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One year ago today here in Austin, TX, Janet Pierson, Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert at the world premiere of “Everything Everywhere All At Once” at SXSW. I love walking into a movie with no context, not having seen trailers or footage. I wasn’t really tracking “Everything Everywhere All At Once” (and kept screwing up the title) but knew I wanted to see whatever the Daniels were up to. SXSW only described EEAAO as, “a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can't seem to finish her taxes.” The response that night in the Paramount Theater was at first totally silent and then purely explosive. When Michelle Yeoh walked on stage after the screening, WOW. The film was so much. I was sitting with Indiewire’s Eric Kohn at the screening and when the movie ended, mind blown, I turned to him with puzzled excitement and started rambling with joy about seeing such bold American filmmaking grappling with real topics and big issues. As Daniel Kwan noted in an Instagram post today, the Q&A was a stunner, audience lined up in the aisles to ask questions about, as Kwan recalled, intergenerational trauma, mental health and depression, and Asian hate crimes. “Everything Everywhere All At Once” was unstoppable at the box office last spring and seems to be the same in this season’s awards race (but we’ll know for sure tomorrow). It’s so great to be back here in Austin this weekend to watch new movies and see friends, salute Janet Pierson on 15 years at the helm of SXSW, cheer on incoming fest head Claudette Godfrey, and gear up for Monday’s convo with Tilda Swinton (Julio Torres’s first feature, “Problemista” - starring Tilda & Torres - premieres Monday and is a must-see)! So whatever may happen tomorrow night at the Oscars, congratulations Daniels, A24, and the entire EEAAO team! (at Paramount Theatre) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpqImaEpW_6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

“This is an opportunity,” Daniel Kwan began in a moving Spirit Awards speech yesterday aimed at stirring the indie film community. “When things are shaking, and it gets turbulent and the cracks form in the foundations that’s the best time to plant the seeds,” he said, “It is our job not just to adapt to the future, but also to actively dream up what kind of future we want to rewrite and what kind of future we want to be working and living in.” The latest film from Daniel Scheinert (left) and Daniel Kwan (right), “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which a year ago opened SXSW, won big at the Spirit Awards. It was honored with 7 prizes (best picture, director, screenplay, editing as well as lead, breakthrough, and supporting performance) on the road to the Academy Awards a week from today where the film is nominated for 10 Oscars. “I just urge us all to think really big,” Kwan continued in his speech, “What we do here is going to flow upstream to the rest of the industry. We have a very special power. It seems like a weakness because what we do is so small and scrappy but that makes us flexible; that makes us able to move in ways the rest of the industry cannot. I urge you all to plant some seeds, now, today.” Kwan and Scheinert were boosted and backed early in their careers by film festivals and non profit orgs such as Sidewalk in Alabama, and Sundance. In the room full of film industry folks, fest programmers, org leaders, and others yesterday they shouted out champions of independent films and filmmakers. “Thank you to every person here who is an advocate for the new fresh voices,” Kwan said, “It’s so easy for us to get lost in this industry. It’s so easy for our little spirits to get crushed, and what you do for the independent film industry is immeasurable and it means the world to us because you’ve changed our lives. Keep changing other people’s lives.” Congratulations Daniels and all the nominees and winners at The Spirit Awards, Cheers Film Independent and special thanks to Daniel and Nanna Stern, supporters of the event (and backers of the essential Someone to Watch Award) for the invitation to sit up front. (at Santa Monica Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpaxkOfv5jv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Signs of spring on the final day of February! “Mutt” & “Mama” at MoMA & FLC. It was pure joy meeting and bonding with both Savannah Leaf and Vuk Lungulov-Klotz last month in Park City. Their new films — “Earth Mama” (left) and “Mutt” (right) — were two that resonated deeply among the rich roster of discoveries screening at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Both new movies are bookending the 52nd New Directors/New Films series, the prestigious annual festival curated and hosted by Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art (March 29 - April 9th). Programmers praised “Earth Mama,” an A24 film, as “a devastating and evocative portrait of motherhood refracted through the prisms of race and class,” while showcasing “Mutt,” still securing U.S. distribution, the story of “a twentysomething trans man who must contend with an onslaught of aggravations, surprise encounters, and emotional choices over a 24-hour period.” ND/NF is a truly vital showcase for new work by emerging artists and a highly anticipated spring showcase. The list of filmmakers introduced to New York City by the fest over the years is stunning: Almodóvar! Del Toro!Guadagnino! Hou! Jia! Palcy! Reichardt! Spielberg! Spike! WKW! And in the past decade alone ND/NF has boosted Maite Alberdi, Ana Lily Amirpour, Kantemir Balagov, Davy Chou, Chinonye Chukwu, Yance Ford, Eliza Hittman, Jennifer Kent, Nadav Lapid, RaMell Ross, Albert Serra, and Justin Simien, among so many others. As we often said about New Directors when I was working at Lincoln Center, “Find your next favorite filmmaker!” Congrats to all on the honor of being selected to ND/NF’s Class of 2023! More at NewDirectors.org! (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpN86WDJaiE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#ItStartsAtSundance 15 feature films at this year’s Berlinale got their start at Sundance, either at this year’s Festival or from one of Sundance Institute’s artist programs. Here’s an ad in Variety this week highlighting all of the movies selected to screen at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. Congratulations to Axel Danielson & Maximillien Van Aertryck, Maite Alberti, David Zonana, Silvia Del Carmen Castaños & Estefania “Beba” Contreras, Brandon Cronenberg, Roman Liubyi, Ulises de la Orden, D. Smith, Deborah Stratman, Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, Ira Sachs, Celine Song, Sophia Mocorrea, Aziz Zoromba, and Danny & Michael Philippou. Sundance supports and showcases films from all over the world each January at the Festival and also as films from the annual Labs and other Institute programs travel to fests and markets internationally. I’m on the ground here in Berlin this weekend hearing more about the paths these films will travel and cheering on the film teams who are sharing their movies as they lay the foundation for engaging wider audiences later this year. Theaters, hotels, restaurants, and parties are again packed here in Berlin after a few quiet covid years. Cheers to all of these Sundance supported movies here in Berlin, those screening at the Berlinale and the many more Sundance films finding deals this week in Industry’s bustling, parallel European Film Market happening alongside the Berlin festival! (at Berlin, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/Coz4-2AtiQ7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Thinking about Tom Luddy today. The co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival, former director of the Pacific Film Archive, and producer alongside Francis Ford Coppola at Zoetrope Studios passed away yesterday at the age of 79. The Telluride family has faced multiple losses lately (Bill Pence, Noah Cowan) as it builds towards its 50th Anniversary this summer. It’s a Festival that brings together such a rich, tight community each Labor Day weekend so these are losses felt deeply by the larger, extended Telluride family of friends and colleagues. Tom Luddy was an active champion of cinema. An evangelist. And he was a consummate connector. Sometimes in short bursts of inspiration and also over longer, more laid back interactions. Somehow, Tom seemed to take a personal interest in each attendee’s individual experience at a Festival, the movies they were seeing, the people they were meeting and hanging out with. Certainly not an easy task but he seemed to do it so effortlessly, enthusiastically, and thoughtfully. Countless times as I was making my way between screenings Tom would stop me, ask what I’d just watched and where I was going next. He’d pause to consider my choice and either validate it or offer a counter-programming suggestion. At drinks or dinner later in the evening, Tom was a great host, always adding more chairs to a table or pulling people together to hang out and chat. I met so many people, discovered (or re-discovered) so many films, and learned so much from this incredible champion of cinema. The last few years at the Telluride fest hasn’t quite been the same without Tom there as a sherpa and guide but now that he’s gone we have to carry on his work and care. Tom Luddy won’t be there in person with us, but he remains present, in our minds and in our work. Condolences to all of Tom’s loved ones and colleagues. Thank you, Tom. Rest in peace, friend. (at Telluride, Colorado) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoqFOARS6PQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

