R.L. Turner AMAT Students Attend the Sundance Film Festival
It’s a blistering two degrees when the rising sun peaks over the mountains in Park City, Utah. Your breath looks like thick white smoke when it pours out of your mouth. It’s a far cry from Dallas, but who cares if it’s cold when Jake Gyllenhaal, Elle Fanning, and Joaquin Phoenix are standing five feet away?
In January, R.L. Turner’s Academy for Media Arts and Technology had the opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
The festival and the Sundance Institute were founded in 1981 by Robert Redford as a non-profit organization to develop the emerging talents of filmmakers from around the world.
During the twenty-five years in existence, Sundance has grown into one of the largest festivals of its kind in the United States. Fifty thousand industry people and film fanatics diverge onto the small mountain town for two weeks in January. The velvet rope was lifted for AMAT students during the festival. Students were able to attend film premieres, filmmaking discussions, and roundtables. For one week in January, AMAT students were able to become part of the movie industry.
“We took the position, at the end of each film, of a critic to rate each film on the good and bad points. We studied and witnessed what made certain films better than others,” said Jacob Carrera, AMAT student. This is aligned with what the media arts program within AMAT is all about.
The academy at Turner includes four years of study and three strands which include commercial photography, computer graphics & animation and media arts. The media arts strand participates in both broadcast journalism and filmmaking.
Media arts students who are interested in film were encouraged to apply for the Sundance trip. Several students wrote essays on how attending the festival could benefit the development of their filmmaking skills. “This trip influences other students to become filmmakers and begin a career. This experience shows you that even when you are an independent filmmaker, your film can thrive,” said David Stallings, AMAT student.
The group touched down the night of January 22nd in Park City and directly set out to do some sight-seeing on Main Street. The street is home too much of the festival’s activities. The chilly nighttime temperatures did not stop the students from exploring and mapping out their game plan for the week “I waited for years for my chance to go and I will never forget it. The snow, the people and the movies all equated to one of the highlights of my high school career,” said AMAT student, Amin Mithani.
AMAT Students Adapt to Sundance Culture
During the five days at the festival, the students were able to immerse themselves in the Sundance culture. That culture is based on the Sundance motto which is energy, passion, film. The group attended over 50 films, which included world premiere screenings with many famous stars. “Meeting actors and directors of the next generation of cinema was one of the best experiences of my life,” said Joel Pina, AMAT student.
The students were able to see movies that will not reach theaters for six more months. Like Napoleon Dynamite and Little Miss Sunshine, Sundance is where movie blockbusters are born. AMAT attended screenings alongside many famous actors, writers, producers and film directors.
AMAT Students Meet Professional Filmmakers
The real treat came after the conclusion of the films where directors and the stars of the film took questions from the audience. “Getting to stay for the Q&A, makes you feel like a movie critic,” said Victor Martinez, AMAT student.
The week’s full schedule was a once in a lifetime experience for AMAT students. The group finished the week with industry knowledge and an appreciation for film that many are not privileged to learn. Wherever these students end up in the careers, Sundance will be something they will take with them for the rest of their lives.
Learn More About The Academy for Media Arts and Technology by Clicking Here