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Show IN SECTION C Events Calendar C-2 Crossword C-4 Notes From the Dark C-5 TV Listings C-6 Classifieds C-9 Scene. PaikRecoitL www.parkrecord.com SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2001 SCENE EDITOR: Vanessa R. Conabee 649-90 1 4 ext. 1 04 mum Pilots partner for Summit celebration Friday's joint party celebrates filmmakers by Vanessa R. Conabee :0F THE RECORD STAFF Representatives of Park City's pilot festivals planned months in advance for the monumental gathering that took place on Friday, Jan. 26. The Festival Summit, held at Slamdance's Silver Mine venue, was joint-hosted by Slamdance, Digidance, Lapdance, Nodance. Slamdunk, and TromaDance. TTie event celebrated the conclusion of Hhe festival week in Utah, in the mountains moun-tains above Park City. - Festival Summit admission was by invitation only, but the public was able to pick up tickets on a firs- come, first-serve first-serve basis Friday morning. All participating partic-ipating festivals were allotted tickets for their filmmakers and staff. ; - "This event grew out of the idea that over the last few years, the festivals have grown friendly and formed a com-jnunity," com-jnunity," said Festival Summit Coordinator Andr6a Clark. "It seemed obvious that the best way to dispel the -notion of competitiveness would be a Uiuge party." : The festivals are proud to have pooled their cumulative resources to -create the first-time event. Nodance Festival Director James Boyd gives credit to Slamdance organizers for orchestrating the event. Boyd received an email from Slamdance in early October inviting him to participate. Representatives from Slamdance, Nodance, Digidance, Slamdunk, and TromaDance met in Los Angeles to -plan the event. "It was like a meeting of the five families," said Boyd. We all sat in one room together and kind of hashed out how we were going to do things. It was funny to see how it progressed." According to Boyd, Slamdance provided pro-vided the venue and majority of the funding for the party, but asked other festivals to bring entertainment and sponsors. "There's a great spirit of comradery there," said Boyd. "Its to ,show the strength of the alternative festivals. fes-tivals. We want to show that we are unified in working together. We are from separate festivals and we are very competitive, but that doesnt mean we cant get together in the same room and have a few beers. We all know each other, some of us have known each other for years. We've made films together, and we make festivals. We just wanted to show everyone up here, the media also, that the spirit of the independent films should be at the Summit Party Friday night." Proceeding the Festival Summit will be several other offerings from this newly formed community, working Please see Summit, C-4 Gen-Y Studknwas? Studio provides space for young filmmakers to tell their stories by Stephanie Howell RECORD GUEST WRITER With an eye toward the future and an international flare, Sundance is nurturing nurtur-ing the next wave of independent filmmakers. film-makers. Students from such diverse locations loca-tions as Afghanistan, The Balkans, The Middle East, South Central Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City converge upon Park City each year for an intensive 5-day educational edu-cational experience at Sundance's Gen-Y Studio. This year approximately 85 students stu-dents participated. Currently in its second year, the program is an extension of the Sundance Youth Education Initiative, explained Gen-Y Studio Manager Meredith Lavitt. "We wanted to create a community at the festival for high school youth," Lavitt said. She hopes the experience will empower students encouraging them to tell their stories, exposing them to the independent film world, and helping them to use film and media as tools for expression. expres-sion. Participating students must be affiliated with either a mediaarts organization organi-zation or a high school film program. Each chaperoned group is asked to bring no more than 5 students, as well as a representative rep-resentative piece of work. Some groups apply to attend; others are invited by festival fes-tival organizers. A typical day Each day begins with a special group screening of a festival film. Afternoons are open and students are encouraged to explore Park City, see films and enjoy the festival. At 5 p.m. they reconvene at the Gen-Y Studio in the Gateway Center. A storyteller opens each evening session in an effort to illustrate to students stu-dents the value of storytelling and its role -in filmmaking. "The root of all good film is a good story," Lavitt noted. "Whether it's a feature fea-ture film or a documentary." From there the evenings progress, with activities ranging from director Q-and-As to guest speakers and special events. One night a representative from HBO discussed the logistical details that