Every January, avid moviegoers around the world flock to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, to be the first to see the next ‘Clerks’ or ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’ There are endless new films to discover, and it’s easy to become infatuated with the possibility of sitting next to James Franco at a trendy celebrity hangout or running into Robert Redford as he strolls down Main Street.

But those weren’t my highest priorities. I just wanted to meet Kelly Reichardt.

Reichardt’s previous work, the minimalist drama ‘Wendy and Lucy’ (2008),

was my pick as the best film of the decade, and I didn’t plan on missing her new picture.

I had a ticket to see Reichardt’s new film, ‘Meek’s Cutoff,’ on Sunday night, but I was worried she might not venture to Utah for the screening.

I felt I had to take a risk to gain a Reichardt sighting. I arrived three hours before that night’s screening of ‘Meek’s Cutoff,’ even though I had already shelled out over $30 to see it the next night. Two hours before the screening, I received my unfavorable waitlist number.

Just as the doors were about to close, I was one of the last people admitted into the screening. Lo and behold, half an hour after the credits rolled, I saw Reichardt in the lobby after the Q-and-A session.

It was an experience I will never forget.

America’s most iconic film festival has always embraced its informal nature, the uniformly accepted attitude that makes such encounters possible. The atmosphere invites an openness that puts stuffy award ceremonies to shame and even encourages constant interaction between artists and festival patrons.

Perhaps it’s the setting itself, a veritable wonderland defined by snow-clad mountains and indescribably fresh air, that inspires the artists’ informal sensibilities. Or maybe it’s the perks that Park City and the festival inherently offer, such as the surrounding ski resorts and the array of gourmet restaurants. But while that in formality is fostered, it’s also what has made Sundance such an indispensable cultural event since its inception in 1978.

At Sundance, artists expose themselves like they never would in any other arena. If you don’t stick around for the Q-and-A session, you’re missing out on the film you just saw.

Take the Jan. 21 screening of Joe Swanberg’s ‘Uncle Kent,’ for example. During the Q-and-A session, star Kent Osborne was a veritable one-man show. Like his character in the film, he draws people on Chat Roulette and shows them the picture. He smokes marijuana. The back of his Honda Civic is taped together. He masturbates like his character and can do a Robert De Niro impression with his private parts.

Osborne also wrote 23 episodes of ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ and co-wrote ‘The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.’

The wealth of celebrities and acclaimed filmmakers who travel to Park City each year is well documented, but one cannot underestimate the importance of staying focused on what truly makes Sundance so special. Stars are hard to find, but a shared passion for filmmaking and the subtle lushness of the city clutches you and provide endless opportunities to savor the festival experience.

I didn’t go to Redford’s restaurant, Zoom, and I regrettably didn’t go snowboarding, but I think I soaked up enough of the atmosphere to remain content for years.

At every table in every restaurant, overhearing what others have to say about the festival is unavoidable. Festival buzz is spread through word of mouth just as heavily as in newspapers and blogs. Anyone with a festival pass is immediately an influential critic. I learned more about the highlights of the festival by conversing with a couple on a waitlist line than from scouring publications for the ‘must-sees’ and ‘avoid at all costs’ in the arts sections.

I didn’t catch a world premiere and just barely caught sight of Redford, but I’m confident in saying that I immersed myself in the festival so thoroughly that I could be content in never returning and will have no regrets about having missed out on what Sundance had to offer.

But I do plan on going back. As a filmmaker.

Seen at Sundance:

‘Benavides Born’

Don’t be surprised if Amy Wendel’s gritty coming-of-age story becomes this year’s ‘Precious,’ at least as far as Sundance is concerned. Corina Calderon is poised to break out on the heels of a tremendous performance as a gifted athlete whose economic status threatens to prevent her from attending the University of Texas and escaping her hometown of Benavides, Texas. The Grand Jury Prize is not out of its reach.

‘Incendies’

When the Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning, ‘Incendies’ won big. Denis Villenueve’s riveting portrayal of a broken French-Arabic family’s quest for truth was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, and if there’s any justice in this world, it will take home the statuette.

‘Kaboom’

Gregg Araki’s absurdist comedy was unjustly rewarded with the most enthusiastic audience participation. Though Araki’s ‘Mysterious Skin’ was one of the best films of 2005, he returned to the realm of sexually confused young adults with no thought or substance whatsoever. The film is set to be released this weekend.

‘The Off Hours’

Inviting unfavorable comparisons to ‘Benavides Born’ as a drama about a young woman’s need to escape her oppressive environment, Megan Griffiths’ drama is comparatively lifeless and uninteresting. Star Amy Seimetz’s talent is unfortunately wasted.

‘Shorts Program III’

Diverse selections of brilliant short films have long been a hallmark of the festival, and this particular program of shorts did not disappoint. Highlighting the seven-film program were tales of a mother and son buried alive together, violent peer pressure in the slums of New Jerseyand a talking shell. The latter, ‘Stopover,’ was scripted by acclaimed Romanian filmmaker Christian Mungiu.

‘Uncle Kent’

Kent Osborne gives a hilarious, mostly autobiographical performance as a charming but immature 40-year-old. Joe Swanberg’s love song for the last stop before middle age is shockingly graphic but also very sweet, relaxed yet deeply considered. The film is already available via Video On Demand.

‘Meek’s Cutoff’

Check tomorrow’s Splice for a full review.

smlittma@syr.edu

Published on January 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm