2023 Sundance Film Festival – Back in Person

Touching down in Salt Lake City, there’s a buzz of excitement and a lot of shivering (it’s cold out here folks) as you walk out of the airport. Having flown in on the Day 1 of the festival, I regrettably missed a handful of in-person premieres and events, but the festivities were just getting started.

Day Two

Navigating the festival in person can be daunting and a little overwhelming in the frigid weather, but luckily, the festival volunteers are eagerly happy to steer you in the right direction (shortcuts included) from the shuttle to the theater.

I eventually found my way to Eccles Theatre for the premiere of STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie. I was profoundly blown away by director Davis Guggenheim’s artistic take on the documentary film. There was a cinematic narrative flair thanks to the editing by Michael Harte, the musical undertones by John Powell, and the collective camera work from C. Kim Miles, Julia Liu, and Clair Popkin. And at the heart of the film is the one and only, Michael J. Fox. Hearing his story, in his voice, about his ups and downs as an artist, how one little movie, Back to the Future, changed his life forever, the ego that got the best of him, living with Parkinson’s Disease, to building a family of his own that would be his central anchor in life, it all builds to a story worth telling and hearing.

Later that evening I attended the premiere screening of Cassandro, by writer-director Roger Ross Williams. The film tells the story of real-life gay luchador Saúl Armendáriz from his rise to fame as the “Liberace of Lucha libre.” Filmmaker Roger Ross Williams comes from the world of documentary filmmaking – let’s not forget to add, Williams is an Academy Award-winning documentarian – and his narrative feature directorial debut is worthy of repeat viewing, when possible. Williams’ attention to character, motivation, world-building, and the silent moments, is worth noting, and I believe that is partly in thanks to his background as a documentarian. Gael García Bernal beautifully portrays the titular character, with grace and love.

I must add, the one and only Saúl Armendáriz was also in attendance at the premiere. When Saúl made his way to his seat for the screening, the theater quickly echoed in applause and chanting, “Cassandro! Cassandro! Cassandro!” – his appreciation of that moment is something I’ll never forget. But most notably, during the poignant emotional moments of this movie, I couldn’t help but to glance over at Saúl as he sat on the edge of his seat, smiling, nodding his head, and wiping tears from his cheek - that is a moment in time that will sit with me forever.

Day Three

I made my way to Main Street in Park City – the central hub of the festival. I was invited to speak with Olga Segura, one of the three co-founders behind The Latinx House. Within nearly five years of the organization’s inception, it has grown to become a mainstay and important pathway for Latinx storytellers. Touting as having one of the largest venues on Main Street this year at the festival, it was great to experience their inviting space, listen to a wonderful panel of filmmakers, and an honor to speak with Olga. Stay tuned for the full conversation with co-founder and producer Olga Segura.

Later that evening, I settled in at the Ray Theatre (for those attending screenings there – bundle up, it’s cold in there!) for the premiere of Alice Englert’s Bad Behaviour, starring Jennifer Connelly. The central character, Lucy, played by Connelly, takes us on a wild, emotional, chaotic, unsettling ride while attending a silent retreat at a mountain resort. Her daughter, Dylan, a stunt performer, wonderfully played by Alice Engert, is also at emotional odds, and also takes us on a wild ride of her own. The mother-daughter dynamic is visceral and disarming, but there’s a moment of truth when the two characters align with one another. The way Englert is able to capture that on camera is remarkable. The weirder the film gets, the better it becomes – Englert comfortably leans into the absurdity and chaos of emotions, or lack thereof, between mother and daughter.

For those that haven’t made the trek to Salt Lake City for screenings, I suggest you do – the Megaplex has heated reclining chairs! But also, the theater makes for a great and comfortable screening experience. With that said, I ended the evening watching To Live & Die and Live by filmmaker Qasim Basir. There are so many layers to this film to dissect and digest as a viewer, as a human, and as a citizen of the U.S. The film follows Muhammad, exceptionally played by Amin Joseph, a Hollywood film director who returns home to Detroit for his stepfather’s funeral. Over the course of the film, we witness this man struggle with his coping mechanisms of alcohol and drug abuse, to subside the pain, but it only manages to make it worse for him. We see his family dynamics, his nurturing and caregiving spirit, and finding space for his beloved city. There’s more to this film than meets the eye and deserves all the accolades.

Day Four

Hartbeat’s Women Write Now fellowship developed in partnership with Sundance Institute and founded by Hartbeat CEO Thai Randolph and Head of Film, Candice Wilson Cherry, is a comedic writing fellowship designed to champion the next generation of Black women in comedy. This year’s writer’s short films will be making their debut exclusively during the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2023.

[Sundance Film Festival 2023 - Interview with 'Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out' Director Jake Van Wagoner and Screenwriter Austin Everett]

Stay tuned for full interviews with this year’s fellowship three emerging writers Mayanna Berrin, Kianna Butler Jabangwe, and Danielle Solomon, as well as with guest directors Logan Browning and Nicole Byer.