sundance.

In 2010, I took my first journey to Park City with one of my best friends for our inaugural trip to the Sundance Film Festival. I had signed up with extremely low expectations in the early fall to hopefully be a volunteer, so I was in complete shock when I opened an email in my inbox that said I'd been chosen. It was one of the top ten moments of my life being at that festival and I had to do whatever I could to feel this way again.

So I did the very next year.

And then two years after that.

I just returned from Round 3. With each trip, my fascination with the festival climbs to a higher level and I feel like I get to experience it from a different perspective as my traveling companions change. The environment itself, Main Street being at the base of a ski lift, is like a postcard.

I feel like I've been photoshopped into this picturesque town that only exists in coffee table books. I would pinch myself to see if it was a dream if my hands weren't chilled from the very real 3 degree weather at 6AM.

This year, the highlights came in a few different forms:

Fruitvale.
This film is based on the infamous shooting of an African-American man that was shot by a Caucasian police officer, on New Year's Eve in Oakland, California. While it's a true story this isn't a documentary, but a fictionalized depiction based on true events, where we see Oscar Grant's last day he spent on this Earth. The writer and director of this film, Ryan Coogler, is only 26 years old [which makes me feel particularly useless as I sit on my couch not creating anything even close to the caliber of this film]. He decided that this story needed to be told because even though he had no personal connection with Grant, he knew Grant. They shared a zip code. And as we know, we can be quite touched by the stories that we filter through on the news even if we don't have a personal relationship with someone, we have the capacity to be touched and moved. Everyone in that theater at the Library on Park Avenue, was touched. At the closing of 'Fruitvale' the only audible sound that could be heard were the sobs of the audience.
I was thrilled to see they won the Audience Award, Best Dramatic Film, and that Harvey Weinstein will make it possible for everyone to see this movie in this next year.
Keep this film on your Oscar watch for 2014, no doubt.

Newlyweeds.
Although not on the same level as 'Fruitvale,' the experience I had at this screening was unlike any other. At Sundance, after each film, there is a Q&A where the writer, director, producer and any cast that has chosen to attend the festival, come to the front and the audience is able to pose questions. I would later be coined by the producer of the film, "the girl that asked 5 questions." I have no shame in this because when else can you talk to the people behind the story and the people that it is told through? After "the girl that asked 5 questions" was done publicly asking questions, I had a one-on-one conversation with the Director/Writer and found myself talking to the lead lady about the meaning behind her tattoos, followed by a group photo of us all. You probably wouldn't be familiar with any of the names of this cast as I wasn't either, but I'm pretty excited to watch their careers evolve.

The Sightings.
Okay, okay, not gonna lie. While it is wonderful to be a part of the beginning of these actor's careers, I also have obnoxious reactions to the ones that I watch weekly. So when I was eating lunch with two of the ladies and I saw Dexter walking down the sidewalk, I stopped mid conversation and ran out of the restaurant. I ran/skip/hopped across the street, with no regard to traffic or ice spots and tapped Mr. C Hall on the shoulder. I told him I loved 'Six Feet Under,' [still holds the prize of BEST season finale ever in my humble opinion] and of course am obsessed with 'Dexter.' Because who doesn't idolize a serial killer? His response: "I should've worn the shirt," to which of course he was referring to his "kill shirt." At that point, I obviously handed my new iPhone 5 to a complete stranger and directed her to take a picture of me and my favorite serial killer. When I returned to the restaurant, most of the people sitting near us were looking at me [apparently my rapid departure caused quite the stir]. An older couple who apparently don't subscribe to Showtime asked me, "who was that?"

Later that day, Allison and I went to visit our friends waiting in line/wait to see if we could spot Paul Rudd after his film was done screening. And we did.