How do you honor an indie icon? If it's the late producer Ed Pressman, you have popcorn at the Paris Theater with clips from iconic films and speeches from countless collaborators from five decades, and then cap the event with cocktails. Edward R. Pressman, who passed 2 weeks ago at 79, made his name backing and championing filmmakers. His recent NYT obit had the headline, “Edward Pressman, Film Producer Who Bet on Unsung Talent, Dies at 79.” What a legacy. Pressman produced 100+ movies over 50+ years. The first time we met I was in awe, afraid to say too much because he was such a big figure. But Ed made me feel at ease and over the years I realized I didn’t have to say a lot to connect with him. At the Paris today, Ed was remembered as a man of few words but a producer who had a huge impact. Ed Pressman was born in Manhattan in the '40s & as a kid sold popcorn at his uncle’s movie theater. Today his brother Jim shared tender tales of his older brother showing him the ropes when they were growing up. It seems like Ed showed lots of folks the ropes, working with many first-timers over the years. There was Malick’s first film, “Badlands” and also Bigelow’s “Blue Steel” as well as David Byrne’s directorial debut, “True Stories.” Ed is known for letting filmmaker’s shine. “Sometimes,” he once told the The Times, as a producer, “the best thing to do is nothing.” Ed had “no distinction between high and low art,” Mary Harron said today. The two made “American Psycho” and “Daliland” together. In a video, “Psycho” star Christian Bale referenced Ed's soft spoken nature saying that while he was quiet, he made, “loud stories and loud films,” adding, “He loved vouching for people who were untested.” Ed’s family and colleagues vowed to forge ahead in his name. “We will continue working, and making movies in honor of Ed,” son Sam shared, “Part of Ed’s genius is that he loved filmmakers and he loved artists and let them do what they wanted to do.” My takeaway from today’s sweet memorial tribute to Ed Pressman is that, right until the end, he believed in the power and awesomeness of movies. “Every day on a set is a miracle,” Edward R. Pressman famously said. (at The Paris Theater) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoLz4oxuHSG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Sundance 2023 ended Sunday with final in person & virtual screenings but this Variety dispatch from Day One is a strong reminder of where we started nearly 2 weeks ago. Yesterday, I emailed 1000+ people — friends, colleagues, people I know and don’t — inviting them to share with me one thing about this year’s Sundance fest. My goal was to offer gratitude and also solicit one bit of feedback, input, or criticism. One idea, compliment, or suggestion. I’ve received (and responded to) so many insightful, encouraging, constructive, and valuable messages already. Folks are joining in with thoughtful, candid (positive and negative) responses wrapped in generosity and encouragement. Many of our #sundance audiences (and staff) will complete essential, in-depth surveys for detailed input but this quick snapshot of sentiment from folks who attended the Fest in person or remotely is deeply meaningful. If you’d like to share one thing, please let me know via DM (or drop me an email). Among the initial feedback I’m hearing is how resoundingly great it was to be back together in person and notes on the strength of the programming and curation, with the hybrid fest helping audiences dig deeper into that selection. But in terms of challenges, there were difficulties navigating tech, ticketing, and the website, as well as traffic and transportation tie-ups on the ground in Park City. Some folks have even jumped in offering help to tackle some of these hurdles and shared others. Reflecting on this recent Fest so that we can lay the foundation for the future has just started as I begin work leading our 2024 edition. Festival wrap is the first phase of planning the next Festival. While it begins in this moment of sheer exhaustion, it will build momentum as we move ahead, regain strength, and secure our footing. Up next, I'll soon be at the Berlinale and will also spend time working in both NY & LA in February, March & April (with a trip to UT as well), and then to Cannes in May as we lay a foundation for Sundance 2024. We have a lot to do, I still need more sleep but am slowly regaining strength and clarity. And I’m grateful. The journey is already underway! Forward. (at Sundance Film Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmaB7Jjqa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Noah Cowan. There’s so much to want to