Sundance 2007 -- Day 1

Hours before leaving for Sundance 2007, I found out my feature Last Notes red was accepted by the Park City Film Music Festival, one of the unofficial Sundance sideshows. So it was off to Kinko's for a late night run of some slap-dash flyers to go with my IChooseRed.org red armbands, IChooseGreen.org stickers, blue buttons, and black yo-yos.

I also ran off a few copies of my Sounds of Darkness script, which I'd just finished earlier in the day -- three presidential candidates trapped by an unseen captor (I want Jane Fonda to be the Republican incumbent). Thought maybe I'll find someone who knows someone who knows someone...

On the plane, I met Shawn Barry, a white funk and reggae musician who's playing Park City during the festival. Also, Alex, who I found out late in the conversation, went to my alma mater, Occidental College in L.A. She just started with a post-production company in L.A. I'm missing her company's party right now because I'm trapped in the wait-list line for David Gordon Green's new movie.

Speaking of wait-list lines, though, my first wait-list line story began at 7:30 this morning in the twelve degree weather. You see, this year they're passing out numbers two whole hours before the show so that you can go eat or something before the show, just so long as you're back and lined up, in order, a half hour before the show. So I thought maybe people might line up two hours before the two hours before the show. Needless to say, I got number one...

...and I got in. I ran into an old Sundance friend Barbara and her entourage, who helped me cause a minor stir with my giveaways. Expired was written and directed by Cecilia Miniucchi and stars Samantha Morton and Jason Patrick. A sweet meter maid falls for a difficult, to say the least, co-worker. The movie was very real and raw, and at the same time had some really nice humor. Jason Patrick played his part with such charm you just can't bring yourself to hate him. Very touching. The ending was open-ended, which I'm ashamed to say annoyed me. But the director, when asked what happens next, invited us to decide for ourselves. Isn't that the approach I go for -- inviting people to think for themselves? Mmm...maybe I'll change the ending of Sounds of Darkness.

Since I mentioned that second wait-list line, where I met some lively young students from Brooks School of Photography, I actually had a ticket in my hands. But I was waiting for my friend Daniel. Poor guy, he drove the hour in from Salt Lake City, found parking, then walked half a mile in the cold, only to have me tell him it was too late to get him a ticket. But I'd already sold my ticket. I didn't want to repeat the near divorce I'd witnessed a couple years ago when husband and wife were temporarily split by the vicissitudes of the Sundance wait list -- she got a ticket, and it looked like he wouldn't.

Daniel kindly waited in line while I got a number for myself for the next film, then he had to drive on back to Salt Lake City. But we were able to scheme about yet another great opportunity suddenly before me. I am going to be able to sell my DVD of short films at the huge annual Catholic gathering in Anaheim in March. A real coup. And our hope is that Daniel, also a Dominican priest, will be able to do his magic at the booth and advertise his touring show.

The movie: Teeth. The leader of her high school's purity campaign is horrified to discover her anatomical uniqueness (Google vagina dentata -- misleadingly rhymes with akuna matata). But maybe she can turn this to her advantage. Very funny and provocative. The symbolism invites repeated viewing and meditation. I think (and hope) this will become a cult classic, though it probably won't see the light of theaters. A terrifically clever performance by actress Jess Weixler.