must be addressed before a film can be broadcast. Another evening featured a round table discussion on the use of film as a tool for conflict resolution. Getting it all on tape New to the program this year was the video diary component. One student from each group was selected to be a "Video Diarist" - shooting a short (under three- STEPHEN ZUSYiPARK RECORD The Gen-Y Studio, located in the Gateway Center at 136 Heber Ave., exposes young filmmakers like Nick Epperson (above), a junior at Salt Lake's West High School, to the independent film world. minute) video of the festival. The videos were shot and edited with the help of a Sundance staff member. Alma Santa Anna, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School in South Central Los Angeies, was at first uneasy about making a video diary. On unfamiliar unfamil-iar ground (this was her first foray out of Los Angeles), she was at a loss for material. mate-rial. "I was really nervous because I didn't know what to film," she told The Park Record. On the night her piece was screened the soft-spoken Santa Anna fretted about how her voice would sound during the narration and worried about the reaction of her peers. Her eyes light up when she describes the outcome. "Last night when I was showing it everyone responded really positively," she says, smiling shyly. "I just felt proud." Lavitt too has been pleased with the resulting videos, which she calls "amazing and funny and exactly what we wanted." She hopes to expand the pilot program next year to allow all students the option of shooting a video diary. Epperson, a junior at Salt Lake City's West High School. Though West High is within an hour's drive of Park City, Epperson too was out of his comfort zone. "It's really alienating to come up to Park City because it's sort of like L.A. and everyone's rich," he said. Nonetheless he overcame these feelings and took full advantage of what the program offered -even scoring some prized one-on-pne time with a film director. And though he calls the experience "very exhausting," he sees its value. "There's just great opportunities here," he said. Bridging the cultural gap One such opportunity is the chance to meet and mingle with international students. stu-dents. Each evening student work is shown and discussed. Often these screenings screen-ings are eye-opening, giving students insight into the lives of their peers. Tuesday, Jan. 23, "Peace of Mind" was among the films screened. The 56-minute 56-minute film follows the lives of three Palestinian and four Israeli high school students who spend four weeks together at a camp in the United States. The students eat, bunk, and hang out together. They also have heated discussions dis-cussions about 1 948. which the Israeli students stu-dents celebrate as the beginning of Israeli independence. The Palestinian students, on the other hand, refer to the same year as "The Catastrophe.'" and mourn it as the year Palestinians became refugees. Toting cameras, the seven young filmmakers return to their homelands and continue documenting their lives. They maintain their friendships with each other despite astounding obstacles and even manage to negotiate a lew visits. "It's not an everyday thing, that you have Palestinians coming over to your house and eating dinner with you and your family." says Israeli Sivan Ranon before one such visit. Later, Ranon visits her friend Bushra Jawabri at her home in the Arroub Refugee Camp. Though in the film Ranon acts unconcerned about the journey (in order to receive parental permission), during the post-film discussion she conceded that she was scared. As she neared the refugee camp she was suddenly aware that she heard no Hebrew being spoken. She saw no Israelis on the streets. "I got a little nervous," she admitted. However, she Please see Gen-Y, C-4 tI i4v--ptoth Van r , 9 RHNnS! The Summit Institute's annual winter fundraiser is Feb. 10. Participants will enjoy a continental breakfast and skiing at The Canyons with Hillary Lindh, then head to Park City for lunch and more skiing. The day finishes at Deer Valley with guided tours led by Heidi Voelker followed by an apres ski party and silent auction at a Bald Eagle Home. Tickets for the entire day are $350, or just the party for $100. Reservations will be taken through Feb. 2 at 649-2315. The People's Health Center Mobile Health Van is open every Monday, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Summit County Health Dept. in Prospector Square (near 7-Eleven). No appointment is necessary. The Pediatric Clinic is held the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at McPolin Elementary School. You can do it! Free "Quit Smoking" packets are available at the Summit County Health Department. Make a change today. Call 649-9072 649-9072 for more information. Here's Some FREE Advice That Could Actually Pay off FBBB .blackhawk bhti IJBHLI www.ParkCityHomes.com DOR COPY |