By Carol Badaracco Padgett, Senior Writer
The name Sundance has a ceremonial ring to it. Aptly so. The iconic independent film festival’s atmosphere is singular, swirling with the unexpected ingenuity of obscure unknowns and blazingly bright up-and-comers.
This year, the 40-year-old Sundance gets even more interesting with a visit from the state of Georgia – forging a union that promises to capture lightning in a film lens.
Georgia Entertainment’s Randy Davidson and Jezlan Moyet will bring the interests of Georgia film and entertainment to the free-spirited biosphere of the Sundance Film Festival 2024 in Utah. It’s a big move for the Georgia-based media company that champions the legislative, business and creative players helping make Georgia a global entertainment capital with unmatched incentives for productions.
But Davidson and Moyet will not travel alone. They will bring along the combined experience and enthusiasm of major Georgia film interests – presented by RiseImpact and Film Savannah – along with partners Film Columbus GA, Bowen Schmidt Entertainment Attorneys, Tyler Perry Studios, Meptik, Crafty Apes, South Georgia Studios, Athens Film Office, RDH Partners, Fangoria, and Fulton Films.
With each day that passes, additional interests join the lineup as the clock counts down to festival time.
Georgia Entertainment’s Davidson says this about the buildup of energy leading up to Sundance. “Georgia has never been more ready. The workforce, renowned service providers and ample sound stage space provides the perfect backdrop for the story we plan to share with filmmakers attending Sundance.”
Says Moyet, “I’m a firm believer in the transformative potential of narratives fueled by genuine, individual voices with the ability to ignite fresh ideas and challenge creative limits. Georgia’s commitment to championing independent storytellers creates an opportunity to amplify their voices on a global scale.”
Sundance in history’s viewfinder
Actor and director Robert Redford founded the nonprofit Sundance Institute in 1981, which spawned the world renowned independent film festival.
At first, it might seem surprising that a mainstream movie icon would found an independent film festival. But when you take a closer look, it makes perfect sense.
Reportedly, Redford won’t watch his own movies to this day, telling a Today reporter in 2015 that, as a boy, making fun of film actors with a group of rowdy friends soured him on watching himself on the big screen.
“I guess I must have seen myself sitting in the audience, watching myself,” he mused to Today.
But he did like making films, even starring in his own. And he also experienced the challenges associated with trying to make a film and hitting up against serious barriers, as he did in the making of 1998’s A Walk in the Woods, a hiker’s memoir about trekking the distance of the Appalachian Trail.
Throughout repeated stalls in the making of the film, Redford stayed the course.
“If you persevere, if you really believe in something strongly enough, you just keep at it until it happens,” he told Today.
Isn’t this tenacity in the DNA of every independent filmmaker? Redford seems to think so: “Storytellers broaden our minds: engage, provoke, inspire, and ultimately, connect us.”
True to vision, for four decades the Sundance Film Festival has encouraged and celebrated the indie storytellers and their dreams.
This year, following the industry strikes and the shakeups in business as usual, Georgia’s film interests could not arrive at a better time.
Georgia exemplifies the indie spirit
Kind of like the kids in the movie theater sitting alongside Redford as a boy, Georgia and its filmmakers have heard some hecklers.
“Hey, Y’allywood.”
But diverse and beloved films like these have shut them down: independent Baby Driver, studio blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and so many others — My Cousin Vinny, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Avengers: Endgame, Remember the Titans, and too many others to list.
But more than big studio productions, Georgia is known for legions of Sundance-spirited storytellers spinning tales for the world to watch. And daily, new talented content creators rise up on the scene.
When these filmmakers are ready, Redford’s Sundance will set the stage.
And that’s part of what Davidson, Moyet and their partners are paving the way for … the best of independent filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, actors, and others who would find a home for the production of their films in the richly incentivized state of Georgia.
For film industry players looking to add their might to the flight toward Sundance, Georgia Entertainment is saving you a seat onboard.
Find more information on Sundance Film Festival 2024 and the lineup of films. Filmmakers can request an invite to Georgia Entertainment’s Script to Screen event on January 19th in Park City,
