Fabien’s blog from Sundance Part 2

Midnight at the Eccles theatre, over 1000 people are queuing to see ‘The Carter‘ the documentary looking at the rapper Dwayne “Lil’ Wayne” Carter, Jr. A boisterous and young audience fill the waiting tent outside the theatre. I arrive with new festival acquaintance, Annabel who is covering the festival for a belgium newspaper. So cold. we wait over and hour with only the crowd for warmth!

There is a real buzz to this screening, the audience are mostly massive ‘Lil’ Wayne fans who are dressed in hip hop attire. In the cinema, there are shouts and chants of lyrics and whoops! This was by far the most ‘event’ like mood of any screening.

The film was pretty compelling, following Lilwayne on tour in Europe, recording and writing from the back of his tour bus and endless references to his strange addiction to cough syrup.

The next day I wake at 8am, two cups of weak american coffee I head to the festival to see buzz doc titles ‘Afghan Star‘ by British filmmaker Havana Marking about a generation of young Afghans trying to break into democracy through Afghanistan’s own version of “American Idol“.

Afghan Star

The film follows three different families of the contestants battling out for the big prize. A really touching and moving film, a Q&A followed the
film with representatives from ‘Afghan Star‘. Would love to screen the film in the UK. I catch up with Jess Search from Shooting People who pins an ‘I love Kabul’ badge to my jacket. I wear it with pride!

I head to the Racquet theatre to see Lee Daniels ‘Push‘, a really harrowing and brilliant film based on the book by New York writer Sapphire. The films has Maria Carey in a supporting role as a social worker who was surprisingly convincing as well as Lenny Cravitz playing a nurse! The film is tough to watch dealing with abuse and inceste and child pregnancy but strangely the story is uplifting. There is a real honesty to the script and there is an amazing performance from unknown actress Gabourey Sidibe playing the main character Saphire.

I head to see the Shorts 3 programme, highlights are Swedish Director Patrick Eklund’s ‘Instead of Abracadabra‘ and Icelandic ‘Two Birds‘ from Runar Runarsson. ‘Two Birds a hard hitting film of teenage love and excess, Instead of Abracadabra a funny and honest look at a magicians ‘craft’.

Instead of Abracadabra

I head down to the Canadian party on Main Street where I meet old friend Thesy, an actress based in LA and we meander through the bustle. Rita who works for New films international grabs me as she has just met ex-Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bass player Melissa Auf der Maur who is in town with her short film ‘Out of her minds’. We have an excited conversation about film and live music and bringing her to the UK for do a Future Shorts Live event!

The next morning, I sleepily head to the Eccles theatre for a screening of the most anticipated film of the festival ‘I Love You Phillip Morris‘ starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. The film is a funny, sometimes explicit love story based on the true-life tale of a onetime married police officer turned gay Texan conman, Steven Russell. Overall a pretty good film.

I Love You Philip Morris

I get on the theatre loop bus (these buses are the only way of getting around Sundance as the cinemas are all over the town) and head
to see music video director Mark Webb’s ‘500 Days of Summer‘. A very funny and innovative take at at the Boy Meet Gal, Gal leaves boy, Boy breaks down pic. Really entertaining and Zoe Dechanel shines as Summer.

500 Days of Summer

Amreeka

I head to see a film everyone is talking about ‘Amreeka‘. The film is Director Cherien Dabis debut about Muna Farah and her son who escapes from the hellish West Bank to the what seems an even more hellish small town in Illinois. This is a witty, honest and very moving film about immigration in the US.

Report back soon!

Future Shorts at the Sundance Film Festival 09

Still Jetlagged and woozy from the altitude, I clambered to the only seat left in Eccles, the 1360 capacity main cinema at Sundance Festival. The opening film was Mary and Max, the first feature from FS favourite Harvie Krumpet claymation animation director Adam Elliot. Even darker than the short and hugely ambitious, The story revolved around Mary Dinkle, a lonely 8 year old girl from Melbourne and her relationship with Max Horrowitz a seriously obese isolated man from New York City. A really moving and funny film.

I headed for Main Street and the famous Egyptian theatre where I ran into the man responsible for it all, Robert Redford in a rather dashing black beret, I joined his entourage and ended up in the New Frontiers, a space dedicated to installations and video art. He walked around the space greeting filmmakers for about 15 minutes and headed out.

The legendary Egyptian Theatre

The opening press conference at the Egyptian theatre had Robert Redford in an optimistic mood “This could be a very inspiring time for artists,” he told the crowd. He talked about the first 25 years talking about how the first few years he had to stand outside the screenings hustling people to come in like the guys outside a strip joint.

Robert Redford speaking at New Frontiers

Met this Canadian filmmaker walking down main street who confided that Def Jam /Island records were having a party and their new signing ‘Razorlight‘ was playing! So after persuading the door I was big british music critic, I watched Johnny Borrell and his drummer play to only 100 sundance snow booted hipsters.

The following morning I headed to the Racquet Cinema to see ‘Shorts 2′ programme. Standouts included Vice Founder Gavin McInnes starring ‘Arsehole‘ and a two strong Australian films Miracle Fish and Jerrycan. The latter being executively produced by Nash Edgerton, the fantastic director of Spider and Lucky.

Heading now to see midnight screening ‘The Carter‘ the doc about syrup addicted massive rapper ‘Lil Wayne‘ will report back soon…