say and share to honor a life. A complex, special human. But the words don’t string together easily right now. Noah mentored, influenced, provoked, and shaped a generation of film people. His peers, the industry, and many audiences, through his curating, writing, advocacy, and leadership. He was opinionated and outspoken, passionate and playful. His devious, strange laugh was absolutely infectious and singular. His intellect was awesome (and sometimes intimidating)! That was Noah. That mind! Woah. Noah’s brain wouldn’t ever seem to stop. How was he always a few steps ahead, with certainty before you even fully understood the question that needed answering? I suppose that’s fitting. This past year Noah was a few steps ahead of his friends and he was so graceful giving us the time and space to catch up with him on this final leg of his journey. What a heartbreaking gift before his brain made his body slow and then just stop. Noah wholly embraced Toronto, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and whatever city he was inhabiting for a film festival at that moment. People in film culture in all of those cities, and beyond, are reeling today. A few weeks ago, Noah held court at a small dinner in LA. Anne Thompson (right) and I sat with him in Jeanne (center) & Bob Berney’s home in Pasadena right before Christmas. He was lively and lucid, sharp and funny, inquisitive and opinionated. He was Noah. And he was top of mind all week here in Park City. We were sending Noah photos from various gatherings, certain we’d catch up with him when we all got back home. We all knew his time was limited but we didn’t expect to hear the inevitable so abruptly. I really thought there would at least be some time for a catch up and a debrief once the festival was over. Isn’t that often the case? Noah. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn5Df5IJWka/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Good morning, #sundance …each day at 7AM our team gets together for 30 minutes - in person and on Zoom - to briefly recap the past 24 hours (challenges and successes) and also look ahead to the new day. It’s Day 3 here at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and I’ve pulled together a few tips to make your fest the best it can be. Read on, share this with a friend, and if you see me around the fest, please say hi! it’s 6 degrees as I type this but the sun is shining. Bundle up and have a great day! - Sign up! Go to festival.sundance.org to make sure you have a Sundance fest account (and know your password), this is how you access your fest tickets, share ‘em with a friend, and also gain quick access to official events and venues. - Take a shuttle! Traffic the first weekend is always a bitch. I’m grateful to Acura that I have a car available when I need to zip between venues, but yesterday I found that the shuttles (and walking) were the best way to get around in the afternoon and evening. Later today and tomorrow consider skipping the car and jumping on the shuttle to get where you need to go, and hey, you’ll also get a chance to meet and chat with other festival-goers! - Wear a mask! Even before COVID, folks got sick at Sundance. So when you’re at that crowded party or screening, would you consider putting on a mask so we can all stay as healthy as possible this week? Also, drink a lot of water when you can. - Thank a volunteer! The team that’s making this fest happen are working hard to give you the best experience possible. But, don’t forget we’re all coming back after a few years away and, frankly, shit happens. So if you get a moment to fist bump a volunteer or staffer, I know they’ll appreciate it. - Be patient. Take your time as you move through the fest, especially this weekend. As we finish our Sundance staff meeting each morning, the sun begins to rise on the new day. We’re all so excited to be back together, in person, with everyone. Here’s to a fun, safe, and enlightening Day 3! (at Sundance Film Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnrt-dPrmAp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Firsts. Here’s filmmaker Savanah Leaf (right) at Sundance’s Library Theater in Park City this morning, on the first full day of the 2023 #Sundance Film Festival. It was the first screening of “Earth Mama,” the first feature film by this Olympic athlete who moved into filmmaking a few years ago. Leaf has made a truly spectacular debut feature, a movie about Black women and mothers that deeply resonated with me when I watched it a few weeks ago. Revisiting the finished film this morning, and then talking with Savanah and her collaborators, was a deeply moving experience. Leaf was filled with emotion while introducing “Earth Mama” — an A24, Film 4 & Park Pictures film — pausing at times to grapple with her