2009 Sundance Director Interviews

The scene at the Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Peter Knegt.

EDITORS NOTE: Below are the links to a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling dramatic and documentary competition and American Spectrum directors who have films screening at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Emily Abt, "Toe to Toe": Privelege, Responsibility, and Public Service

Cruz Angeles, "Don't Let Me Drown": Daydreams, Grief, and Hope

Greg Barker, "Sergio": Politics, War, and Moral Complexity

Sophie Barthes, "Cold Souls": Dreams, Psychoanalysis, and the Shape of the Soul

Joe Berlinger, "Crude": Returning To One's Artistic Roots

Noah Buschel, "The Missing Person": Trusting Your Instincts and Avoiding Indie Cliches

Peter Callahan, "Against the Current": Imagination, Stress, and the '70s

Tze Chun, "Children of Invention": Pyramid Schemes, Herbalife and Collaboration

R.J. Cutler, "The September Issue": Vogue, a Queen and Good Films

Lee Daniels, "Push": Education, 300lb Black Girl, and Human Carnage

Jay DiPietro, “Peter and Vandy”: Theater, Music, and Collaboration

Adam Elliot, "Mary and Max": Flaws, Limitations, and Possibilities

Shana Fest, "The Greatest": Triumph, Tragedy, and Honest Emotion

Cary Joji Fukunaga, "Sin Nombre": Border Crossings, Authenticity, and Authorship

Bob Goldhwait, "World's Greatest Dad": From Bag Boy, to Actor and Director

Sterlin Harjo, "Barking Water": Relationship, a Closed Theater, the American Indian

John Hindman, "Arlen Faber": Spirituality and Fathers and Sons

Producer Rupert Isaacson, “Over the Hills and Far Away”: Shamans, Mysticism, and a Family’s Journey

Ross Katz, “Taking Chance”: Iraq, War and Shame

John Krasinski, “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men”: Adapting a Literary Masterwork for the Screen

Emily & Sarah Kunstler, "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe": Family, Legacy & Social Justice

Jeff Lipsky: "Once More with Feeling": Childhood, Honesty, and Immortality

Derick Martini, "Lymelife": Artistic Honesty, Perfection, and Success

Quincy Newell, "Why We Laugh": Comedy, Race, and Positive Representation

Louie Psihoyos, "The Cove": An Ecological Crisis and Green Filmmaking

Gene Rosow, "DIRT! The Movie": Dirt, Sustainability, and Reconnecting with the Land

David Russo, “The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle”: Shakespeare, Mixed Media, and “Tommy”

Director Adam Salky and Writer David Brind, "Dare": Collaboration, Emotion, and High School Drama

Lynn Shelton, "Humpday": Masculinity, Sexuality, and Boundaries

Robert Siegel, "Big Fan": Superfans, New York, and Doing It Yourself

Ondi Timoner, "We Live in Public": Authenticity, Emotionality, and Technology

Kevin Willmott, “The Only Good Indian”: Westerns, Representation and Revisionism

Pamela Yates, “The Reckoning”: Social Networking and Grassroots Advocacy