When he came out, he was walking pretty quickly and the fans were swarming him a bit. When it appeared that he wouldn't be stopping, I had to at least do something to attract his attention my way. So naturally I yelled, 'Clueless is my favorite movie!' At an independent film festival. He chuckled/smiled [who knows if he heard me or if he was just smiling for our flashing cameras] and went straight to his car. The fans booed him and walked away, angry that he didn't stop. Allison and I stood there looking at the action shots we were able to get and were discussing our next move, when it happened.
Paul Rudd gets out of his car and walks up to Allison and I.
Paul: Sorry guys, I thought I had an interview. [Yes, talking directly to us and only us]
Allison: [Silence]
Me: Incase you didn't hear me before, 'Clueless' is my favorite movie.
Paul Rudd: Thank you, I appreciate that.
Allison: [continued silence]
Me: Can we take a picture?
At this point the haters caught wind that Paul Rudd had reappeared and begun to descend upon us, cutting my intimate conversation with him short.
Pictures were taken and a memory made. Allison regained her ability to speak after we were a safe distance away from Paul.

Also spotted: Octavia Spencer, Michael Cera, Leslie Bibb, Stifler's mom, the backside of James Franco, some kid that was in the new 'Footlose,' Matthew McConaughey [ughhhh] and Rob Corddry.

Polygamy Porter was drunk, delicious food was consumed [Shabu!], friends were made waiting in lines for movies, and another perfect time was had [less for some flight delays and luggage troubles].

So if you're looking for a fantastic way to spend the third weekend of January next year or a cure for those post-holiday blues, I highly suggest taking a little jaunt to Park City. Guaranteed, once you have that first dance in the sun, you'll want that song to play forever.

Who is going with me in 2014?

traveling strangers.

It should come as a shock to no one [even if you don't know me in the 3D experience] that I absolutely love to travel. This morning I am embarking on a journey for my 3rd time to the Sundance Film Festival which has turned into my favorite winter get-a-way. Film. Snow. Music. Cozy bars & lounges. Stories being told in the theater and in the freezing lines awaiting to become a part of a film story, while writing your own. it is all fantastic. If there ever was an element for me, this is it.

I not-so-happily got out of bed at 3:30am to make travel day happen, but my morning grumps were over by the time I found my seat in 9A. I usually refrain from talking to people on planes in fear of being poisoned by their halitosis or long monologues of their career and what number business trip this is for them this year. However, there had been some talk by the airport workers of a reroute to Redmond, OR if it was too foggy to land in Spokane. We had some laughs about how little sense that made and the pilot confirmed minutes later that those airport workers were silly and we would obviously just come back to Seattle.

Spurred by this, the short-haired brunette lady in 9B, began to talk about her annoyance with an entitled "little blonde lady with too much money who was yelling at a TSA agent" as she hated the process. And technology. Then apparently she pulled out her iPhone.

She made me laugh and she appeared to be an advocate for good dental hygiene and she didn't have a laptop lying across her lap, so I assumed we were safe.

For our short jaunt from Western to Eastern Washington, we talked about our home of Seattle, her ill-suited 25 year marriage and how that led her to living in a MIL unit with her lesbian friends that are marrying this summer, their twin sons, and her battle with cancer. "At least I got some awesome wigs out of it!" She is cancer free now and I think that's awesome.

As we parted ways she told me what I had been thinking the whole time. "You know, I usually avoid talking to people on planes and usually just read whatever is on this," she said as she held up her Kindle. I looked down at my lap where my book was waiting to do the very same thing. "I really enjoyed talking to you today and I hope you have an amazing trip to Sundance and whatever other adventures you find yourself on." I told her I hope she makes it to Carnival in Brazil next year with her girlfriends.

I walked through the Spokane terminal and browsed through some titles of books I had no intention of buying and instead invested in my hydration, with a water. My clerk, a 58ish year old man asked to see my ID in compliance with my written request on my debit card. "What a great picture. But it doesn't do justice to the woman standing in front of me." Let me revisit the time I woke up and how awesome an unexpected comment like that can make a person feel while traveling. I black-girl-blushed by the sweet grandpa comment and told him how kind he was to have said that.

I hope you find yourself in your element on a fun adventure in the near future. And I hope you find some strangers that aren't egomaniacs and attend to their dental health.

Show me your 'O' Face

I just hope it doesn't look like this:

I should give these people the benefit of the doubt, because I have no idea what crazy face I would make if Oprah had just given me a new car that hadn't even been released yet so only the silhouette of which could be revealed, a scholarship, built me my own school in my African village or took me on a trip down under. My O face might look very different.

Perhaps something like this.

