IT'S A WRAP!

Award Winners and a Bevy of Sales....

IT’S A WRAP

The “Winners”….

From the quality of this year’s films (particularly the documentaries), and the number of acquisitions, Sundance 2011 was a huge success.  First, the winners at the Saturday night Sundance Award Ceremony:

 - The Grand Jury Prize for U.S. dramatic feature narrative went to LIKE CRAZY, directed by Drake Doremus, starring Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence; a  trans-Atlantic romantic drama which was the first film to be sold at Sundance, so it’s likely we’ll be seeing it theaters very soon. Great buzz.

 - The Grand Jury Prize for U.S. feature documentary was awarded to HOW TO DIE IN OREGON, directed by Peter D. Richardson; a ground breaking, life-affirming doc exploring physician-assisted suicide, which became legal in Oregon in 1994.

- The Audience Award for Documentary went to one of my absolute favorites- BUCK, directed by Cindy Meehl, a gorgeous and inspiring film profiling the “real horse whisperer”, the legendary Buck Brannaman, a no-nonsense horseman/philosopher who says" instead of helping people with horse problems, I'm helping horses with people problems".

For a full list of Sundance Award recipients, check out The Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/risky-business/sundance-2011-festival-award-winners-94340

 WHAT’S BEEN BOUGHT…

Not since the 1990’s have so many deals been sealed in Park City, which means we’ll be seeing some really terrific films in theaters, on HBO, the Sundance Channel, even Oprah's new network.  By the time Sundance ended on Sunday, some 30 films had been sold, including many we loved – THE LAST MOUNTAIN; BUCK; PAGE ONE:A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES; GUN HILL ROAD; MARGIN CALL (see below).

I’m especially happy that SALVATION BOULEVARD, based on the book by Woodstock’s Larry Beinhart, has been bought by Sony Pictures/IFC. The Woodstock Film Festival is already trying to secure a pre-release screening in Woodstock. We will definitely roll-out the red carpet for this one.

 For a list of Sundance acquisitions, visit Variety:  http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118031135.

 If you want to read more about any of the Sundance films, check out the Sundance website - http://sundance.slated.com/2011/.

But there are two films I really want to talk about before I end this Sundance Journal-

- HERE, directed by Braden King, starring Ben Foster and Lubna Azabal.

A visually stunning romantic drama ten years in the making, takes us to a truly surreal Armenia. Masterful acting is at the center of this encounter between an American map-maker (Foster) and an Armenian photographer (Azabal). To quote the film’s official summary-“The raw natural beauty of the rolling landscape and post Soviet urban blight is the perfect external metaphor for a fable about loneliness, the restless affliction of the congenital wanderer, and the momentary consolations even the most solitary among us can find when we open ourselves to another heart”.

Whew…! It’s true.  Although some thought it too long and slow moving, I really liked this film. And BEN FOSTER turns in an incredible, nuanced performance (showing his softer side), proving he is one of the great actors of our generation. He was in Woodstock last year with THE MESSENGER, and I got a chance to say hello after the HERE        Q & A (he is actually very sweet in person, unlike the tense characters he is often called upon to play).

Kevin Spacey discovers the bad news!

- MARGIN CALL, directed by J.C. Chandor. You’ll definitely see this one in theaters. A high profile cast - Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Paul Bettany, Zachary Quinto, Simon Baker, Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci, star in the first major dramatic film about the 2008 financial crisis.

 It takes place during a fictional 24-hour period just before Wall Street plunged, when an analyst at a major investment firm discovers that the numbers don’t add up. The money, invested in high risk mortgage securities, just isn’t there to cover operations. If they keep it secret, the bank will fail. If they act on it, the entire financial market will fail.

Well, we know what happens. The film has been lauded for its striking true-to-life detail, and I thought it was terrific (although it was ravaged by the NY Daily News). Nonetheless, the insightfulness of the writers and director impressed me and drew me into the blow by blow, hour to hour drama, made especially poignant because we know how it ends. If you’re a news junkie, don’t miss it.

Btw- Demi Moore was spotted around town all week, walking the snowy streets in high heels. We hear she took a huge flop on Main Street, but no bruises were showing when she was up on stage for MARGIN CALL’S Q & A ( tho’ she did wear a teeny weeny micro mini skirt and little sleeveless top and kept hugging her arms because she was so cold. The woman lives in Idaho! You’d think she’d know how to dress for these Sundance days!)

coming up.... some last thoughts on the magic of movies.....