Snow Can't Dampen Spirit at 2008 Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival 2008 in Park City, Utah, opened on January 17, at the Eccles Theatre with the world premiere of a suspense film name In Bruges, written and directed by Martin McDonagh. According to www.sundance.org, McDonagh is a first-time feature filmmaker and award-winning playwright. The film has an International cast and setting of two hit men in London.

This event, with film enthusiasts, filmmakers and new Independent films, will share their passion in the film industry for 10 days from January 17 to January 27. Variety and Hollywood Reporter reported that "the first sales of the festival were happening with HBO picking up Black List Vol. 1 and Zaitgeist picking up Yanhtze."

Peter Golub is the director of the Sundance Film Music Program Composer Lab. Throughout the year, Golub organizes the music events and concerts sponsored by Sundance. Collaborations by directors and composers were organized at discussion panels throughout the festival with many discussions and questions of developing film. A discussion panel is an event for ticket holders and people with credentials. Golub explains, "A discussion panel at the event is a panel of 15 to 16 directors and composers who work on film and collaborate to discuss and answer questions on the process of film-making."

Patti Smith, a singer, songwriter and journalist who performs punk, rock and protopunk, and Mos Def, an American actor and rapper, performed Sunday, January 20, at the Sundance House. There was also an appearance from Michael Gondry, who is a film & video director and screenwriter since 1986.

Despite the cold winter weather and snow, "the mood here is quite exciting. People are still looking around for an opportunity to take a picture of a celebrity," said Michael S. Patterson, an independent film composer. The snow covered streets filled with filmmakers and entertainers and spectators came from different regions to enjoy the festivities. Winter scenes with snow figurines and hanging sneakers from bare branches of trees was like a winter wonderland. Well-known directors, such as, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Schneider and many more kept the spirits of the Sundance Film Festival alive.

Patterson scored with This Film Is Not Rated, part of the Sundance Film Festival in 2006; he returned this year for the premiers of the film Half-Life. The first two screenings were on Saturday, January 19, at the Holiday Village Cinema III and Tuesday, January 22, at the Egyptian Theatre. The afterward party held for Half-Life was on the night of the 22nd sponsored by Film Independent, Absolute Vodka and Turning Leaf wines. Stephen Farber said in The Hollywood Reporter that "films like this that remind us why Sundance was launched and why it continues to have value."

A party to salute The Film Independent Fellows with feature films was held at the Turning Leaf Lounge. Films recognized were Half-Life with Jennifer Phang, writer and director, and Ben Berkowitz, co-Producer of the film; writer and director Lance Hammer of Ballast and Rebecca Sonnenshine, the producer of Reversion. Patterson was amazed at the film Ballast stating, "An amazing film, the type of film you expect to find at Sundance" explaining that a large percentage of films at Sundance Film Festival are Indie Productions.

A concert organized by Golub was at New Frontier's on Main Street on January 24 and sponsored by The Sundance Film Festival. The concert was to facilitate filmmakers and composers, Golub said. The event hosted many, including director Braden King, who "has directed music videos, short films and live collaborative pieces for several well-known music groups" and composer Shahzad Ismaily. In the past, Ismaily has collaborated in concert and touring with White Magic, Laurie Anderson, Tom Waits, Jojo Mayer, Billy Martin and many more.

A shuttle bus driver says, "This year's festival catered to over 60,000 people with filmmakers, cast & crew, celebrities and spectators." This is a record as past festivals at Sundance average 40,000 people, noted the shuttle bus driver. The festival will conclude on Sunday, January 27, with many memories and more creations of masterpieces throughout 2008 to review and to discuss for 2009's Sundance.