One of the best things about living in Utah is the ability to attend the Sundance Film Festival as a local.  I worked in video store in high school and would anxiously await any independent films that came to VHS and DVD.  Independent films featured more of the fringe stories I was craving and complicated characters that didn’t fit into the mold of mainstream Hollywood movies.  Attending the Sundance Film Festival is a dream come true for any fan of this genre of film.  There is a palpable buzz of excitement that permeates the entire festival and many of the directors, writers, producers, and actors give Q&A sessions after the screenings of their film.

During the Q&A of “The Discovery” at this year’s festival, the writers said that the budgets of independent film force creativity because producers can’t rely on million-dollar stunts and graphic effects to create a believable worldview.  An example they cited from their film was a newscast featured in a pivotal scene playing in the background.  The writers needed a way for the audience to “buy into” their vision of the world without shooting on location in different countries and subsequently spending money they didn’t have.  For me, it’s details like this that make it seem like you are part of the world the independent film is portraying rather than watching a world producers created for a movie.

This year I’ve felt that I needed to be especially vocal in my support of the Sundance Film Festival and independent film.  While most people are familiar with the festival, many people are probably not aware that the initial grant and promotion from the National Endowment for the Arts (“NEA”) is what made the Sundance Institute possible.  Founder Robert Redford has said that the “very beginning [of the festival] was due in large part to the support of the NEA” and that the NEA “has played a key role in encouraging organizations like Sundance Institute to grow and expand its influence, not only through financial support, but, more significantly, through consistently articulating the importance of the arts and the artist in our society.”  With the NEA rumored to be on the chopping block for the current administration, it’s devastating to picture a society without independent film and festivals like Sundance.

Now, more than ever, it is important to support independent film so that incredible storytellers can share their art with the world and we can continue to have the privilege to experience it.  Support comes in many forms.  You can be vocal on social media about attending an independent film.  You can write reviews for exceptional and quirky films on websites like Rotten Tomatoes or Fandango.

You can donate directly to the NEA (click here) or become a member of the Sundance Institute (click here).  You can even sign one of the many petitions circulating to save the NEA.  Last, you can show distribution companies that there is a high demand for independent film by seeing them in theaters (see list below of my personal recommendations).

Here are the films I was lucky enough to see at this year’s festival and a description of each:

Rebel in the Rye.  This film is a biographical drama about the life of author J.D. Salinger and is a must for anybody who is a fan of The Catcher in the Rye.  While there are many Easter Eggs in the movie and references to Salinger’s infamous novel, Danny Strong does an excellent job of telling a captivating story and therefore you don’t need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy the movie.  Catcher in the Rye was not my favorite book in high school, but this movie made me want to read it again – especially after you learn about Salinger’s struggles and more about his life.  Nicholas Hoult gives a great performance as Salinger and Kevin Spacey is terrific as his writing professor Whit Burnett.  The movie will leave you thinking about what it really means to “pursue your passion.”

Long Strange Trip.  When I first learned that the Grateful Dead documentary is aptly named because it runs for a whopping 235 minutes, I was nervous about sitting through the film.  That feeling quickly vanished within 10 minutes of the opening.  During the Q&A at intermission someone asked Director Ami Bar-Lev what his dream project would be and he immediately responded, “You’re watching it.”  You can certainly tell.  Long Strange Trip is a fascinating in-depth look at one of America’s most iconic bands and the unique culture they created.  It also has amazing graphics and never-before seen photos, interviews, and facts about the band.  Long Strange Trip will be available on Amazon Prime on May 26^th.

The Discovery.  While the first season of The OA toys with the idea of providing scientific proof of an afterlife, The Discovery explores how such an event would affect everyday life.  Part Sci-Fi part romance, the film follows the son (Jason Segel) of the man who made the discovery (Robert Redford) as he falls for a woman with a tragic past (Rooney Mara).  Netflix purchased the film and it will be available worldwide on March 31^st.

1. XX.  This is an all-female directed horror anthology comprised of 4 segments ranging from more tongue-in-cheek horror in the form of suburban hell “The Birthday Party” to more traditional segments like “The Box,” “Don’t Fall,” and “Her Only Living Son.”  While the individual segments are worth watching, perhaps the coolest part of the film is the wrap around stop-motion animation segment directed by Sofia Carillo.  The objects that come to life are truly creepy, but Carillo is so talented that it’s hard to tear yourself away.  XX is set for limited release February 17^th.

Raw.  A horror film that is not for the faint of heart and possibly not for vegetarians.  Although no one passed out during the screening I attended, there were a few scenes that made me grimace.  There is also a fair amount of comedic relief that leaves you disarmed.  Based on some of the initial reviews, I was expecting a more traditional cannibalism horror flick and was blown away with the cinematography, the story, and all the performances in the film.  One of the directors of XX during her film Q&A said she thought Raw was one of the best horror films she’s seen in years because if you take away all the traditional horror elements there is still a mesmerizing story of sisterhood and a critique of group-think.  I couldn’t agree more.  Raw will be released on March 10^th.

Colossal. It’s hard to describe this movie without sounding extremely weird (which should be part of the appeal).  After getting kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend, Gloria (Anne Hathaway) returns to her hometown and reunites with childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis).  After drinking too much with Oscar and his friends, Gloria wakes up to discover that a gigantic monster rampaged through Seoul, South Korea and that somehow the monster is connected to her.  Colossal poses some interesting moral dilemmas as well as tells the story of what it means to stand up to a bully – something that should resonate with a lot of people.  Colossal is set to be released on April 7.

Wind River.  This is a thriller starring Jeremy Renner as a veteran game tracker and Elizabeth Olsen as a new FBI agent who team up to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation.  The landscape for the movie is gorgeous and will have you contemplating the will to survive in cold, desolate places.  Wind River does not currently have a release date.

The Killing Ground.  Much like the Blair Witch Project, this film made me afraid to go camping in the woods.  A young couple travels to a remote lakefront camping site only to realize that things are not quite right with their neighbors and other visitors.  This movie slowly turns into a hair-raising thriller that had me on the edge of my seat until the final scene.  IFC has acquired the rights to the movie.

Rememory.  This was probably my least favorite film that I saw and I still very much enjoyed the concept of the film.  Gordon Dunn, a famed scientific pioneer, is found dead in his office just after unveiling his latest invention – a device that can extract, record, and then display a person’s memories.  Gordon’s widow (Julia Ormond) is left to put together the pieces in conjunction with a mysterious man who claims to know Gordon (Peter Dinklage).  Fans will also get to see Anton Yelchin in the film as this was one of the projects he was working on prior to his tragic death in real life.  Rememory does not currently have a release date.