by Karen Henry
Although the Sundance Film Festival ends each year just five weeks before the Academy Awards, the independent film festival is, nevertheless, a harbinger of Oscar nominations a full year later. This week, LA YOGA Magazine will share with you the best of 2014 Sundance: what you can look for in the theaters this upcoming year and during awards season next year. Next week, we will review the independent films that are nominated for the 2014 Oscars, many of which premiered at Sundance a year ago.
No single film wowed this year’s Sundance Film Festival the way “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and “Fruitvale Station” did in the past couple of years, or stood out like the uber successful films over the festival’s history, such as “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral” or “Winter’s Bone.” However, there were two standout films this year that generated consistent recognition.
“Whiplash”
Sundance kicked off with the jazz thriller “Whiplash,” which was definitely this year’s buzz film from the start. Winning over both the competition jury and the audiences, “Whiplash” earned the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for Dramatic Feature. These were impressive wins for writer-director Damien Chazelle, whose film was expanded from a short that he debuted at Sundance just last year.
Featuring notable performances by rising star Miles Teller (last year’s Sundance breakout actor who won the Best Acting award for “The Spectacular Now”) and J.K. Simmons (“Juno”), the film focuses on a talented jazz drummer and his intensely abusive college music teacher. The movie asks pointed questions about the cost of pursuing greatness.
A measure of success for a film is whether it earned distribution, and “Whiplash” was quickly acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. While it may not receive an upcoming Best Picture nomination (for next year) like “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” it’s a sure bet that the studio will campaign for the two actors to receive accolades.
“Boyhood”
The critics’ favorite at the festival was the out-of-competition premiere of Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood,” a Texas family drama that the writer-director shot in 39 days over 12 years. On the heels of “Before Midnight,” which is currently nominated for the best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, the director’s latest project stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette, along with the talented newcomer Ellar Coltrane. This unique film portrays a the passage of boyhood, as Coltrane ages from 5 to 18 onscreen. IFC Films will distribute it in theaters later this year.
Depth of Field — US Documentaries
Sundance has become the hotbed for discovering the U.S.’s best documentaries. In the past two years alone, eight of the ten Oscar-worthy documentary nominees premiered at Sundance—this year was no exception. Below is a synopsis of notable US documentaries shown at Sundance for you to be on the lookout in theaters, on TV, or on Netflix (starting with the award winners). These top-notch documentaries were popular with the juries, critics, and festival-goers alike. By no means is this list all-inclusive—many impressive international documentaries also premiered: “Happiness,” “Return to Homs,” “20,000 Days on Earth,” “Lifting,” and “The Green Prince.”
“Rich Hill” (Grand Jury)
Directed by Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo, the Grand Jury Award winner for Best U.S. Documentary follows three boys navigating the often-treacherous road between childhood and adolescence amidst the hardship and isolation of rural American life in Missouri.
“Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory” (Audience Award)
The audience voted for this inspirational film shot over the course of three years. Vivid accounts demonstrate that songs from a patient’s past can awaken memories and emotions that have been asleep for years. Countless instances in “Alive Inside” provide proof that music stimulates a brain affected by dementia and can transform the quality of life of those who often languish in silence.
“The Case Against 8” (Directing)
Californians passed Proposition 8 in 2008, a measure that repealed the right of same-sex couples to marry. This documentary is an emotional behind-the-scenes tour of the high-profile trial that overturned the controversial amendment. Award-winning filmmakers Ben Cotner and Ryan White (“Good Ol’ Freda”) shot the film over five years and provide unprecedented insight into the often-mysterious processes of the justice system.
“E-Team” (Cinematography)
Katy Chevigny (“Election Day”) and Ross Kaufman’s film tells the story of four international human rights investigators. When atrocities are committed in countries ruled by ruthless dictators, Human Rights Watch sends in the E-Team (Emergencies Team). These fierce individuals are hired to document war crimes and report them to the rest of the world. The filmmakers go to the front lines in Syria and Libya, where like they risk their lives along with their subjects to expose these crimes.
“Last Days in Vietnam”
Rory Kennedy (Bobby and Ethel’s daughter) debuted her latest film, a portrait of the military heroes who helped to evacuate South Vietnamese resistors before the advancing Viet Cong arrived in Saigon in the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War. The film serves as an inspiring historical document
“Finding Fela”
Alex Gibney‘s sonically, historically, and visually stunning film presents a full image of the life and music of Fela Kuti, who created and popularized Afrobeat in the 1970s. Fela was an influential and controversial personality in Nigeria, but largely unknown in the West. Within the past decade, a resurgence of interest in his music has posthumously re-popularized Fela (reviewed for LA YOGA, see full review here).
“Life Itself”
The world’s most famous film critic, Roger Ebert inspired many through his writing, film critique, and even his presence. Director Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”) brought audiences to tears as they shared their grief over losing Roger Ebert in 2013. Based on Ebert’s memoir of the same name, “Life Itself” recounts the critic’s fascinating and flawed journey. Insisting on bare honesty, the film is a love letter to Ebert.
“Watchers of the Sky”
Imaginative and intellectual, this film illuminates the power of one word and one man’s determination. It is a tribute to the life of Raphael Lemkin, who invented the term “genocide” and dedicated his life to categorizing such mass murders as international crimes. “Watchers of the Sky” links Lemkin’s forgotten legacy with four other visionary humanitarians.
“Dinosaur 13”
On August 12, 1990 in the badlands of South Dakota, paleontologist Peter Larson and his team from the Black Hills Institute unearthed the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex ever found. They named the world’s greatest dinosaur discovery Sue. “Dinosaur 13” chronicles the fierce battle to possess the 65-million-year-old treasure.
“Fed Up”
Stephanie Soechtig (“Tapped”) directs this searing documentary, executive produced and narrated by Katie Couric. The film exposes how the food industry, enabled by the U.S. Government, fuels the obesity epidemic and why generations of American children will live shorter lives than their parents did as a result. The filmmaker follows three obese children in their uphill battle to lose weight. The lessons offered in “Fed Up” are a primer for living a healthier lifestyle.
Next week in LA YOGA Magazine online: a roundup of independent films that may be big winners at the 2014 Oscars and Spirit Awards during the first weekend in March.
Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!