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Redford says Sundance maintains essence Robert Redford says the Sundance Film Festival has maintained a sense of community for independent filmmakers despite the increasing number of celebrities and partiers who attend each year. That's exactly the way he wants to keep it. In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Redford said many of this year's selections highlight a new generation of independent screenwriters and directors who are replacing the baby-boomers. The movies tell intimate, personal stories, many created by filmmakers who are festival newcomers, said Redford, the festival's founder. "There's nothing pretentious — no red carpets, no limousines allowed," he said. "And so people come and mingle together like a real community of artists." Still, some critics say Sundance has lost its independent spirit because it draws rappers, rock stars and models from around the world. The annual gathering, founded 30 years ago, also increasingly attracts cinephiles, indie stars and other film industry celebrities. Redford said that's because A-list actors are looking outside Hollywood for new, challenging roles, and they are followed by agents, studio representatives, paparazzi and marketers. "I love the fact that it's successful and that it's giving the filmmakers what they need and what they want," he said, but he acknowledged that an emphasis on celebrities has at times "gummed it up." For Redford, the drawback of success is that he's too busy to take in many movies. "I don't have the relationship with it I had in the beginning, when I could come see the films and hang out with the filmmakers," he said. "There are too many people to meet." Redford said parties sponsored by companies pushing products don't affect the film-centric nature of the festival, especially with a new emphasis on documentaries and international movies. "Paris Hilton and so forth doesn't have anything to do with anything," he said. Redford said this year's gathering is "colored by the writers strike," but he predicted studios would be eager to buy up debut independent movies and screenings would be well attended by striking writers with plenty of spare time. "Fundamentally I'm going to be on the side of the artists because they usually get the short end of the stick when the corporate bosses come into the picture," he said of the two-month strike. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Cidoni contributed to this report. ___ Festival: http://www.sundance.org/festival/ |