Yesterday, we happily announced that the lineup for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival features 25 Fellows from Film Independent’s Artist Development and grant programs. Now, more good news: 31 Film Independent Members will have films screening at Sundance. (See the full list below.) We asked them, too, to tell us what it’s like to be going to the big indie film showcase and what they learned along the way. In one word, what was your reaction to finding out you got into Sundance? Joy. -Steve Bannatyne, associate producer, Ping Pong Summer Ecstatic. -Brent Stiefel, executive producer, Obvious Child Relief. -Julia Lebedev, producer, Dear White People Stoked. -Jacob Jaffke, producer, Jamie Marks Is Dead Umm…Is this a prank call?? -Justin R. Begnaud, producer, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Who was the first person you contacted to tell them you got in? Mom (my #1 supporter.) -Steve Bannatyne My wife, Courtney. -Brent Stiefel, executive producer, Obvious Child My husband because no one is more excited about good news than he is. -Alix Madigan-Yorkin, producer, Laggies; producer, White Bird in a Blizzard My mother. Because I knew she would be excited. She was asleep and I woke her. She didn’t remember speaking to me the next morning! -Julia Lebedev My girlfriend Ivy, who was a makeup artist on the film, because I’m old fashioned like that. (Mom and dad were number two). -Jacob Jaffke My wife, Ali. She supported this crazy idea. -Justin R. Begnaud Our director, Marjane Satrapi. After our long journey together making this movie, I was most excited to share the news with her. -Matt Rhodes, producer, The Voices Who would you most like to meet at the Festival? Last year I got to meet Ringo Starr so it’s gonna be hard to beat that! -Brent Stiefel I’m really looking forward to meeting other young producers and filmmakers. I think there are so many exciting young people in film right now making beautiful and mindful films, and I am looking forward to picking their brains. -Luisa Conlon, associate producer, Obvious Child Alex Orlofsky and Anne Carey—They always have great movies and we have never met. -Alix Madigan-Yorkin So many people. I do love Marjane Satrapi and Lynn Shelton. -Giles Andrew, producer, Hits I would say Sam Shepard but I’ve already met him now. -Nicholas Shumaker, executive producer, Cold in July Johnny Drama. -Justin R. Begnaud Robert Redford. -Matt Rhodes An enthusiastic distributor. -Albert Berger, producer, Low Down When have you considered throwing in the towel on filmmaking, and what stopped you? After making a really good movie, getting some critical acclaim for the film and then having an almost impossible time getting a distribution deal. But, I kept making films because I love the art form and the stories I get to help tell. -Brent Stiefel Every 4 am call time. Just kidding (sort of). I’m a few years out of school and haven’t considered throwing in the towel yet, although I’m sure I’ll get there. Working on films is hard, but it’s incredibly rewarding. -Luisa Conlon On a particularly bad experience on a movie a couple of years ago, I thought this business had become too tough for me. Then, Cherien Dabis asked me to work on May in the Summer with her and throwing myself into a tough but rewarding experience made me realize how fun the business can be. -Alix Madigan-Yorkin When I was nearing completion of my MFA at the graduate film program at Columbia University I was staring down a tremendous amount of student loan debt and even though I had already been a UPM and Line Producer on three feature films, the work was slow coming. Standing where I am now, it’s preposterous to think that I was still in graduate school and I was already looking to hit the eject button and run to law school, but that’s the reality. Fortunately, my long time friend and collaborator Peter Phok called me a week before I was to sit down for my LSAT and he talked some sense into me. He helped me remember why I wanted to be a filmmaker and that I was actually really good at this producing thing. He gave me an opportunity to help produce some webisodes for his new movie, Jim Mickle’s Stake Land. He convinced me to give it some more time and that soon after more opportunities would present themselves. I decided to take Pete up on his offer and hopped in my Volvo and drove upstate. Fortunately he was right as two months later I was co-producing a feature with him, three months after that I was nominated for a BAFTA for my thesis film Off Season, and before I knew it I was producing feature films. I have not looked back since. college essay editing service-Jacob Jaffke Everyone has high and low points, it’s a bit like snakes and ladders but then once you’re hooked on film there’s really no going back. Not sure I could go back to working in an office, I ate a Snickers bar every afternoon and drank a lot. I still drink but no more Snickers. -Giles Andrew What was the most important thing you learned while making this film? Stick with your gut. -Brent Stiefel I was incredibly lucky to be brought on to this project by producer Elisabeth Holm who is not only super inspiring, but has put a lot of faith in me as a young person in film.. Liz taught me not to be afraid to ask questions when you don’t know the answer to something and how important it is to surround yourself with a group of people who DO. -Luisa Conlon Never let your stress show to anyone. It’s your job as producer to make sure everyone thinks that things are under control. -Alix Madigan-Yorkin Teamwork! -Julia Lebedev Mainly that unique material gets you great filmmakers. Everybody who worked on the film was so talented, entrepreneurial and independently minded and that was in service to the material and a clarity of vision from David [Cross]. -Giles Andrew Something that is true on every film I’ve worked on: It’s a team effort, everyone matters, and it’s wonderful when a plan comes together. -Nicholas Shumaker That the word ‘no’ doesn’t exist. -Matt Rhodes That when you have the right partners and you share an unrelenting belief in the project, you might have to will a film into existence whether you have the money or not. -Albert Berger You can never have too much beef jerky on set. -Justin R. Begnaud FILM INDEPENDENT MEMBERS with FILMS SCREENING AT THE 2014 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL Stephanie Allain, executive producer, Dear White People Giles Andrew, producer, Hits Stephen Bannatyne, associate producer, Ping Pong Summer Justin R. Begnaud, producer, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Albert Berger, producer, Low Down Effie Brown, producer, Dear White People Chad Burris, producer, Drunktown’s Finest Luisa Conlon, associate producer, Obvious Child Andrew Droz Palermo, director, Rich Hill Sydney Freeland, writer/director, Drunktown’s Finest Bruce Wayne Gillies, co-producer, The Guest Michael Gottwald, producer, Ping Pong Summer Hunter Gray, executive producer, Jamie Marks is Dead; producer, I Origin Sarah Green, executive producer, Hellion Jacob Jaffke, producer, Jamie Marks is Dead Mel Jones, associate producer, Dear White People Julia Lebedev, producer, Dear White People Michel Litvak , producer, Whiplash Mynette Louie, producer, Land Ho! Alix Madigan-Yorkin, producer, Laggies; Producer, White Bird in a Blizzard Daniel S. McGilvray, co-producer, Life After Beth Ruth Mutch, executive producer, Infinitely Polar Bear; executive producer, Little Accidents Matt Rhodes, producer, The Voices Anish Savjani, producer, Blue Ruin Cathy Schulman, executive producer, The Voices Jonathan Schwartz, producer, Imperial Dreams Nicholas Shumaker, executive producer, Cold in July Brent Stiefel, executive producer, Obvious Child Rosalie Swedlin, producer, Laggies Emily Ting, co-executive producer, Land Ho! Ron Yerxa, producer, Low Down For info on how to become a Film Independent Member, click here. By Pamela Miller / Website & Grants Manager and José Tamayo / Membership Assistant
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