Slamdance 101

Now when you mention the word "Sundance" not many people know about or even think about the other film festival that is going on at the top of the hill in Park City, Slamdance. I don't know if I can call it a sister fest, but there is something amazing going on at this festival, a real testament to the indie filmmaker. Something that everyone should participate in.

Slamdance is in its 16th year. The story goes that it was started by three filmmakers that were rejected from Sundance in 1994. In 1995 "Slamdance '95: Anarchy in Utah -- The First Annual Guerrilla Intl. Film Festival" was created and the projection booths were run by the filmmakers. This is a festival that have dedicated filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh supporting it and participating (his first documentary "Everything is Going Fine" premiered here last Friday), where Christopher Nolan played "Following" and where two years ago "Paranormal Activity" was picked up.

It now takes place at The Treasure Mountain Inn, which is located at the very top of Main Street. There are two screening rooms...which are really like large dining rooms that now have a classroom projector set-up with a max capacity of 130 people on bleacher-raised chairs. The air conditioning never works and you are always viewing a movie with a neck ache because you are struggling to see around the heads in front of you. But it's always a great way to meet people, because you might be sitting on them.

Here is where the true independent film making is seen. Here are where the low-budget, well written, projects of passion are being shown. This really is a festival that embraces the filmmaker and creates a community of friends and family in the week that it goes on. All of the films are attended by cast/crew of other films in the festival, you begin to see familiar faces. Audiences sit on the ground to catch a screening and you have to watch yourself if you leave to go to the restroom because you might block the projector.

Is this exciting yet?

The films really speak for themselves at Slamdance. They are the more offbeat. Check out one of the shorts programs, as they all tend to stray from Hollywood story arch, but are visually beautiful. That is not to say that all films are quirky. This year some of my personal favorites include "Drones", about aliens and humans that interact in an office space and "The Four-Faced Liar" about young couples in New York that are figuring out what they want out of their relationships and themselves. More in-depth reviews to come.

Soderbergh did his Q & A from Skype in his hotel room in Berlin at 4am to an audience no bigger than 150 people. You try seeing something like that at Sundance.

*Please note that I am not discrediting Sundance, but when your film is up against Phillip Seymour Hoffman's directorial debut film, you could be overlooked. It is just something completely different.

There is life after Slamdance. A story that I enjoy telling is about the filmmaker Drake Doremus, who directed "Spooner" that premiered at Slamdance last year. It went on to play the festival circuit, picking up audience and festival awards wherever it went. It was a great success and this year he premiered his latest project "Douchebag" as part of the Narrative Competition at Sundance. Great things with great films do happen here.

I enjoy both festivals for different reasons. I just wanted to give you a taste of what it is like at the top of the hill. Along with filmmaker sled-races and hot-tub filmmaker chats, it has kept an independent feel and a love of cinema that leaks from the doors of the Treasure Mountain Inn.