While much of the film hubbub has been concentrated on awards season lately, let’s not forget about the essential Sundance Film Festival. Founded in 1978, Sundance now has an attendance of almost 50,000, making it the largest independent film festival in the United States. It’s where careers are made, future Oscar contenders are found, and bold new voices emerge. But it’s also a home for veterans too. Many filmmakers have long been friends to Sundance and launched films there.
A mix a both sat new and old down for a talk, and the panel included John Carney (“Sing Street”), Diego Luna (“Mr. Pig,” “Y Tu Mama Tambien”), Liz Garbus (Oscar-nominated “What Happened, Miss Simone?, “Nothing Left Unsaid), Christine Vachon (“Wiener-Dog,” “Goat,” “Carol”), James Schamus (“Indignation,” former head of Focus Features), and Whit Stillman (“Love and Friendship,” “The Last Days of Disco”).
The panel discusses the forever altering challenges directors and filmmakers face in the independent world, and how to overcome and plow through the adversity.
You can watch the video below, and let us know which director sounds like someone you’d consider for your future film projects.