MÉXICO AUSENTE

PERIÓDICO esto, 22 ENERO 2012

El Festival de Cine Sundance, el encuentro internacional más importante del séptimo arte independiente, inició con la ausencia este año de películas y cortos mexicanos.

          Las películas fueron seleccionadas de entre cuatro mil 42 producciones que buscaron ser inscritas y participar en el festival, de las cuales dos mil 59 fueron estadounidenses y mil 983 de otras partes del mundo.

Violeta se fue a los cielos, una co-producción de Chile, Argentina, Brasil y España, es la única película que representa a la región. El largometraje se centra en la cantante Violeta Parra y está llena de su música, sus memorias, sus amores y sus esperanzas.

AGENCIA AP (EN esto)

PARK CITY, UTAH.- Consagrado actor y cineasta, Robert Redford lamentó que el éxito del festival de Sundance atraiga a "aprovechadores" que oscurecen su misión de fomentar y celebrar el cine independiente.

          "Ellos llegan con sus propios planes para usar el festival en beneficio propio", dijo. "Es un país libre y no hay nada que hacer al respecto, pero tenemos que trabajar más para resaltar que lo importante aquí son los cineastas. Lo importante son sus obras y mostrarlas al público".

THE GUARDIAN, UK

SUNDANCE 2012 REFLECTS ON HARD TIMES AND PARADISES LOST

"It's no secret, times are dark and grim," Redford said at Sundance's regular base in Park City, Utah – a millionaire's playground that contains three ski resorts and more tourists than residents. "We're suffering from a government in paralysis and it's all pretty grim. But the happy thing is that here, for this week, we're going to see work from artists. And even though their work may be reflective of these hard times, there is no paralysis here."

In 2011, the festival enjoyed its best sales year ever, with 45 productions being snapped up for distribution. Insiders are already predicting healthy business this year.

Redford struck a note of caution on the opening day. "I want film-makers to know we've got their back," he said. "But we try to describe the pitfalls and not let them get deluded to the point where they get too disappointed when their films don't get bought. They've got to know: it's a hard road. And they have to be careful of the hype surrounding the festival. Because once they leave, the hype may disappear with them. So I say: 'Deal with the reality.' Enjoy it while it's here, but enjoy it like Cinderella at the ball."

"Independent comedy is a real trend," said the festival's director, John Cooper. "I don't know if it's from a commercial standpoint or whether people are just ready for that. And there's a lot of family stuff too, questioning marriage as a convention. A modern approach to family is a theme in a lot of films and that started [two years ago] with The Kids Are All Right."

Now in its 33rd year, Sundance remains America's largest independent film showcase, credited with launching the careers of a range of film-makers, including Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. At times, however, the event has risked becoming a victim of its own success, with detractors accusing it of turning into a boutique outlet for thinly veiled Hollywood productions. In recent years, Sundance appears to have made a concerted effort to return to its independent roots, establishing a new festival category (NEXT) championing mico-budget productions. (FRAGMENTOS DE NOTAS DE DAMON WISE, HENRY BARNES Y XAN BROKS)