Started the day off with an early morning screening of Passing Strange, Spike Lee’s filmed version of the Tony-winning rock musical. Early in the afternoon, I headed to the Vitamin Water house to interview both Mr. Lee and Passing Strange creator and star Stew.
During my time there, I experienced in full force the bizarro world that is now Sundance. Members of the cast and crew of the film feasted on a ritzy catered lunch (the ahi tuna app looked damn good, but no foodie love for the journos waiting to talk to Spike), and the fully stocked bar doled out schmancy Vitamin Water cocktails. The house was branded the hilt with Vitamin Water bottles in all colors and flavors adorning the walls. Meanwhile, I was waiting to interview the creators of a film that has no distribution, and has its story development roots in the Sundance Lab...about as indie as you can get.
After talking with both Stew and Spike (more on that later), I headed over to the PBS/ITVS party at the Riverhorse. I was greeted at the door by the lovely Cara white, and there were lots o’ non-fiction folk in attendance. ITVS’ Jim Sommers, Sr. VP of Content Management, welcomed the crowd by mentioning that 64 ITVS films have premiered throughout the years at Sundance, with 16 of them receiving awards. John Wilson, PBS’s SVP & Chief TV Programming Exec, spoke about this being a time of monumental transition that can be challenging but can also lead to new opportunities. He bragged about the fact that pbs.org receives more visits than the online outposts of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
New Frontiers panelist Thomas Allen Harris, Sundance's Shari Frilot
and Mark Samels (executive producer, EARTH DAYS)
THE GLASS HOUSE director/DP/Editor Hamid Rahmanian and producer/screenwriter Melissa Hibbard
Filmmaker Adrian Belic and ITVS's Lois Vossen
A contemplative Stanley Nelson (WOUNDED KNEE)