Sundance Film Festival 2023 #DAY 4

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cynthia Erivo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lena Waithe, Randall Park, Barry Jenkins, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Eve Hewson, Ryan Coogler, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson & More Participate in Fourth Day of Sundance Film Festival’s Programming 

Yesterday’s Festival events included buzzing press lines and premieres for Bad Press, Girl, Going Varsity In Mariachi, Iron Butterflies, Is There Anybody Out There?, Murder In Big Horn, My Animal, Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV, Onyx The Fortuitous and the Talisman Of Souls, Rotting In the Sun, Scrapper, SLAM, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, Sorcery, The Tuba Thieves and more. As well as a celebration of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival producers with the announcement of the Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Award and a keynote address by producers Heather Rae and Nina Yang Bongiovi.

Yesterday’s Documentary Short Film Program included Call Me Mommy, Liturgy of anti-tank Obstacles, Margie Soudek's Salt and Pepper Shakers, Shirampari: Legacies of the River, and Will You Look At Me.The Animated Short Film Program included BurgerWorld, By Water, Christopher at Sea, fur, Garrano, Oxytocin, The Sea on the Day When the Magic Returns, Well Wishes My Love, and Your Love.

HIGHLIGHTS

2023 Sundance Producers Celebration

This annual event, sponsored by Amazon Studios and hosted by the Sundance Producers Program, shined a light on the 2022-2023 Sundance Institute Producing Fellows, featured a keynote address by producers Heather Rae and Nina Yang Bongiovi, and presented the 2023 Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Awards.

Jess Devaney/Multitude Films (It’s Only Life After All, Premieres; Milisuthando (World Cinema Documentary) received the 2023 Amazon Studios Nonfiction Producers Award and Kara Durrett (The Starling Girl, U.S. Dramatic Competition) received the 2023 Amazon Studios Fiction Producers Award.

Onyx Collective’s Storytellers Showcase

Talent included journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, director Roger Ross Williams, director Ryan Coogler, and filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

FILM PREMIERES

You Hurt My Feelings 

Film talent included Julia Louis-Dreyfus and director/screenwriter Nicole Holofcener who walked the press line. 

“Working with Nicole as a writer and director is irresistible. [The film] is a very small thing about a very big thing and that was what was appealing to me about it,” said Julia Louis-Dreyfus. During the film’s Q&A, Michael J. Fox, who was in the audience, stood up to exclaim that the movie felt like it was based on his own 35-year marriage and said “Where’s my money?”

Nicole Holofcener said that she encouraged improvising on set “Why wouldn't I just let them go? I was just watching it and so many of the lines were spontaneous and got such good laughs, I'm like great, it makes me look better!” 

Shortcomings 

Film talent included Justin H. Min, Debby Ryan, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Timothy Simons, and director Randall Park, who was making his directorial debut, who walked the press line.

On the press line, Sherry Cola gushed about working with the cast of the film and said “this feels like a dream come true.”  The film received a standing ovation from the crowd following the conclusion of the film. 

During the Q&A, when speaking about adapting the graphic novel into a film 15 years after first experiencing it, Park said “What blew me away was seeing these Asian-American characters living their everyday lives and I saw so much of my friends and specific places and things we do on regular days… [it] felt in that way very real to me and I hadn't seen anything like that in any kind of media reflected back at me.” 

Flora and Son 

Film talent included Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Orén Kinlan, Jack Reynor, and director/writer/producer John Carney who walked the press line. 

The film received a standing ovation from the audience following the conclusion of the screening. 

John Carney teased that he has a cameo in the film. He said the pandemic allowed him to be especially creative when writing the script. The story is inspired by his mother and their relationship. He also acknowledged Eve Hewson’s mom Ali Hewson in the audience.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt praised both the script and working with John Carney, and continued by saying he convinced Carney to give him the role, and they are both glad he did.

Eve Hewson knew she wanted the role after reading the script calling it “one of best scripts I ever read” and called her character “a wild, beautiful, broken, nut job.” She spoke fondly of the spontaneous way Carney works, how he had them write the songs together on set and said that this was one of best experiences she ever had on a movie set . 

Drift 

Film talent included Cynthia Erivo and Alia Shawkat as well as director Anthony Chen walked the press line. 

A Thousand and One 

Film talent included Teyana Taylor (along with her family), director A.V. Rockwell, and producer Lena Waithe who walked the press line. At the conclusion of the screening the audience gave the film a standing ovation. 

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt 

Film talent included Sheila Atim, Chris Chalk, Charlene McClure, Reggie Helms Jr, director/writer Raven Jackson, and producer Barry Jenkins walked the press line.

Rotting in the Sun

Film talent included Jordan Firstman, Martine Gutierrez, and director, screenwriter, and cast member Sebastián Silva. 

Young. Wild. Free.

Film talent included Sanaa Lathan, Tamala Jones, Sierra Capri, Algee Smith, and director Thembi L. Banks who walked the press line.

Jamojaya

Film talent included Kyle Mooney, Kate Lyn Sheil, Yayu A.W. Unru, Brian "Rich Brian" Imanue, Henry Ian Cusick, and director/writer/producer Justin Chon who walked the press line.

Going Varsity In Mariachi 

Film talent included co-directors Sam Osborn and Alejandra Vasquez.

A local student mariachi band “Mariachi Juvenil de Utah” performed at the premiere.



 Courtesy of Sundance Institute