but a lot of Massachusetts connected film people came to the festival., It was fun, and many were aware of the filmmaking renaissance in Massachusetts.
But navigating Park City isn't all that easy. Over 40,000 film people ranging from industry profession to mere film buffs descend of this resort community of 8,000, all mixing with celebrities and skiers. For film professionals, to make the experience work means planning, patience and a stiff dose of perseverence. It can be both intimadating and seductive for those who come with the first blush of excitement attending a world class film festival. There are the enticing elements of any good film festival: the latest movies to discover and discuss, the celebrities to see, the parties to be blocked out of, the incessent schmoozing and the endless supply of alcohol (even in Utah) - or some combination thereof. But it can all be a bit much. Having become one of the most popular and prestigious festivals in its 30-year tenure means the lines for films and restaurants are long, the parties have exclusive guest lists, and getting around is a hassle since the venues, unlike Toronto, which is larger, are not near each other.
Although none of the ten films made in Massachusetts under the tax incentive were shown in Park City, there were still 15 films with strong Massachusetts connections shown there in cmpetition:: 8 in Sundance and 7 in Slamdance. Two features from Boston were in the documentary competition. Both of them will at least be shown on public television, even if they do not get a theatrical release. The first, SECRECY, by Robb Moss, one of the great practioners of personal cinema (THE SAME RIVER TWICE, THE TOURIST), and his Harvard colleague Peter Galison , deals with the world of classification (or misclasssification) of government documents in the name of national security. The score is by Boston composer John Kusiak, and the film was shown at the Harvard Film Archive on February 29th. The secnd, TRACES OF THE TRADE A STORY FROM THE DEEP NORTH, a personal documentary by Katrina Browne about a family coming to grips with their heritage, whose ancestors, the DeWorld family, were the leading American profiteers from the slave trade in North America. And the economy of Bristol, Rhode Island was based on their success. Rpger Miller of The Alloy Orchestra and Mission of Burma did the score for the film.. Alla Kovgan, co founder of the Balagan film series, served as co-director, editor and writer of the film.
Also in competition as short was Newton-based Andrew Manyer's beautifully shot short film AQUARIUM, which showed last year at the Woods Hole Film Festival. Tom Hines, a 199l Boston College graduate, directed an alaska set comedy, CHRONIC TOWN, Harvard educated Amanda Michelle's LA CORONAS was in documentary competition, and, MIT graduate Lisa Jackson also had a film in documentary competition, THE GREATEST SILENCE; RAPE IN THE CONGO.
Among the nice surprises, the Grand Jury award went to FROZEN RIVER, produced in part by Chip Hourihan, a Boston "128 beltway" prduct whose film GLISSANDRO played the film festival circuit 6 years ago. Sony Pictures Classics is negotiating for the film, and Chip is planning to write and direct a film that would have a score by Boston's jwn Roger Miller, who did the score for TRACES OF THE TRADE.
Finally, there was Brad Anderson, whose l997 film NEXT STOP WONDERLAND was the most famous Boston film ever to be shown at Sundance. This year, Sundance had the world premiere of his latest, a thriller called TRANSSIBERIAN, with Emily Mortimer, Woody Harrelson and Ben Kingley. I had the good luck to go to the opening night party, where I met with former (and I hope returning) Scout productions honcho Michael Williams, whose company creators of {QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY} paid for the script co-written by Nantucket raised Will Conroy.
The Massachusetts prsence at Slamdance was primarily in shorts, led off with animator Chip Moore's SWING, about lynching in the South. Also there was BU's film production professor Sam Kauffman's Rwandan film MASSACRE AT MURAMBI . Andy Cahill, a RISD student in animation who had afilm he made in high school show in several festivals, had two films in Slamdance, EVERYTHING SAID, and SPONTNEOUS GENERATION, both in claymation Nathan Silver's somwwhat depressing ANECDOTE got attention from Sony Pictures Classics. Also present were Harvard grad Becky James BAT AND HAT, and BU grad Benny Safdie's tribute to Jacques Tati, THE STORY OF CHARLES RIVEBANK, which makes extraordinary use of rarely seen Boston locations.
Among the persnal highlights in Park City was the lunch sponsored by the Massachusetts Film Office at the Cafe Terigo on Main St. in Park City. It was in honor of the filmmakers who were represented in Park City and was co-hosted by Judy Laster of the Woods Hole Film Festival and myself, in the name of Local Sightings. The event attracted over 30 people including the makers of most of the films in competition.  It was the first Massachusetts Film Office event in Park City in eight years, and was certainly a reflection of the upbeat feeling about the state of filmmaking in Massachusetts. Apart from the filmmakers, others in attendance included cinematographer Ed Slattery, fimmakers Susan Bryant, Kris Britt, Jay Spain, Warren Lynch, Shandor Garrison, Jane Clark, Lindsay Shah and Cambridge producer Mike Bowes.
All in all, it was a great fetival, not only for veterans like myself, but for the first timers like Shandor Garrison, Warren Lynch, and New Film Nations Lindsay Shah.