Sundance Film Festival: Transphobic Laws In Utah Will Prevent My Attendance

The Utah state government’s transphobia was loud and clear when last year’s Sundance Film Festival ended–this year is no different. On the penultimate day of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, I learned that Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth. It was already bad enough that there was still a hint of transphobia in laws targeting transgender athletes, especially girls. What I found out upon coming back online after…

"Sundance Film Festival: Transphobic Laws In Utah Will Prevent My Attendance"

Love Dump – Slamdance 2023

Running a tight 51 minutes, Love Dump is the absurdist Hallmark romantic comedy parody that you didn’t know you needed. Chicago is a mecca for improv and sketch comedy. Comedians have been trained in the art of comedy for many years on the city’s stages. Some have gone onto become big names while others remain behind and find bit parts here and there. A pair of comedians, Leila Gorstein and Jesse Kendall, are about to…

"Love Dump – Slamdance 2023"

2023 Slamdance Film Festival Lineup Announced

The 2023 Slamdance Film Festival has announced its initial lineup ahead of the hybrid festival’s return to Park City in January. The 29th Slamdance Film Festival, the premiere film festival and organization “by filmmakers, for filmmakers,” today announced its lineup for Narrative Features Competition, Documentary Features Competition, Breakouts, Unstoppable, and Spotlight Screenings. With titles hailing from all over the globe and jam-packed with premieres, the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival estival continues its legacy of discovering…

"2023 Slamdance Film Festival Lineup Announced"

Tahara: Cast, Crew Talk Film at Slamdance 2020

The cast and crew behind Tahara discussed the film with Solzy at the Movies one day after the film’s premiere at Slamdance. Director Olivia Peace, screenwriter Jess Zeidman, and stars Rachel Sennott and Madeline Grey DeFreece were on hand for the junket at the Treasure Mountain Inn. The world changed so much in the month and a half that followed the Tahara premiere. It feels like this interview is very much a time capsule of…

"Tahara: Cast, Crew Talk Film at Slamdance 2020"

Slamdance 2020: Animation Outlaws

Animation Outlaws is a documentary that manages to revisit the touring film festival that is Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation. If you aren’t familiar with Spike Decker or Mike Gribble, you’re in for a treat.  Many now-famous animators got their start thanks to Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation.  The original touring festival–started in 1977–would soon gave way to the Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation later on. The promotion techniques they used would get…

"Slamdance 2020: Animation Outlaws"

Slamdance 2020: Tahara

Tahara focuses on pair of young Jewish women who are grieving the loss of their Hebrew school classmate following a suicide. Carrie Lowstein (Madeline Grey DeFreece) and Hannah Rosen (Rachel Sennott) are best friends.  When we first meet them in Tahara, they are Hebrew school classmate Samantha Goldstein’s funeral.  Following this, they attend a session run by Moreh Klein (Bernadette Quigley) allowing for them to learn the Judaic teachings on grief.  It’s a film that…

"Slamdance 2020: Tahara"

Slamdance 2019: The Vast of Night Interview

Actors Jake Horowitz and Sierra McCormick joined producer Adam Dietrich in speaking with Solzy at the Movies about The Vast of Night at Slamdance. Unfortunately, director Andrew Patterson was not feeling well on the Sunday afternoon in which this interview took place.  As such, producer Adam Dietrich took his place four days after his wife gave birth to their new child. The Vast of Night was truly the gem of the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival. …

"Slamdance 2019: The Vast of Night Interview"

High Flying Bird: A Sports Film Without Sports

High Flying Bird shows that director Steven Soderbergh isn’t afraid of being an innovative filmmaker even if his retirement was premature. Soderbergh’s new film takes place during a pro basketball lockout.  More on the lockout later.  This is where we find sports agent Ray Burke (André Holland) in quite the pickle.  If the game isn’t in session, he can’t quite bring in the money to fund his career.  So he does the next best thing with…

"High Flying Bird: A Sports Film Without Sports"

Slamdance 2019: Memphis ’69

While Memphis ’69 doesn’t break any new ground in the documentary, there’s nothing wrong with being allowed to just sit back and enjoy the music. During the late 1960s, the Memphis Country Blues Society held an annual blues festival.  As implied in the film’s title, the concert footage is taken from the June 1969 music festival.  These blues musicians gathered together at the Overton Park Shell for three days in celebration of Memphis’ 150th birthday. …

"Slamdance 2019: Memphis ’69"

Slamdance 2019: Spiral Farm

Spiral Farm‘s indie film budget may constrain the filmmaking decisions by writer-director Alec Tibaldi but doesn’t take away from the film. Anahita (Piper de Palma), a teenager, lives on this Southern California commune that looks like it was taken out of the 1960s.  Everyone in this commune has to work together in order to survive on the farm.  Anahita’s dreams of being a professional dancer keep tugging at her.  Even though the farm has been her…

"Slamdance 2019: Spiral Farm"