emotions. Each pause and quiver in her voice drew cheers of support from the audience. “This is a really special moment because there are some really amazing cast in the audience who have inspired so much,” Leaf shared. After the screening I was on stage with Savanah but, overcome myself after watching the film again (and taking in the moment), I couldn’t get the words out. Tia Nomore, a Bay Area rapper who masterfully embodies lead character Gia, came to my rescue with a deep hug on stage to offer some strength. It was my first ever Q&A at the Sundance Film Festival and all of us were misty throughout the conversation. Erika Alexander, a potent filmmaker herself and actor in this film, summed it up well near the end of our discussion. “New energy is meaningful,” she observed. Alexander found renewal in her work with Leaf and colleagues and that’s what I’ve found annually at the Sundance Film Festival. Now in a new way. Each year new energy here rejuvenates my own commitment to creative independence, free expression, and discovery. Finding that in Savanah Leaf through her first film is profoundly meaningful. That sheer force took my breath away today as I dove into this new role leading the Sundance festival. Congratulations! (at Sundance Film Festival) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnqAstDv58F/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

TOMORROW! #Sundance https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnkrn3rp9V_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

3 days ’til #Sundance. Guests & filmmakers haven’t arrived yet, but snow has! And it’s been here for awhile. There was already lot when I was in Park City back in Nov. But now after a steady series of recent storms there’s A LOT more! Another 15” the past couple of days. —> FYI, I’m posting BTS Sundance pix & videos on Instagram & FB Stories, so if that’s interesting to you, I hope you’ll check them out! And while you’re at it, feel free to follow @sundanceorg on Insta <— So great seeing all the comments from folks coming in this week and I’m sharing a few tips and notes as we get closer to opening. It’s been a busy MLK Day in Utah with many more Sundance staffers and volunteers arriving to check-in, joining the teams already in town building Fest venues and getting everything ready for Thursday. Today, I had lunch with Park City’s Mayor, Nanna Worel, the first woman to lead this city of 8,500 year round residents. PC swells to tens of thousands during Sundance and other local festivals. Traffic is a big topic, already the roads have been clogged here. So, if you’re coming for Sundance, you may want to rely more on shuttle buses and walking than renting a car, driving, and trying to find parking! I was over at the set-up of the Filmmaker Lodge & Cinema Cafe on Main Street, free talks, coffee, and empanadas are on tap at the Elks Lodge, hope you’ll drop by there. In addition to screenings at Sundance, check out the Beyond Film roster and the list of many FREE partner events. And for folks anchored in Park City you’ll notice that the MARC and Temple theaters aren’t with us this year, but all of the other familiar venues are back. Tickets are electronic this year and the system is back up & running! Make sure you go to festival.sundance.org to create an account and from there it’s also super easy to share and receive digital tickets from others. If a film you want is sold out, stay tuned for daily ticket drops and, of course, the stand-by lines (especially at larger venues). Oh, and I heard folks want film guide & schedule. Download the PDF of our digital program guide with film descriptions & schedule grid here: tinyurl.com/sff23guide More to come! (at Egyptian Theatre - Park City, Utah) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnf9ii_pkCG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Hello, #sundance With 4 days to go until the fest starts, I’m on the ground here in Utah. Thank you to my colleague Dana Silverman, pictured here, for the SLC airport pick-up this morning. Much appreciated! Dana is based in LA, worked with the Sundance labs last summer and now she’s ready to dig into the fest, coordinating vehicles for the team. We bonded this morning over new wave music, alternative press, and @indiewire, chatting about indie movies and bands. Thank you, Dana! And cheers to the whole, huge team of Sundancers who are putting the final touches on the fest as we countdown to the opening this Thursday! —> Are you coming to Sundance 2023? If so, please post a quick comment with dates and details so I know to look out for you and for others to see who’s attending this year, as well! 4 more days!! (at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnctm9Oy6DK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

