The Sundance Film Festival has long been associated with independent films. But independent might not mean what many casual film fans believe.
The Sundance Institute was established by Robert Redford and friends in 1981. The group of founders were looking for new ways to expand the artistic quality of American films. The institute puts on the festival which has now become synonymous for cutting edge film making.
The competition received 2,485 feature film submissions and 389 short film submissions this year. But not every film-maker with a story to tell and a digital camera gets their chance to shine.
According to Patricia Suchy, the new director of the audio visual art minor at LSU, Sundance is not living up to its intentions.
“Sundance is no longer fulfilling what its promise was, because now it is basically a place for Miramax to go shopping,” Suchy said. “It’s the cycle of the little independents becoming the corporation.”
Suchy said it takes more than most students would imagine to create a film worthy of a major festival.
“Filmmaking is a lot easier because of digital video, but it’s not going to walk up and hit you in the face,” Suchy said.
Ryan Moock, who just graduated last fall and was vice-president of the Cinema Club, knows the plight of student filmmakers. Though he has never submitted to a major film festival, he has had films in New Orleans festivals and the Baton Rouge Outhouse festival.
“It’s all about finding the time and the means to be able to make quality films worthy of competition,” Moock said. “Making films has to be your job. There isn’t room for school, work, and films. It’s just not going to happen.”
Moock said most films in the Sundance Film Festival have been financed by major backers and local filmmakers have huge hurdles to overcome.
“Things that have gone to Sundance and Cannes have whole production crews. There is no way anybody around here can come close to competing with that,” Moock said.
Many Sundance films contain well-known stars, often trying to develop indie-cred. Ashton Kuthcer’s “The Butterfly Effect” premiered at Sundance as well as Courntey Cox’s new drama “November.”
Local filmmakers’ Studio 8 planned to submit their feature-length film “Everything is Everything,” but missed the entry deadline by two days.
“It’s just a huge step to submit to Sundance, because Sundance is for the big dogs,” said Javier Marcheselli, 22, who helped in production for “Everything is Everything.” “You know that if you were to get in you’d be playing cards with the best of the best. Sundance now is mainly for independent films that use quality movie stars but are still independents.”
But, Sundance does harbor a creative outlet for independent films with no name actors.
This year saw the film “Primer” win the Dramatic Grand Jury prize with a paltry $7,000 budget.
Sundance even featured a documentary edited entirely on the Apple computer program iMovie, one of the most basic editing programs available. “Tarnation,” the hybrid documentary, was made for $218.32 in videotape and materials, proving it does not require high-tech equipment to make a film.
Requirements for submission include a comprehensive application and a $50 submission fee. Unfinished edits are not accepted and submissions must be admitted by VHS or DVD.
Patrick Hubley the festival’s press office manager said there are lots of different reasons a movie is chosen, and production value does play a role.
“We play independents and we play the best independents out there,” Hubley said.
Though standards of admission are not rigorous, to some students $7,050 is still too much.
“It’s a tough egg to crack,” Moock said. “Besides just equipment you need extras, actors, and a crew. Even if you have the volunteers, they don’t know how to use the stuff.”
To get around the high costs of production, Moock creates short films set to lyric-less music.
“It’s a whole new methodology,” Moock said. “It’s how can I actually make something and finish it.”
Sundance has adapted to the world of short-digital films by presenting the Sundance Online Film Festival.
Sundance is now in its fourth year of sponsoring the Online Film Festival which allows filmmakers who have created films under 20 minutes to be shown on the Internet. This competition even offers a mere $25 entry fee.
According to eligibility requirements listed on www.sundance.org, “Films produced, financed, or initiated by a major motion picture company are not eligible for SOFF. However, any film that conforms to the above guidelines and is produced, financed or acquired by an independent division of a studio is eligible.”
The guidelines also are specific that the film cannot be currently available to viewers on the Internet or any other showcase platform.
Submissions to SOFF are available for viewing through www.sundance.org until Feb. 15.
Festivals like SOFF and local film-festivals allow filmmakers with something beyond the basic narrative film a chance to show their work.
“The quality varies, but it’s exciting because of the democratization going on in filmmaking because of the digital revolution.” Suchy said. “Not that everything is good, but everything is possible.”
Even if it is not possible at Sundance.