More Sundance

Day starts with a ride with Peter to my first screening. I can really appreciate Peter’s pace at the festival. Every minute is scheduled for a screening, a meeting with a client, or friend, an interview or a networking party.

This morning I catch “Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire.” What I’ve read in the catalog partially prepares me for the emotional impact of the relentless heartbreak that is Precious Jones’ (Gaboury Sidibe) life. It takes me 30 minutes after the film to catch my breath.

As a good counter balance, I meet Mark for “Spring Breakdown”, a hilarious comedy starring Parker Posey, Rachel Dratch and Amy Poehler, written by Rachel Dratch. It’s a girl spring break comedy and just what you expect from SNL alum.

Then we’re off to two parties downtown. The first celebrates the Slamdance screening of “The Weathergirl”. It’s my opportunity to meet Steak House, the producer, who helped my out while I was working on PIG. Mark Harmon shows up for the party and mayhem ensues. We head a few doors down to a party given by indiegogo.com, a website that connects filmmakers with financing. I meet a really cool group from LA that is heavily involved in Filmmakers Alliance, an invaluable LA resource for indie filmmakers.

We leave downtown to The Yarrow for “The September Issue”, a documentary following Ann Wintour and her team at Vogue as they prepare for the annual September issue. If you saw “The Devil Wears Prada” you’ll appreciate it even more after watching this. I’m amazed at the access filmmaker, RJ Cutler was given. This beautifully shot doc focuses on the 20 year collaboration between the very powerful Anna Wintour and her genius creative director and stylist, Grace Coddington. It’s inspiring to see these two brilliant women run the empire that is Vogue.

We rush over to see if we can get in to “Art and Copy”. We do. Exquisitely shot, this doc takes us inside the advertising industry with interviews and insights from the most powerful creative forces of our time: Hal Riney, Dan Widen, Phyllis Robinson, Mary Wells Lawrence, George Lois, Cliff Freeman, Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein. We see some of the most remarkable ad campaigns and the art of it. I must be tired. I nod off for a third of the film. Rats! I hate when that happens.