HP has a special place in its heart for Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, as they were gracious enough to give HP a live performance of this Oscar-winning song on a snowy January day during the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Take a look and listen.
As my colleague Kate Sheofsky pointed out in her earlier blog post, Game On, Sundance is a place to get inspired. I found inspiration in many different places – not the least of which was my meeting with two women who are making their way through the male-dominated area of documentary filmmaking, Susan Turley and Annie Roney.
Do you read film reviews before or after you see a film? Or not at all? How does the film critic influence your interpretation of the film? Personally, I read reviews after I have seen the film, to validate my likes, dislikes and interpretations. And if I am at odds with the critic, I simply assume my opinion to be of superior, concluding that the critic "simply did not get it", or clearly missed out on some of the vital nuances! As another chapter of Sundance closes and we settle into the humdrums of daily life, I muse upon one of the panels attended about the importance of film critics, especially in the age of web 2.0.
Sundance ’08 is over and the buzz has died down, but I still feel like I’m flying high. Because here’s the thing- being surrounded by all that creative energy did something to me. I want to say that it inspired me, and motivated me, and brought out my inner artist. I want to say that, but it would be a lie. It actually made me feel like a lazy sack. Park City was filled with people who were willing to do whatever it took to live their dream. And me? I think about living my dream as long as that dream can take place during the commercial breaks of America’s Next Top Model. Something needs to change …
Cindy MaestasInteractive Marketing Tom Hubbard at the HP Printing StudioPhoto by Cindy Maestas Hello from Sundance! I have been working most of the week in the HP Printing Studio in the basement of the Sundance House at the Kimball Art Center. The Printing Studio is a hands-on place for credentialed and professional photographers to go to print their photos on several available HP Photosmart Pro B9180 printers. The studio is equipped with a Mac and two PCs with Photoshop, so it’s a great way for photographers to come and print (for free!) the fabulous photos taken around and about on the streets, movies and parties at Sundance. Throughout the week we have printed dozens of beautiful fine art quality photos for the many photographers who come to the event …
by Sibel SatirogluWW Interactive MarketingLast night was the screening of Laços by Adriana Falcão, the beautifully poetic and melodic six-minute short film from Brazil with “something to say”. It is the winner of the first-ever international film contest called Project:Direct on YouTube, sponsored by HP. Under the umbrella of IPG’s What Do You Have to Say campaign, the requirements for film submission included a passing of a photo and the tag line, “What Do You Have to Say?”
by Lisa TuckerWW Interactive CommunicationsBesides the many people at Sundance calling themselves filmmakers, there is another genre of folks here also taking pictures. With so many celebrities on hand, there are massive amounts of photographers here taking photographs. One such person is Todd Williamson, freelance photographer working Sundance on behalf of WireImage.
I had an opportunity to see the movie, Henry Poole is Here the other day at Sundance. Before I could even blog about it, I heard that Overture Films just bought the rights to the film for a cool $3.5 million. So, it looks like everyone is going to get a chance to see this movie in your local theater. Would I recommend you do so? Well, it depends.
Angela LoSassoWeb Content Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, U.S.
The 80th Annual Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, and two performers from films featured at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival earned nods from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Congratulations to Best Actress nominee Julie Christie in “Away from Her” and Best Actress nominee Laura Linney in “The Savages”.
Angela LoSassoWeb Content Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, U.S
Presented in collaboration with Sundance Channel, the shorts available online will launch simultaneously on all three services beginning January 18, 2008 and run through 2011.
I didn’t go into the theater expecting The Great Buck Howard to “move” me – and it didn’t. But what it did well was entertain me for about and hour and half. And that’s a success in my book. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a feel-good movie that has solid performances from actors I enjoy watching…
Lisa TuckerWW Interactive CommunicationsMy favorite part of attending Sundance is meeting all of the amazing people who work in the film industry – the ones whose names I have never heard of before. Sure, it is always exciting to see celebrities – I would be lying if I told you that wasn’t the case. But it is the stories of people who have given their all to the craft of filmmaking that really interest me. I’m constantly amazed by the number of people who have gotten into the industry, often in really strange ways, and then struggled for years to catch a break.
Angela LoSassoWeb Content Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, U.S. Photo courtesty of Wire Image/ Pimentel We love film. We love providing the technology and know-how to power the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. But we’re human, too. We love to do a bit of stargazing while were here. Check out the photos of the folks who’ve hit the premieres and happenings in Park City so far…
We love film. We love providing the technology and know-how to power the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. But we’re human, too. We love to do a bit of stargazing while were here. Check out the photos of the folks who’ve hit the premieres and happenings in Park City so far…
Kate SheofskyWeb Content Manager
Change is inevitable – and often welcome and needed. But some things are fine just the way they are. No single image better represents the spirit and independence of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival than festival founder Robert Redford. But Redford has change on his mind. We were lucky enough to be invited to the Opening Press Conference, and we asked Mr. Redford about change and his thoughts on inspiring creative expression…
The most satisfying aspect of attending and sponsoring the Sundance Film Festival is the opportunity to help filmmakers succeed. Year after year, directors and producers have told us about how challenging it is to get publicity and media coverage for their films. We knew we could help. So HP created the HP Broadcast Studio – a high-def, miniaturized SmartHome set that gives filmmakers a complimentary turnkey solution to record and walk away with their own interviews to share with press and publicists. See what HP Broadcast Studio hosts Arnold Say and Linda Morton had to say on day 2 of the festival:
By Lisa TuckerWW Interactive CommunicationsGreetings from Denver International Airport. I'm sitting here waiting for the flight that is going to take me to Sundance and a lot is running through my head. It is pretty much the same ridiculous stuff that runs through my head every year right before I go to Sundance. You know, like, did I bring the right clothes, why did I eat so much at the holidays, and will anyone really want to be interviewed by me for this blog?
I find this whole thing to be analogous to the kid who is suddenly plucked from a small school in the mid-west into Beverly Hills High School. The question is the same – how can I possibly fit in with all the cool kids?
You see, secretly, or not so-secretly, I’m really a not-so-cool mother of two from Colorado who works for HP. At Sundance, where most people hail from either NYC or LA, people think of Colorado as just a fly-over state. HP is simply part of Corporate America, not the elite film industry. So already, I arrive with two strikes against me.
In my day job, I work for HP in search marketing, making sure pages showcasing HP products like printer ink cartridges are found by search engines. Sounds glamorous, doesn’t it? But for one week out of the year, I go to Sundance and breathe the same (thin) air as members of the film community. I employ my best amateur acting skills to act as though I really belong there and the sight of celebrities walking down the street is something I see every day.
Well, my plane is here now, so my journey begins. Wish me luck. Get ready cool kids, here I come.
HP is back in Park City as a presenting sponsor for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, and we’re kicking off our coverage at the Opening Night Film, “In Bruges”, directed by Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh. Take a look…
