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Show THE MORE IT CHANGESJHE M ft RE IT STAYS.THE SAME, V S7S 1 Ik As the days of summer shorten into autumn, Sundance Film Festival Program Director John Cooper knows his days in the sun will become limited, and not just because ot the change ot' season. sea-son. In September, the Sundance Film Festival issues a general call for the following year's festival, festi-val, beginning a two-month process in which Cooper does nothing but sit in a screening room viewing independent films and taking notes. "I'd say its both my least and most favorite part of being a part of the festival," Cooper said. Last fall, Cooper and the Festival's four other members of the programming team Genftrev Gilmore, Trevor Groth, Shari Frilot and Caroline Libresco received 2,012 feature submissions for the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, not to mention the 4,500 submissions received for the fes- tival's Shorts program. How is it possible to wade through more than 5,000 hours of features, documentaries and short films to create one of the most recognized film festivals in the world? It seems easier to begin with the end of the process. "It you were a fly on the wall in those last davs ot the programming process, what you'd witness wit-ness is five people in a room, with about one-third more films than we need, arguing about whv we think a certain film needs to be a part of the festival," Cooper savs. About 10 years ago, before the Sundance Film Festival emerged onto the world filmmaking scene with Miramax's Sex, Lies and Videotape, Cooper, Gilmore and other Sundance Film Festival forefathers and mothers had to beg filmmakers to submit films for their "little Utah film festival." "I ironically remember thinking that if we could get just one story about the Sundance Film Festival published in a major magazine or newspaper we wouldn't have to work so hard to get people to submit their work," Cooper said. Now, although festival press operations must focus more on trying to control the throngs of media that descend on Park City every year than enticing entic-ing them to come, the core mission of the festival remains the same providing a forum for talented tal-ented independent filmmakers to show their work. And nowhere is this more evident than in the film selection process. "Even when we had to actively campaign for people to submit their work," Cooper says, "we've always been very selective about what eventually makes it into the festival program." Longtime observers of the festival, like Salt Lake Tribune Movie Critic Sean P. Means, say this selectivity and keen ability to focus on the mission of the festival despite all the hype now swirling around it, is what separates Sundance from many other events of its kind. "The core of the festival is still what it was 12 years ago and that's to create a pleasant place for talented filmmakers to get exposure for their work," Means said. "I think it's a real tribute to the programmers that in spite of all the pressures to sell out, or to feature certain films, they've been able to maintain the integrity and original idea the festival was founded upon." Part of maintaining a forum for good movies, is defining what 'good film' really means. While sifting through more than 5,000 hours of film in search of each year's program, Cooper explained, the biggest challenge is to not be critical, but to focus on creating a program. "Just because I don't necessarily like a movie doesn't mean I don't think it will make a Please see Picking on page 12 1 (M) dssmss &m& awtee Open Sundays through the winter season. OIOIOJ (kiaasi) fB lite (Baft fV ffto J . . Welcome to a Whole New World E-1 ''"'!.!U.1''J! ,4 ' 'J) - U MS id you know an incredible town ccnitr is being built along Park Cinrs entry corridor? fYcKMing Fox Point at Radtortt. when you can shop. dine, srr a movie, or soothe your ul arrud rhc bcaury of the Swancr Memorial Park and Nature Proem. Oily a fortunate lew will be able to live within (hi magical community. Two and three bedroom Condominiums and Townhomes are now available from $186,500 to $258,500. ht IStokMVUUK C.OVIJU 1: COUKT KLEKAS STEVE PRATT 455-65V4900 435-649 7944 FAX m toxn mn r r it ihtosmom t Prudential Utrti Rul Ettat Fox Point at Rf MTON EqufMar Alo PjA Cirri mtry cMriibr. tctom (txm tbr Uwh Olympic Sjiom Pari. 2$ muw from tlw Sji Ju Ut 1 AWpnn. |