This is what I look like on my birthday. I imagine Oprah makes everyone feel like it's their birthday when they visit Harpo Studios. Unfortunately for me, I'll never know.

[Also, I was very generous with the picture selection of my O face. This is unfair to the people shown above and for that, I apologize. But, it is my blog. And you met Oprah. So we're even.]

The one time I did meet Oprah, was at the Academy Awards in 2004. I use the word meet loosely, as we were about 60 feet away and there was no formal introduction. Unless she has excellent hearing and heard me whisper "I love you Oprah" from the bleacher seats, which I'm sure she does and did. She was radiant. As my three friends and I ate our free bread (the only thing the fine Academy gave to us "bleacher creatures" in the 9ish hours we sat out there), I dreamt of being able to talk to her, to have a conversation with the icon herself. Ask her a question. What in the world would I ask her? Instead she went to Maria Menounos who asked her, "Who are you wearing?" What a waste of a question, Menounos. I should've slapped Maria when I saw her again in Park City this last January for Sundance and simply said, "That's for Oprah."

Okay, now I'm just dropping names.

Oprah has been on the air 93% of my life. I've never known a world where Miss Winfrey did not exist. However, Oprah and my relationship didn't really blossom until I was in college. In a world before DVR's, I wasn't able to watch Oprah on a daily basis as I was probably running around a soccer field or track through most of my middle and high school days. When I was in college, I was usually home in the afternoons to watch her show. College is probably the best age to start watching Oprah because now you've seen a little bit of what happens outside of your hometown-albeit I was in Corvallis, OR which was voted one of the most liveable towns in the nation. Although, 'The Oprah Show' did have an unfortunate connection with Corvallis when a young woman, Brooke Wilberger, was kidnapped from an apartment building and later murdered, and Oprah interviewed Wilberger's parents.

Love or hate her [there usually seems to be no middle road with O] you must give credit where it is due. This woman changed television and further than that, she changed lives. And we watched her change along with us. It's easy to invite people onto your show to engage in a staged and intimate quarrel for entertainment value, but it is quite another to take an interest in someone's life and help them improve it. Sometimes this was in the form of material items, but most often other times, it was giving them validation. Hey guess what, I care. It's something we don't say enough to the people in our own lives and it was such an apropros message she shared on her finale yesterday. People need to feel a sense of validation. That they matter.

And if nothing else, she gave us "Oprah voice." It's one of my favorite ThIIIIIIiiiinnngggs!

Note: I have come to love and often use Oprah voice on friend's birthdays, holidays, and sometimes just for kicks on their voicemails. I've tried to transfer this onto the wall's of Facebook, but it's just not the same. I think this has been Oprah's biggest impact on me. And it makes people smile, so that's enough. Thanks for helping me get a laugh out of my friends, O.

Cheers, Oprah. You done good. Now start writing your book already.

“Find your calling. It lights you up and it let’s you know you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do and you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. You in your own way can illuminate the world.” -Oprah Winfrey 5/25/11

Imagine a World Without Stories.

At the beginning of every film screening this year at Sundance, there was an image of a square that contained about 100 different miniature lights. Then a voice comes over the speakers:

“Imagine a world without stories.”

Slowly at first, the individual lights are extinguished. Then quicker, until all the lights are gone and the square has faded into complete darkness.

Wow. The first time I saw this, I stopped breathing. I badly needed to get back to Main street where they were giving away free oxygen in Trident flavors thanks to their sponsor, well, Trident. I restarted breathing after I realized I had complete control over this function and that oxygen was in fact everywhere and not only delivered in Ginseng, Mint and some orange flavor. When the unflavored oxygen moved back to my brain, I felt intensely saddened. What a depressing existence it would be without the sharing of our narratives with one another.

Books? Gone.

Films? Extinct.

Songs? Inaudible.

Conversation? Mute.

I don’t want that world and luckily, it isn’t the one I’m spinning in. This life is rich with stories and Sundance brought some amazing ones to me this year on screen, on stage, and on sidewalks and tents, standing in lines.

We all have stories to tell.

The Films.

Like Crazy. This was the first film I watched at the festival and it was outstanding. I had a problem saying it was “the best” because I had yet to see anything else.

