indieWIRE polled a number of critics and bloggers (including yours truly) on their favorite films and performances at this year’s Sundance, and the results are in: the pros think the jury and the audience got it right in selecting Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire as the best narrative feature at the festival. I didn’t see that film (Paul did the review, and Eric Kohn interviewed Mo’Nique for us), and in general my ballot included a few films that didn’t make the consensus cut; I’ve pasted it after the jump if you want to take a look-see.

indieWIRE also posted some anonymous comments from participants, including one which I think I mostly agree with in sentiment, but which still irks me a bit:

How nice to see a Sundance where the quality of the festival was not judged by how many films sold and for how much. Is it a coincidence that the strongest Sundance lineup in years was also the one that did not result in any big ticket acquisitions a la Little Miss Sunshine or, um, Happy, Texas? It probably was, actually. But as I think back on it I’d like to rewrite this festival in my mind as the Sundance that started to fight back—just a little bit—at the increasing, ongoing, and ominous convergence of film writing and business reporting.

With all due respect to the anonymous critic (who I’m sure is smarter and more experience than me, and whose comment I’m going to feel really bad about bitching about once I learn who it is), I’m confused as to what amorphous concept shorthanded as “Sundance” is doing the fighting back. Does the writer think festival programmers deliberately sought out un-commercial work, and if so, can their programming decisions be divorced from factors like the writers strike, the dissolution of the indie arms, and the economy in general? Or is it that attendees and press “fought back” by celebrating films which fall outside the realm of acquisition interests — and if so, how do you account for the fact that 3 of the 5 top films on the indieWIRE poll landed three of the festival’s most significant sales?

The thing is, “the quality of the festival” can only be “judged by how many films sold and for how much” if we, the media, let it, and anyway, I’m not totally convinced that wasn’t the case this year. Look at all the wrap-up pieces that focused on sales: critics Manohla Dargis, Todd McCarthy and Scott Foundas all noted the slow climate right up front, with Foundas warning that “the highs weren’t as high as those of some Sundances past … [no] eight-figure deals to write home about” long before bitching that his “own personal jury would have awarded [Lynn Shelton] a tripod instead” of a jury prize for Humpday;

Those of us who have always tried to asses a fest based on quality first, commercialism second continued to do the same this year; maybe the big difference is that, with critically acclaimed and award winning films like Push, The Cove, We Live in Public, The September Issue and Sin Nombre — many of which were crowd pleasers, and accorded attention by not just the cinephile press but the mainstream media –– there were no sales to speak of. High quality films that lead to happy audiences and inspired critics are good. But if these films can’t ever reach a wider audience, will we start to wish that Sundance was more about the sales again?

If I see any appreciable change in the ever-present quality/commerciality conundrum at this year’s Sundance, it’s that the “gotta sell” panic of previous years seemed to be nonexistent. Films which didn’t sell over the course of ten days do not seem to be tainted, the way they might have been in the past. There seems to be a confidence that the many highly-praised films awaiting distribution will eventually get it. With the average festival title now taking a full four months to land a buyer, this is probably the more healthy attitude to have. But let’s re-evaluate in six months, because if The Cove or Push are still looking for a theatrical deal come summer, it may no longer look like a sales-slow, “all about the movies” Sundance is actually the best thing for the movies.

And now, my ballot:

BEST NARRATIVE FILM:
1. Moon
2. You Won’t Miss Me
3. Humpday
4. Children of Invention
5. The Girlfriend Experience

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

1. O’er the Land

2. The September Issue

BEST PERFORMANCE:

1. Sam Rockwell, Moon

2. Paul Giamatti, Cold Souls

WORST FILM:
1. Brief Interviews With Hideous Men
2. Boy Interrupted
3. Paper Hearts

UPDATE: I also participated in Movie City News’ Gurus of Sundance, where Moon landed in the top spot, and Push fell down to ninth most favored.