Sundance Film Festival - Quotes
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Robert Redford - Actor/Director/Producer – Founder of The Sundance Film Festival
“Why are we here? We provide the opportunity. We provide the sense of place. And we’re about development and we’re about connections and we’re about support.”
2. Stacey Peralta – Director
“This is the greatest place to be if you have a film. There’s no place better. Period.”
3. Jennifer Sorenson – Actor/Producer
“Who thought of putting of freakin’ film festival in the middle of sub-zero weather? Brilliant!”
Questions
What is your definition of Independent filmmaking?
1. Aidan Quinn –Actor/Producer
“Not this. This is, you know, Hollywood with snow.”
2. Chaz Palminteri – Actor/Director
“Independent Filmmaking… is the Art and the Soul of what we do. Independent films pushes the envelope and that’s what we have to do.”
3. Cliff Curtis – Actor/Producer
”That’s the point of Independent film… is to not play by the rules.”
4. Chris Gore – Speaker/Writer
“My definition of Independent film really comes from who the filmmaker is.”
5. Dov S-S Simens – Film teacher/Author
“My definition of Independent filmmaking is real simple…GET YOUR OWN MONEY!”
6. Julian Starks – Producer/Director/Writer/Actor
“Practice, Patience, Intensity, Effort equals Greatness.”
7. Bill Jacobson - Actor/Producer
Independence is basically independent of everything. In terms of film, you come up with your own money; you don’t borrow money from other people, because then now, they are subject to influencing your project.
Filmmakers Q & A’s
Julian Starks
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What would you do differently today that you didn’t do five years ago?
Answer: Shot list! We went to Sundance wide-eyed novices with at best a slight idea of what we wanted to film. Our enthusiasm got the best of us and we shot everything.
2. What was your biggest mistake on this film?
Answer: As the director, it was my job to define the main objective of this film. It wasn’t clear and it took us all of five years to finally find it.
3. What was the hardest task on this film?
Answer: To keep going forward. Passion for a project can only carry you so far. Being broke most of the five years of this film, I found that being stubborn is just as important.
Jennifer Sorenson
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What is the movie about?
Answer: To make a documentary about the Sundance Film Festival and its place in the independent film industry, while struggling with the restrictions of making an independent film.
2. What was the budget for this film?
Answer: We'd have to add up Julian's W-2's for the last four years to answer that.
3. What is the goal for this film?
Answer: Anything, as long as we stop adding footage and give it to someone else to deal with or ultimately, sell it.
Bill Jacobson
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Why did you decide to shoot this documentary?
Answer: Julian wanted to go to Sundance and film us trying to sell his script. I liked the idea and said why don’t we shoot ourselves shooting the documentary. A documentary within a documentary. He liked the idea and went on from there.
2. What’s it like to work with Julian?
Answer: INTENSE! But that’s what you need to create a film. Julian at the beginning was struggling. Sleeping in his car was a buzz kill. Because of that his energy was low at first for the project.
I called him one day to basically light a fire under his #!”#! and got him going. I mean I really wanted to do this but couldn’t without Julian. Then something happened, he got going and when Julian gets going he doesn’t stop until it’s done. I admire that about him.
3. How has this experience changed you as an actor?
Answer: This was a Thirteen-year journey on what it takes to make a film for real. Jennifer and myself jumped ship for a bit.
We weren’t sure if it was sailing in the right direction. I can’t speak for Jen but I jumped back on to see it through with Julian. He’s worked and sacrifice for it physically and financially and we’ve been friends for a long time, how could I not.
A Journey to Sundance
Quotes & Q & A’s