This story captured the feelings of two people who fell in love in college but then are split by distance and try to figure out what the first love is and what it means. Is it the end all or are we able to move forward and find love in someone else? The emotion and devotion you give to that first person is raw and brilliant unlike anything else you’ll probably experience. This film captures it. Everything from the angles that the director Drake Doremus situated the camera in, to the quiet stillness in provocative scenes, and the realness of the character’s interaction and dialogue was so relatable to anyone who has ever felt this type of love.

Beautifully done. And Paramount has purchased ‘Like Crazy’ so this story will be available for you to experience as well.

Higher Ground. In retrospect, I am very much the person who believes that everything happens for a reason. And magnificent happenstance brought me to this film.

I had went to another theater hoping to see a different movie only to find out that there were no tickets available. Bummed as I was, I decided I’d go check out ‘Higher Ground’ instead as it was starting soon at another venue.

I’m so thankful choice #1 was sold out.

Vera Farmiga made her directorial debut as well as starring in this film about the wanderlust of spirituality and religion. Farmiga portrays a woman who in the midst of a miraculous event finds faith. She joins a somewhat fundamentalist church with her family and is a convincing believer. We all are well aware that circumstances as they appear to us are not always true reflections. We are not just shown her struggles of faith, but we are embraced in her journey of finding it, losing it, searching for it, longing for it, reaching for it and grasping for it.

Another Happy Day. Sam Levinson is 25 and wrote this movie 3 years ago. Granted, he has some star power in his family (his father is Barry Levinson who directed Sleepers, Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam among many other titles) he deserves some strong kudos of the emotionally raw places he went in this film.

Levinson captures the story of a family to the highest dysfunctional degree, ridden with drug addiction, divorce, and self-mutilation (and this is only 3 of the characters). They are brought together for a wedding and these vices skyrocket. Levinson goes further than a normal "abnormal" family squabble that we may have witnessed or lived. He makes us uncomfortable in order to tell this story. And it was so important that he did.

The cast is supported by the star power of Demi Moore, Ellen Burstyn and Ellen Barkin, but they are all outshined by young Ezra Miller. Ezra, your performance was flawless. I am anticipating fantastic things for you.

Cedar Rapids. If you have been reading thus far, you may realize the heavy nature of the previous films I’ve watched. And I was feeling the abundance of these themes- relationships with lovers, a higher being and our kin. I needed some comic relief (not that there wasn’t dark humor in its finest in the previous 3). So I decided where else to get a laugh, than taking a trip with Ed Helms to Cedar Rapids.

Helms’ character, Tim Lippe, lives in a small town working for an insurance company when he is given the opportunity to go to Cedar Rapids. This is the trip he’s been waiting for. He arrives to what we would call a 2.5 star motel and thinks he’s in the Four Seasons. Oh, and then he rooms with John C. Reilly. You can see where this is headed. Did I mention they are there for an Insurance conference?

Lucky for you all, you will be able to go to Cedar Rapids come February. The director of this film Miguel Arteta also directed John C Reilly in a movie I love (and was also a Sundance film), 'The Good Girl.'

The People.

I was lucky to have two of my girlfriends travel with me to Park City, but they left on Sunday, leaving me solo until my Monday evening departure.

In our city of residence, we often find it burdensome to exchange a smile or a word with someone whom we are unfamiliar. Maybe it’s because we’re busy, we’d rather be texting someone we do know, or we just don’t find conversation necessary with someone whose ending in our story will most likely come quickly after its greeting.

At Sundance, there is this majestic wonder of a stranger. We’re brought together standing shoulder-to-shoulder in long lines to films we are dying to see (and well worth the freezing wait), smashed together in music or film houses, seated by each other on the theater shuttles and leaning on the bar next to one another waiting for a spirit to warm up in between it all.

On Sunday evening, I had tried to eat at two different restaurants but was unable to without a reservation. At my third restaurant, there was finally hope.

“Table for 1 please.”

“That’ll be about 15 minutes.”

A voice from behind me. “What if we sat together? Would you mind if we shared a table? I’m a table for 1 as well.”

Now we were a table for 2.

At first I was startled. Eat dinner with someone I had never met before? I was never a fan of blind dates. But I do like stories and I’m sure this guy had some and now I had one from this chance encounter.

