By David Seaman | Echo
Taylor Media Communication have ventured to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival for nine years now, each one a different experience. From "Blair Witch Project" to "Boyhood," "Napoleon Dynamite" to "Little Miss Sunshine," each year has had a unique slew of films. This year, on the last week of J-term, students and faculty were able to take in screenings of psychological morality plays, quirky tearjerkers and beautifully told documentaries in wintery Park City, Utah.
Ten students (including me, David Seaman) and three faculty members partook in the screenings and Q&As, along with other activities. I enjoyed the small indie "Cronies," a simple film about three friends doing dumb things in St. Louis. Here are some of the students and faculties' most memorable moments and movies they saw at the festival.
"My favorite documentary at Sundance was 'How to Dance in Ohio.' Even though it was about individuals with autism, the film was incredibly relatable and touching. I felt that the film taught me so much about life with autism as well as the ways that we all struggle with the same things--the awkwardness of asking someone to dance, the desire to be understood, or the fear of showing who you really are when that means looking different from everyone else."-Sarah Topp, senior
"Sundance helped open my eyes to the larger spectrum that is the film industry. I laughed, I cried, I screamed-it was awesome!"-Dane Soderquist, senior
"My favorite film was 'Dope' because it had a lot of flair and style and a highly original story. It was also riotously funny." -Mike Metzler, senior
"I was surprised most by the Italian film 'Cloro.' Though its desaturated tone and open ending seemed strange and off-beat, the story was told through odd cinematography and real-life characters, making an otherwise 'typical indie film' resonate just a little more with me."-Kharis Schmidt, senior
"'Stanford Prison Experiment' is an all-too-real power struggle that forces the viewer to compare themselves to each character in the film. Outstanding casting and detail-sensitive directing made it the most well-acted film at Sundance this year."-Jonathan Eshleman, senior
"It wasn't my favorite film of the week, but Eli Roth's 'Knock Knock' sure offered the most surprising and entertaining experience. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but if you like the film 'Funny Games,' this is your kind of movie."-Lucas Sweitzer, senior
"I loved the documentary 'How to Dance in Ohio' because it creatively confronts the universal issue of acceptance. As you watch the students struggle to interact with each other, you are reminded of your own desire to connect with the people around you." -Abbie Brewer, junior
"One of my favorite things about the festival was how much there was to do. On days when I got to see four movies I also was able to walk around main street and see a concert from Lindsey Stirling or Civil Twilight."-Trent Stegink, senior
"One of my top films I saw at Sundance was 'Slow West,' a thrilling Euro-Western dark comedy. That had a style similar to Wes Anderson, but director John Maclean made it all his own. He plays with the deeply embedded clichés of the almost-dead genre of the American Western while making you think about themes like love, violence and the nature of the American dream."-Jake Rundell, senior
"I can't say which is my favorite film, but the Michael Shannon character in '99 Homes' was fantastic. The fact that that film was based on real circumstances, with people being swindled out of their homes and the conspiracy around thefts, was amazing."-John Bruner, assistant professor of Media Communication
"The Sundance experience is emotionally and physically draining, but I wouldn't give it up for anything. Every year, the team learns so much about themselves, their world and the challenges of making independent films."-Kathy Bruner, assistant professor of Media Communication
