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Sundance News 01/13/09: Redford on The Year of “less hoo-ha”

By Christopher Campbell posted 10 months ago

For those of you who don’t like the cold weather in Park City, Sundance is in negotiations to launch a version of its film festival in Abu Dhabi (pictured). Original idea was to hold the new fest in April, but it’s likely to happen later due to the current economy.
Also an effect of the recession: a leaner Sundance, with lowered attendance, smaller crowds (particularly for lack of a lot of the people who go to Park City just to hang out), and fewer parties. The Salt Lake Tribune examines all the cutbacks, including economic effects on documentary filmmaking, distribution and Sundance deal-making, and ends with a nice quote from Robert Redford: “What might be a positive is that if there is less hoo-ha, less of a circus atmosphere, there will be more tendency to focus on what it is that we’re really about, which is the independent filmmakers and the quality of the work.”
The Hollywood Reporter also spoke to Redford, who admits there are currently too many film festivals, and Sundance may eventually become obsolete as a result: “My feeling is when the day comes when we’re no longer providing the mission we started with — not creating something new for audiences, not creating opportunities for new artists to have a place to come and develop — then we shouldn’t be here, and we won’t. As long as we continue to create new advantages, we will continue, but not just to be continuing.”
The New York Times profiles The Informers and its ill-fit premiere at this year’s fest. Says author/co-screenwriter Bret Easton Ellis: “When people tell you something’s ‘a real Sundance movie,’ that’s more negative than a compliment.”
MTV.com has a shortlist of stars who are expected to be reinvented at this year’s fest: John Krasinsky; Patton Oswalt; Nick Cannon; and Sam Rockwell.