January 26th 2005:

Idaho State Journal:
Sundance spawns several alternative film festivals

By Elizabeth Ziegler - Journal Writer

PARK CITY - During the 10 days of Sundance, roughly 36,000 movie fans converge on Park City, Utah. But tickets to the world-renowned independent film festival are sometimes hard to come by, and passes that get viewers into all the movies, music and workshops could cost up to $5,000.

But in addition to the Sundance Film Festival, Park City and the surrounding area host five alternative film festivals which coincide with Sundance - Slamdance, Nodance, X-Dance, the Freedom Cinema Festival and the LDS Film Festival.

These other film festivals take advantage of the large numbers of investors, producers and distributors who flock to Sundance in hopes of finding independent films that are marketable to a large, mainstream audience.

From Mormon flicks to extreme sports exposes, these smaller film festivals draw a crowd hungry for cinematic diversity.

Going on its tenth year, the Slamdance Film Festival distinguishes itself from Sundance by restricting its entries exclusively to first-time independent filmmakers.

''Slamdance came about when some independent filmmakers, who didn't make it into Sundance, said 'hey, we're going to have a film festival anyway,' '' said Carolyn Cohagan, manager of the new Slamdance game competition.

The festival's motto reflects a dedication to offering a platform to showcase the always low-budget, independent movies from film-scene newbees.

''It is still run and programmed by filmmakers, which is a big difference from Sundance,'' Cohagan said. ''Slamdance is for filmmakers by filmmakers.''

Slamdance showcases films such as Chris McKee's ''Mujaan,'' a film McKee, of Venice, Calif., describes as a meditation on work in the Mongolian countryside. McKee's film short is neither documentary nor narrative, but borrows from both genres.

During the 25-minute-long movie depicting a man building a traditional yurt in the countryside with rustic, hand-made tools, McKee introduces the audience to the fast disappearing lifestyle and customs of a nomadic Mongolian.

''Slamdance is more open to experimental types of films than Sundance is. My film is kind of a curiosity, not necessarily a center-stage item,'' he said. ''I feel good about being a part of Slamdance, but even this is possibly not the ideal market for the film. It's more of a dissection of a culture.''

He is negotiating with the Smithsonian to use the film as an exhibit piece on Mongolia. It is for sale at the New York Museum of Natural History and he hopes it will be used in classrooms across the country.

Another film featured at Slamdance 2005, ''The Real Dirt on Farmer John,'' is a documentary produced and directed by Ketchum, Idaho, native Taggart Siegel. Siegel's film chronicles more than 20 years in the life of Illinois farmer, artist and progressive John Peterson, as he struggles to redefine his family's farm, ultimately giving birth to a farming community where people, art and agriculture thrive.

''Peaceable Kingdom,'' an entry in the Freedom Cinema Festival, takes a different spin on farming and agriculture. The film tells the story of several people who grew up on multi-generational family farms and ranches, who have come out against factory farming practices because of their experiences growing up with animals.

Included in the film is a fourth-generation Montana cattleman-turned-vegetarian, Howard F. Lyman, who wrote the book, ''Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat.''

Based out of Oakland, Calif., and created by a group of admittedly liberal progressives, the second Freedom Cinema Festival seeks to provide a venue for arts and media that provoke debate on current trends in American culture and politics.

''We are a group of people who are not satisfied with the way things are in the country right now,'' said Ian Berzon, the executive producer and venue manager for the festival.

The films cover a gamut of topics, including the humane treatment of animals, genetically modified food, environmental issues, the war on drugs and the war in Iraq.

''More than anything else, the criteria for the films in the festival are that they focus on the issues,'' Berzon said. ''We want to provide a forum for discussion. We want people to look at things from a different perspective.''

But not all alternative film festivals tout an alternative lifestyle. In it's fourth year, the LDS festival in Provo, Utah, draws thousands of people to movies that Mormon filmmaker and Webmaster for www.mormoncinema.com Dan Harville describes as clean and wholesome.

''We discovered there was a huge niche market where thousands of people are interested in these films,'' Harville said. ''That is why we started this film festival - to let people know that there is something going on.''

There were about 80 films screened at this year's LDS Film Festival competing for $2,000 in cash and prizes.

The interest in Mormon Cinema is terribly encouraging, Harville said, and the films are starting to get noticed outside of the LDS community.

''Just since 2000, there have been 20 feature-length Mormon films made, including ''The Work and the Glory,'' ''Brigham City,'' ''Out of Step,'' ''The Other Side of the Mountain,'' and ''Single's Ward,'' Harville said. ''It is not just Mormons that enjoy Mormon cinema. People noticed that we do great commercials and we make great films that they can take their children to and not be embarrassed.''

Copyright © 2005 The Pocatello Idaho State Journal
http://www.journalnet.com

For press and media inquiries please call
1-800-503-5923 x 1
or email
press@freedomcinemafestival.org