Slouching towards Park City, 1/14.

"Just in time for this week's Sundance, you can read my annual grouse at the new film website FilmCatcher," blogs Anthony Kaufman. "[M]y main argument here is that the festival itself is not to blame for the obliteration of true art in American independent cinema, but it's Hollywood's sneaky insinuation into the culture of art-house filmmaking, whether it's mainstream television-based directors, producers, and writers going 'indie,' or studios themselves getting into the 'specialized' business."

"New York arrives in Park City en masse this week," writes S James Snyder in the New York Sun. "[N]early two dozen of the event's most anticipated entries bear the mark of the Big Apple, featuring settings, directors, or actors that we can call our own."

"For decades, a prime force at the Film Arts Foundation, [Gail] Silva's been behind the curtain for years, advising filmmakers at all stages of Sundance dreaming," writes SF360's Susan Gerhard, introducing "a few of her thoughts on getting in, being in, and surviving the annual trip that is Sundance."

As Michael Tully sets out for his first Sundance, he hints at an intriguing new site to come.

AJ Schnack readies himself (and his readers) for the 15 docs in Competition.

Film Threat's set.

Online listening tip. IFC News' Matt Singer and Alison Willmore "attempt to define what, exactly, makes a "Sundance film," pick out some of the genre's favorite themes and elements, and test how notable Sundance films of the past few years stack up."

Posted by dwhudson at January 14, 2008 3:36 PM