25 for 2022. These are the movies released this year in theaters and on streaming that mattered the most to me. What’s on your list of the best of 2022?? Note: There were some *bigger* movies I saved to see in a theater but didn’t get to all of them, I’ll let you guess those… Happy 2023!! [ seventeen days til #sundance ] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm2sY8eJr8j/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Bill Pence, pictured here with Stella Pence in a photo I snapped of the two in Telluride back in 2006 (on the day they announced their departure from their beloved Fest), died earlier this month. On Telluride’s 100+ year old Sheridan Opera House hangs a sign that reads simply, “SHOW.” The sign has been there since before the Pence’s founded the Telluride Film Festival with James Card & Tom Luddy in 1974. As I shared in Indiewire years ago, somehow the word came to represent this festival, having been used on the first fest poster and then etched onto the silver medallion that organizers award honorees each year. “It’s the essence of what we are all about,” Bill Pence told me at the Festival nearly twenty years ago, “We look upon ourselves as ‘The Show’.” Survived by his wife and partner Stella, Bill was a cinema showman dating back to his earliest days. A movie theater usher in Minneapolis, where he was born in 1940, Pence later lead the student-run film society at Carnegie Mellon in the 1950s, opened a movie theater in the 60s, distributed classic movies at Janus Films into the late 70s — in the years before the Criterion Collection — and eventually wove together a network of mountain town movie theaters in the American West, including the Sheridan Opera House in Telluride and the Egyptian in Park City, iconic home of Sundance Film Festival. Success led to the founding the Telluride festival in 1974 and he and Stella later launched the Santa Fe Film Festival, the Taos Talking Pictures Festival, and Pence was instrumental in getting TCM’s festival of classic films in LA off the ground. Quite a legacy. Telluride fest leader Julie Huntsinger praised Bill Pence’s work, in a statement to Indiewire, adding, “But most importantly of all, Bill was a great person. Kind and smart and a wonderful father and husband. We continue to be inspired by his example and vow to continue the important work of film appreciation.” Rest in peace, showman. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmx6yYVO3kn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Venice, CA Santa. A very Cali Christmas. I’ve definitely been missing friends and winter vibes in NY this month but it’s also nice to be with family, amigos, and new co-workers back out here on the Left Coast through the end of the year. Happy Holidays wherever you are. [ twenty five days til #sundance ] (at Abbot Kinney Neighborhood Venice) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmjn36OpVUE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

So great to be back on the stage at the Walter Reade Theater last night, I was thrilled to host a screening of “Last Flight Home” with filmmaker and friend Ondi Timoner (right). We’ve hung out and chatted at festivals so many times over the years but it was particularly meaningful to be able to connect with Ondi yesterday. Last night felt special. It was the eve of Ondi’s 50th birthday, she sat alongside her sister Rabbi Rachel (left) and Ondi’s wife Morgan was in the audience (they met during the making of “Last Flight Home” and married in Telluride this fall when the film screened at the Festival there). Early on in her career Ondi was at Lincoln Center and MoMA with her breakthrough music documentary, “Dig!” The insightful film, about The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, played at New Directors/New Films in 2004 after winning Sundance’s Documentary Grand Jury Prize that year (she won the award again in 2009 for “We Live in Public”). Ondi’s latest trip to the Sundance Fest was in January with this new doc, “Last Flight Home,” a daring, intimate look inside the Timoner family as terminally ill father Eli decides to end his own life. Ondi shared that being a filmmaker served and supported her as she navigated the harrowing experience of her Dad’s end of life decision. Watching the powerful, emotional film again, I was struck by the bravery of Ondi and her family as they opened up their lives to share, with such love and humanity, the complex individual decision at the heart of the film. Shout out to icon Sheila Nevins and her team at MTV Documentary Films as well as my friends at Cinetic. It was a memorable New York night. Happy birthday, Ondi! Congratulations! 💜 (at Walter Reade Theater) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl1PNxyOzBv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=