Jimmy was from LA, he was in Park City for work. He works behind the scenes with the camera. He was filming interviews and red carpet events for the week. We parted ways so I could go see ‘Cedar Rapids’ but later reconnected and next thing you know, I’m in an after-party with my new friend.

Happenstance.

The Music.

Saturday evening, we had bought tickets to see the legendary Roots. I have been a fan of The Roots for years. I’ve seen them in Seattle and Portland many times. They always bring it. This was no exception and maybe even a greater experience as I watched most of the show from about 5 feet away from the stage. It was fun to share that experience with my friends who hadn't seen The Roots and one who wasn't exactly a fan (yet). It's amazing what a live performance can do to you.

I stepped into the music café on Monday expecting to just catch a peek and be on my way. I stayed for an hour and a half and a couple acts.

The first band, ‘The Low Anthem’ had 4 members who after every song, swapped instruments and positions on stage. That depth of talent amazes me for someone who can only play Heart & Soul on the piano. I was in the restroom later and the one woman of the group was waiting in line. I told her how much I enjoyed their music and the uniqueness of their talent. She chatted with me for a few minutes before I exited. They are touring with Iron & Wine this summer so if you are a fan of them, you may want to check out 'The Low Anthem.' Also, they’ll be on Leno February 3^rd.

The other notable act I saw was Tim Myers. When he started playing I was overcome with familiarity. I’ve heard this guy before. Turns out, he is the voice behind my favorite Target commercials. I dug out my iPod and lo and behold, I have him on there.

Happenstance.

This film festival is nuts. Insanely nuts in the best possible way. To borrow words from ‘Feist,’ I feel it all.

The cold, the excitement, the talent. I feel in my element in the mountained walls of Park City.

I am fortunate to add Sundance 2011 to my story.

Dancin' in the Sun: Sundance Twenty-Ten

I love art. Primarily in the form of books, movies and television. I’m not too keen on the abstract painting type of art. I know, I know a picture speaks a thousand words, right? But guess what really does speak words? Books. Movies. Television.

Since the beginning of time, correction, beginning of my time, I dreamt of being a writer. I wanted to author books and wrote many a short stories in my elementary school days. I attended workshops through external programs and let my imagination run to its limits. As I grew older, I still had this fire inside me to write but developed that thing that often holds us back from chasing our dreams; fear. That icky voice in our conscience that tells us that you could possibly fail and people won’t appreciate what you consider to be a talent. So instead, I opted for the “attainable” dreams over the road of the starving artist. I hid behind other people’s work and became an avid reader, a lover of films, and an admirer of smart, witty talent where people thought outside of the box. My favorite television shows right now do not contain laugh tracks to let the audience know when something is funny; I’ve come to loathe that as of late. Instead, the writers and actors of these shows challenge their audience to really listen, think for a minute, and then understand their humor. I like that independence and intelligence that the viewer is finally given.

While on this note, I should mention my disgust for reality television. I may be guilty of indulging from time to time, but I am not a fan of the fact that these “reality stars” make money based on their bad decisions and all around stupid nature. We are now monetarily rewarding a lack of education an idiocracy? Really America? How does that old saying go? Oh yeah, you’re only as strong as your weakest link. That’s the one.

So Sundance. What is so special about seeing a bunch of movies? Well as you’ve just heard my rant on reality television, independent movies are the exact opposite. Most of these films are made literally on a dream, a few bucks, and raw human talent; Talent that introduces us into these stories of the human condition in its purest forms. Stories that we’ve never seen first-hand in our own neighborhoods, but we know exists somewhere. Stories that may have dark undertones but are somehow made humorous because laughter has a way of resonating with us and keeping these important narratives in mind. Stories that take chances, chances that might fail at the box office, but the writer knows are necessary to take despite harsh reviews. Pure stories of this chaotic, confusing, messy, and beautiful disaster of a world.

Every story touched my soul in some way. Five films that I hope you all will get to see someday on the big screen: Hesher, Welcome to the Rileys, 8: The Mormon Proposition, Howl, and Winter’s Bone.

I guess it also didn’t hurt that I saw Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Adrian Grenier there as well :). Those were just two beautiful, hot, bonuses.

Sundance Twenty-Eleven. Who’s in?