It’s always a pleasure to have Eugene Hernandez back at IndieWire, even if just for a half hour’s chat. The IndieWire co-founder and now Sundance Film Festival director joined “Screen Talk” to preview what’s ahead at this year’s Park City edition — including what sales titles should expect to pop. (Also check out IndieWire’s own curated preview of the festival here.)
Eugene named Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s Bay Area-set omnibus film “Freaky Tales” — starring Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, and Ben Mendelsohn — as one such Sundance world premiere on the hunt for acquisition that should blow up. (It’s playing on the first night of the festival, January 18.) “Thelma,” starring Oscar nominee June Squibb, should also be high on festivalgoers’ lists now that ticket sales are open to the public as of January 11.
Eugene also takes us through the documentaries to watch for in a program that’s once again very rich in nonfiction offerings. Amazon/MGM’s “Frida” and Neon’s “Seeking Mavis Beacon” are already generating buzz. And, of course, Anne Thompson asks what films we should expect to see as possible awards contenders to burst out of Sundance. IndieWire will be on the ground at the festival beginning next week.
Pre-Sundance chatter, Anne and Ryan break down revelations from the Golden Globes last weekend, plus a raft of guild nominations from SAG to the DGA. Plus, they share throughts on Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” recently part of a grassroots marketing campaign from its star, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.
Watch the full episode above or listen to it below.
Screen Talk is produced by Azwan Badruzaman and available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify, and hosted by Megaphone. Browse previous episodes here, subscribe here, and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk.
