The past couple of years, I have gotten more ambitious in the type of movie coverage I’m offering at Sonic Cinema. In 2019, I covered the Atlanta Film Festival, and honestly, it was as exciting and freeing as any experience I’ve had. This year, I began with Marietta’s Women in Horror Film Festival and, during my last month of furlough #1, covered the virtual Fantasia Fest before going back to the Atlanta Film Festival during its duel virtual/drive-in setting. At least two of those, I definitely plan on returning to, hopefully when they will be able to host indoor screenings.
One of the most prestigious film festivals, one that is something of a bucket list festival to cover for a lot of critics, is the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Numerous careers have been launched, numerous sleeper hits have been discovered, and Oscar winners have been seen for the first time. As I’ve grown as a film critic, and grown Sonic Cinema, it has become more of a bucket list dream to cover Sundance, and be at the ground swell of such launch points for the years to come. Well, after an email I received in early December, I decided to apply for this year’s “Virtual” Sundance, and I was accepted to cover it.
What was it that inspired me to apply for press credentials for Sundance this year? The fact that I will still be furloughed from work at that point, for one. The virtual component is a benefit, although I do hope to go to Park City for the festival in the future. But the clincher was how the press release I received mentioned that Sundance was coming to Atlanta this year. Working with the Plaza Theatre and the Atlanta Film Society, the Festival “has created a network of partnerships to bring feature films and customized local programming — talks, events, artist meet-ups — to communities across the country… Each Satellite Screen will create and host their own events, sharing local cultural conversations with broader Festival audiences, with most also screening selections from the 2021 program.” I’ve waxed poetic on this site before about my love of the Plaza, their Drive-In experience they set up this year, and the experience of the Atlanta Film Festival; needless to say, this inclusion of Atlanta in their plans made Sundance a must-cover event this year.
Come January, I will discuss more in terms of the program and films playing at Sundance this year, but for now, the announcement of one of the first things coming to Sonic Cinema in 2021. This was a big year for the website; today’s news just made next year even bigger in terms of possibilities.
Viva La Resistance!
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
