Rules of Distraction

Took a flight from John Wayne to Salt Lake. Took a Black Escalade to Park City. Watched Pearl Harbor as we sat in traffic. I'm staying at "The Yarrow", the official home of Sundance. Called my parents. Called a friend from school who lives here. Saw her later that night. Met a couple of classmates. We buy cheap beer and chips and salsa. I flirt a bit more at the local Albertsons. Buy some Postcards and Hand Soap, then back to the room and munch on See's Candy. I wander around until it started to snow and my roommate arrived, then our class had Pizza on Main. Went to Charlie's Pub. Saw "In Bruges". Saw "The Wackness". Saw "American Son". Ate a lot of weird Room Service. It snowed a lot. I cruise the Downtown District, visit the Sundance Headquarters, visit Jen's Boutique, eat a lot of sushi. I meet a guy across the hall who has connections and the three of us party hop: Harry O's, TAO, No Name Saloon, the Indes Mogel Party at the Deer Valley Lodge. The locals are cool. Lots of UGGS. Wandered around, bought a lot of coffee, drank some amazing Vodka Tonics. Bought a scarf and went skiing with Uncle Brian. Saw my Dad. Saw Collective Soul. Drank Free Beer. I wake to the sound of a cell phone alarm at 6 AM and it's below cold. I wish I could Ice-Skate around town. Got the hang of the Bus System, take it everywhere. Saw Perez Hilton. Saw Ian Ziering. Saw Nick Cannon. Saw Colin Farrell. Saw Christopher Waitt. Saw Directors, Composers, Screenwriters. Went to the Entertainment Tonight Party with Sam and Marie. Went to the T-Mobile Party. Wanted to see 50 Cent play but the tickets were $2000. Jen invites Marie and I over for dinner. She makes Pesto Pasta with Chicken. We do a load of laundry, play cards and catch up with the Professors. Her mom makes cookies and we play with "Babe" dog. Too many Hollywood people, too many lame Park City wannabes. Paris Hilton's here. The Olsen Twins are here. Dr. McNamara's here. Shar Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, Mischa Barton and Josh Hartnett are here. I slipped once in the ice and Sam had to help me up. He leaves for Australia next semester and told us he'd postcard everyday. The first run we skiied was a Blue Diamond. The mountain is beautiful in a way I can't describe. We ride the chair lifts and pass a "Panty Tree". I love my roommate. Forget my Camera Cord to upload Pictures. Had class yesterday but got lost looking for the Board Room. Check my emails. Send a Happy Birthday Wish to my sister. Mail some Postcards. Play with Icicles. Work on Homework. Read the Text. Want to see the Polanski Film. Want to see the Hunter S. Thompson Film. Saw Jen's High school, which was ridiculously opulent. Marie and I have to Wait-List a movie today, stand for two hours to get into the Library Theatre. My hotel has an outdoor jacuzzi. The maid steals my Loofah but we get Free Internet Service. I feel like I could live here forever. I'm grateful for my opportunities. For my family. For my friends. I feel like I'm floating. Cloud Nine. I feel like the ghost of a total stranger. Damn, it feels good.

SunDance 2008

Welcome Welcome


The beginning is always different. We all come from somewhere else. And whether your own journey has brought you from across the globe or from around the corner, I invite you to discover the new voices and stories presented in film, music and art through yours truly, at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Using the official film guide, I'm going to list off (in order) the films that compose the following main categories. And don't forget to experience the film festival online to learn more about movies and artists.


Documentary: From explorations of cultural trends and political movements to examinations of deeply-personal issues, documentary films offer new ways to understand our world. With spectacular variety, these films represent the best new work in American Non-Fiction Filmmaking.

An American Soldier
American Teen
Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Fields Of Fuel
Flow: For Love Of Water
Gonzo: Life & Work Of Hunter S. Thompson
The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo
I.O.U.S.A
Nerakhoon (The Betrayal)
The Order Of The Myths
Patti Smith: Dream Of Life
Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired
Secrecy
Slingshot Hip Hop
Traces Of The Trade: A Story From The Deep North
Trouble The Water


Dramatic Competition: The vision and creativity of independent filmmakers can be seen through the Festival's diverse and highly anticipated competition of dramatic films. Representing unique perspectives and aesthetics, these films signal the arrival of the newest voices/storytelling.

American Son
Anywhere, USA
Choke
Downloading Nancy
Frozen River
Good Dick
The Last Word
The Mysteries Of Pittsburgh
North Starr
Phoebe In Wonderland
Pretty Bird
Sleep Dealer
Sugar
Sunshine Cleaning
The Wackness


World Cinema Documentary Competition: The Sundance Film Festival proudly presents a selection of extraordinary documentaries from talented filmmakers around the world - inviting us to explore the complexity of the human experience.

Alone In Four Walls
The Art Star & The Sudanese Twins
Be Like Others
A Complete History Of My Sexual Failures
Derek
Dinner With The President: A Nation's Journey
Durakovo: Village Of Fools
In Prison My Whole Life
Man On Wire
Puujee
Recycle
Stranded: I've Come From A Plane That Crashed On The Mountains
Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma
Up The Yangtze
The Women Of Brukman
Yasukuni


World Cinema Dramatic Competition: These films provide a window into the thematic concerns of artists around the globe. These works symbol a way to honor independent spirits in filmmakers.

