{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Robert Redford holds press conference to open Sundance Film Festival' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bbabd8eafeecae126ca6' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bbabd8eafeecae126ca6' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nRobert Redford holds press conference to open Sundance Film Festival\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eA fresh dusting of snow over Park City heralded the beginning of the Sundance Film Festival on Thursday (19 JAN. 2012).Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford opened the festival by characterizing the slate of 117 feature films as...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eA fresh dusting of snow over Park City heralded the beginning of the Sundance Film Festival on Thursday (19 JAN. 2012).\u003cbr/\u003eSundance Institute founder Robert Redford opened the festival by characterizing the slate of 117 feature films as products of \"dark and grim\" times and the \"suffering from a government that's in paralysis.\"\u003cbr/\u003e\"Even though the work reflects hard times, there's not paralysis here,\" the 75-year-old filmmaker said at an afternoon news conference. \u003cbr/\u003e\"They're breathing life into fresh, new stories.\"\u003cbr/\u003eThe selection of films are \"as diverse as they can be\" and no overriding theme has emerged, said festival director John Cooper.\u003cbr/\u003e\"Independent film is the theme,\" he said.\u003cbr/\u003eSome note that the gap between mainstream Hollywood studio films and the indie world has gotten smaller as independent films make their way into award season, including the Oscars.\u003cbr/\u003e\"I don't know that there was ever a gap, it's just independent film was an addition to what existed,\" said Redford. \u003cbr/\u003e\"The mainstream was the mainstream. It was never go against it, it was made to create an alternative to it. It would maybe enhance the broader category of film in general. But what's happened along with newspapers which have declined, print journalism has declined but so have major studios, they have declined to the point of almost not even being in business anymore.\"\u003cbr/\u003e\"So that's what has happened with them,\" he continues. \"We have been where we have been all along, nothing's changed on our end except maybe more opportunities... More opportunities exist now for independent film that ever did before and that has a lot to do with mainstream of the major studios kind of falling away and not some are just clearing houses these days so times change and that's what has happened.\"\u003cbr/\u003eFor 11 days every January, Sundance becomes the focal point of the independent film world as established directors and stars mix with up-and-coming talent, while theatrical distributors prowl the festival looking for the next indie hit, and film lovers just have a good time being the first audiences to see new movies.\u003cbr/\u003eFilm Festival Director John Cooper watched every single film accepted in this year's festival. \u003cbr/\u003eHe told us a little about his personal favorites.\u003cbr/\u003e\"The one that is playing tonight, opening night, 'Hello I Must Be Going,' I found very heart warming and charming. It's about a 35 year old woman that is down on her luck and moves back in with her parents and has an affair with a 17 year old friend of the family. I like all the girl movies so, I loved 'That's What She Said,' directed by Carrie Preston. I thought it was kind of raunchy and fun and I loved meeting Carrie Preston and the way she approached the film.\"\u003cbr/\u003eCooper also selects \"Arbitrage\" with Richard Gere.\u003cbr/\u003e\"I thought that was really stylish. I loved seeing him back in this role. In the smaller films, 'Beast of the Southern Wilde,' is a very lyrical beautiful film. Sort of telling the story of America through a small coastal kind of colony and in Louisiana. It's not officially the Bayo, but that kind of story. They are all my favorites. They are like my children right now.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAlso opening Thursday is \"Wish You Were Here,\" a dark story of a vacation gone wrong from Australian filmmaker Kieran Darcy-Smith that stars Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer; and Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul's world-cinema documentary \"Searching for Sugar Man,\" a portrait of promising 1970s singer-songwriter Rodriguez and his fade into obscurity.\u003cbr/\u003eSundance also is a launch place for movies that already have distributors, who show off their films hoping to build buzz among audiences and the legions of cinema journalists and bloggers who attend the festival.\u003cbr/\u003eAmong the more established filmmakers showcasing their work at the festival are Spike Lee with his urban drama \"Red Hook Summer,\" in which he reprises the character he played in \"Do the Right Thing\"; Stephen Frears with his sports-wagering caper \"Lay the Favorite,\" starring Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rebecca Hall; documentary veteran Joe Berlinger with his Paul Simon portrait \"Under African Skies\"; and Julie Delpy with her relationship comedy \"2 Days in New York,\" in which she stars with Chris Rock.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Sundance Film Festival has grown tremendously over its 28 years, but Redford said the institute's mission remains the same: to support and encourage independent filmmakers and provide a platform for their work to be seen.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Sundance Film Festival continues until January 29.\u003cbr/\u003eSHOTLIST (including transcript) :-\u003cbr/\u003eAP Entertainment\u003cbr/\u003ePark City, Utah, 19 January 2012\u003cbr/\u003e1. Wide of the mountains in Park City, Utah\u003cbr/\u003e2. Wide of Sundance banners\u003cbr/\u003e3. Close up of Sundance sign\u003cbr/\u003e4. Medium of statue bear on bench\u003cbr/\u003e5. Wide of press conference\u003cbr/\u003e6. UPSOUND (English) Robert Redford/Founder and President of the Sundance Institute:\u003cbr/\u003e\"We could start with the hard times we are living in. It is no secret that times are dark and grim and in addition to that we are suffering from a Government that is in paralysis. So that makes it all a pretty grim time, but I think the happy thing that we are pretty proud of is that here for this week we are going to see work from artists that even though their work might be reflective of these hard times, there is not paralysis here, in fact they are breathing life into fresh new stories that I'm happy you are going to be able to see.\"\u003cbr/\u003e7. Wide of media in conference\u003cbr/\u003e8. UPSOUND (English) Robert Redford/Founder and President of the Sundance Institute:\u003cbr/\u003e\"So I think probably maybe unconsciously maybe the look and feel for this place probably carries a little of that interest. In terms of what is going on there, in terms of Mitt Romney, I am not going to get into politics. The fact is you can see this mushroom cloud of ego hovering over everybody is kind of silly and stupid and I am sorry about it. We don't get into that. Romney can go see what he wants to see, if he likes the 'Transformers,' great it's there for him but that's not where we are.\"\u003cbr/\u003e9. Wide of cars on Main Street\u003cbr/\u003e10. Wide of people walking on the street\u003cbr/\u003e11. Wide of the Egyptian Theatre\u003cbr/\u003e12. Medium of the Egyptian Theatre sign\u003cbr/\u003e13. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Redford/Founder and President of the Sundance Institute:\u003cbr/\u003e\"I don't know that there was ever a gap, it's just independent film was an addition to what existed. The mainstream was the mainstream. It was never go against it, it was made to create an alternative to it. It would maybe enhance the broader category of film in general. But what's happened along with newspapers which have declined, print journalism has declined but so have major studios, they have declined to the point of almost not even being in business anymore. So that's what has happened with them. We have been where we have been all along, nothing's changed on our end except maybe more opportunities. I think I see that. More opportunities exist now for independent film that ever did before and that has a lot to do with mainstream of the major studios kind of falling away and not some are just clearing houses these days so times change and that's what has happened.\"\u003cbr/\u003e14. SOUNDBITE (English) John Cooper/Film Festival Director:\u003cbr/\u003e\"I have some personal favorites. The one that is playing tonight, opening night, 'Hello I Must Be Going,' I found very heart warming and charming. It's about a 35 year old woman that is down on her luck and moves back in with her parents and has an affair with a 17 year-old friend of the family. I like all the girl movies so, I loved 'That's What She Said,' directed by Carrie Preston. I thought it was kind of raunchy and fun and I loved meeting Carrie Preston and the way she approached the film. 'Arbitrage,' with Richard Gere. I thought that was really stylish. I loved seeing him back in this role. In the smaller films, 'Beast of the Southern Wilde,' is a very lyrical beautiful film. Sort of telling the story of America through a small coastal kind of colony and in Louisiana. It's not officially the Bayo, but that kind of story. They are all my favorites. They are like my children right now.\"\u003cbr/\u003e15. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Redford/Founder and President of the Sundance Institute:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Those artists that are more in the mainstream like (Bruce) Willis they are more associated with mainstream stuff, but the fact that they are here suggests that they are here in films that are more independent, because we are independent. We are the only festival that is strictly independent so therefore when you see names, Susan (Sarandon) who is a friend, she is in my film I just finished. When you get Spike Lee and you get Stephen Frears, you get actors who are here, I think they are all coming here in the same kinds of films, they are independent. So I guess you can say that is a really good sign as long as it's not misinterpreted that we have gone mainstream. That's never been the case but sometimes we have been accused of that.\"\u003cbr/\u003e16. 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