HEADING TO SUNDANCE

Jonny Mars in Black Metal

For me, a real homebody, to go to Sundance is a major step out of my comfort zone. I had worked on Black Metal, which is a Sundance competition short film, and the director Kat Candler (my friend and office mate) was telling me I totally had to go.  We’ll share a condo, see films, etc.  I had worked on her Sundance short film Hellion last year, and hadn’t gone. Kat said something about it being a lot of fun and I’ll meet lots of great people from all areas of film.  Plus, I’ll never find a greater concentration of film festival programmers anywhere!

She had me at the programmers.  I’m currently in post production on own short film Static,  that I shot last August, and I suddenly realized what Kat was telling me. Sundance could be an incredible opportunity to promote Static.  So I agreed to go. My official title would be Publicist for Black Metal . That’s what I did for Jumping Off Bridges years ago and since I seemed to be good at that sort of stuff, and I was happy to take on the role.

I started with doing a press junket at Austin Film Society for Black Metal and  several other local films that were making their way to Sundance and Slamdance (Hearts of Napalm, by Andrew Irvine,  Spark by Anne Silverstein and Pit Stop by Yen Tan). Then after the screenings,  I ushered (or bossed, depends on who you ask) filmmakers, actors, and journalists around, so that everyone could get time with each other for questions, photo’s etc., . I met some amazing journalists and from all accounts it went really well.

Then I started on the press releases. Lots of press releases, that went out to hundred of press outlets and people, about Black Metal.  I really love this film and its story. While working on set, I was riveted by Jonny Mars performance,  loved studying Heather Kafka’s work, the look of each shot, the direction, lighting, everything and more.  To talk up something I believe in is really fun, so I’ve loved championing it to the press and I’m excited to chat it up at Sundance. 

More Sundance coming soon.....