The Sundance Film Festival is one of the most prestigious and important festivals of the year. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States. The festival itself has had its drama as to where it will take place after next year’s fest, its contract with Utah will expire and there are rumblings that it will relocate elsewhere. Since its debut 46 years ago, it has become synonymous with Hollywood legend Robert Redford, the state of Utah, and the ever-changing landscape of independent film. Redford is not getting younger, indie films will keep changing but the state of Utah should do everything in its power to retain this cultural landmark.

The experience itself is another story. Driving from Los Angeles was long and arduous but doable until you get to Park City – which was nearly snowed in! The festival is a maze and with a fleet of friendly but out-of-state volunteers, and a confusing bus schedule, it is a very difficult fest to navigate. I only got the hang of it when I was leaving. Hard to plan screenings as well, luckily there is an online version where I can catch films I missed. There are dozens of films I want to see. Regardless a fun and informative time, who else can boast such an amazing collective of film professionals and enthusiasts – the conversations were amazing everywhere I went.

Atropia premiered to a rapturous response at the Eccles on Saturday. It is a very odd and enjoyable film that takes us back in time to The Bush Administration’s disastrous Iraq war to a US training ground where locals are dressed up as Iraqis as a simulation exercise for young troops before deployment. It follows star Alia Shawkat in a hilarious leading role as she navigates falling in love with one of the soldiers, her dream as an aspiring actress, and her pending pregnancy.

There are so many ways this film could have missed the mark. It wisely avoids wading in too deeply as a critique of the war and lands safely into more of a detached and ironic ribbing of how surreal the whole experience was. Written and directed by first-time director Hailey Gates – it is a very assured first full work and she is certainly someone to watch for. Her handling of many sensitive topics, a large ensemble, and some fairly deadpan humor is remarkable. It will be interesting to see where this film lands and what kind of release it gets.

OBEX is very much a “midnight movie” in the best possible way. It is the story of a tech-obsessed man who lives a sheltered life with his dog whose world is turned upside down when he starts playing an encompassing video game – in 1987! He has to rescue his dog, who is transported into the game as he is as well. He travels through a kaleidoscopic surreal world to complete his mission. There are many poignant moments involving memories of his parents and his televisions. Yes, there is a lot of meta-commentary here but nothing is weighed down. It is a really fun ride. Directed by Albert Birney and lensed in black and white by Pete Ohs, with a score by Animal Collective’s Deakin – Josh Dibb. A challenging viewing for some but for me, this is the kind of film I was hoping to see at the fest and it hits on all cylinders. I wasn’t familiar with Barney’s work, and now I want to see the rest.

Serious People was the last film I saw in person and it was a blast. It is a hybrid of fiction and non-fiction. Directed by Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson, it tells the story of Pasqual’s real-life dilemma (one that this author shares) of the work-life balance problem for a working artist (music video director) who is expecting a child with his wife. His solution is ridiculous and hilarious as he hires a doppelgänger to “replace” him in his creative endeavors – this leads to many of the biggest laughs in the film – Miguel Huerta is pitch-perfect and deadpan funny as the stand-in. The film is not perfect but makes some very interesting points about the nature of creative work – it was so much fun, warm and relatable… it left me fascinated with the filmmakers and wanting to see their music videos.

The festival was a blast and it was an honor and pleasure to be there. Watch this space for more coverage, including interviews with the creatives behind these three films and more.

Eric Green
Author

Eric Green has over 25 years of professional experience producing creative, marketing, and journalistic content. Born in Flushing, Queens and based in Los Angeles, Green has a catalog of hundreds of articles, stories, photographs, drawings, and more. He is the director of the celebrated 2014 Documentary, Beautiful Noise and the author of the novella Redyn, the graphic novel Bonk and Woof, and the novel, The Lost Year. Currently, he is hard at work on a book chronicling the lives of the greatest Character Actors.