Absurdistan
Blue Eyelids
Captain Abu Raed
The Drummer
I Always Wanted To Be A Gangster
Just Another Love Story
King Of Ping Pong
Mancora
Megane (Glasses)
Mermaid
Perro Come Perro (Dog Eat Dog)
Riprendimi (Good Morning Heartache)
Strangers
Under The Bombs
The Wave
The Wind And The Water


Premiers: To showcase the diversity of contemporary cinema, the Sundance Film Festival's Premieres program offers a selection of the latest work from established directors and world premiers of anticipated films.

Assassination Of A High School President
Be Kind Rewind
CSNY: Déjà Vu
The Deal
Death In Love
Diminished Capacity
The Escapist
The Great Buck Howard
The Guitar
Henry Poole Is Here
In Bruges
Incendiary
The Merry Gentlement
A Raisin In The Sun
Savage Grace
Sleepwalking
Smart People
Towelhead
Transsiberian
U2 - 3D
The Visitor
What Just Happened?
The Year Of Getting To Know Us
The Yellow Handkerchief


Spectrum: Presenting out-of-competition films from around the world, the Spectrum Program is a tribute to the abundance of the compelling new voices and creative spirit in independent filmmaking. This year, the Festival presents films in a Documentary Spotlight.

Anvil! The True Story Of Anvil
The Black List
Kicking It
The Linguists
Made In America
Where In The World Is Osama bin Laden?
Young@Heart
August
Baghead
Birds Of America
Blind Date
Bottle Shock
Chronic Town
Goliath
A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy
Love Comes Lately
Momma's Man
Quid Pro Quo
Red


Park City At Midnight: These films offer a lively last stop on the nightly social circuit. With films ranging from horror to comedies to explicit animation, these films are a treat for true cinephiles and casual filmgoers alike.

Adventures Of Power
The Broken
Donkey Punch
Funny Games
George A. Romero's Diary Of The Dead
Hell Ride
Otto; Up With Dead People
Time Crimes


Each year, the SFF presents screenings of archival films pulled from the holdings of the Sundance Collection at UCLA. Established as a joint partnership of Sundance Institute and the UCLA Film and Television Archive, the Sundance Collection at UCLA is a groundbreaking archive of independent films shown at the festival and supported by the Institute's artist development programs. This year, the two films shown will be: Edward II (1991) and The Living End (1992).


Shorts Programs: Fueled by artistic expression, shorts have the ability to transcend traditional storytelling. The Festival's Shorts Programs showcase the creative boundary-pushing work of filmmaking's newest talent. Premiering January 18th and running all 10 days of the Festival, audiences worldwide can view one each day for FREE at www.sundance.org/festival.

Shorts Programs I - Aquarium
Shorts Programs II - Chief
Shorts Programs III - Sikumi
Shorts Programs IV - The Loss Of A Wrestling Match
Shorts Programs V - I Love Sarah Jane
Documentary Spotlight - Farewell Packets Of Ten
Frontier Shorts Program - Gas Zappers


Animation Spotlight: Whether hand-drawn, computer-animated or stop-motion, these animated stories are more mesmerizing and daring than ever. A love story, murder and cover-up fill a gripping noir thriller. Delightfully strong women stop at nothing when identity, dinner or their insatiable curiosity is at stake. A repressed man seeking God in forbidden places finds more than he bargains for. And to stir things up, a bunch of partying cowboys and revengeful astronauts are ready to rewrite the history of America. Oh! And here's the latest from our beat-up rock idol Bobby Bird and his monkey tale of friendship.

Yours Truly - 8 Minutes
Chonto - 15 Minutes
Lapsus - 4 Minutes
Madame Tutli-Putli - 17 Minutes
1977 - 9 Minutes
For The Love Of God - 11 Minutes
Dog - 1 Minute
The Pearce Sisters - 9 Minutes
The History Of America - 31 Minutes


New Frontier: Highlighting work that pushes the boundaries, these celebrate the convergence of film and art as an emerging hotbed for new ideas/experimentation. The works create a social space that showcase artist installations, live performances and thought-provoking panels.

Film - Seven Intellectuals In Bamboo Forest, Parts 4 And 5
Film - Casting A Glance
Film - Eat, For This Is My Body
Film - Fear(s) Of The Dark
Film - Half-Life
Film - Reversion

Art - Robert Boyd (Xanadu)
Art - Doug Aitken (Sleepwalkers)
Art - Cause Collective (Along The Way)
Art - Jim Capbell (Home Movies)
Art - Graffiti Research Lab (L.A.S.E.R. Tag)
Art - Hasan Elahi (Tracking Transience: The Orwell Project)
Art - Stephanie Rothenberg & Jeffery Crouse (Invisible Threads)
Art - Daniel Rozin (Peg Mirror And Snow Mirror)
Art - Eddo Stern (Darkgame And Best Flame War Ever)
Art - Jennifer Steinkamp (Mike Kelley Trees)
Art - Marina Zurkow (The Poster Children And Heroes Of The Revolution)

Music - Ingrid Michaelson
Music - Sea Wolf
Music - Motion City Soundtrack
Music - Metric !!!
Music - Patti Smith
Music - Adam Levy
Music - Meiko

I think I've covered most of it for now. Call if you have questions! Signing off.