First Digital Feature To Screen At Fest

by Mark Rabinowitz

The Sundance Film Festival will be the setting on Saturday night for the debut screening
of the first film shot using digital electronic cinematography. “Love God“, a film
directed by Frank Grow and produced by Anthony Bregman and Good Machine was shot
using the Sony DVW-700 Digital Betacam and transferred to 35mm film. “Now that digital
electronic cinematography is part of the 1997 festival,” Sundance Institute founder Ian
Calderon said in a prepared statement, “I expect to see an increased presence for digital
filmmaking in both the independent and mainstream film community.”

As a producer for Good Machine, Bregman has worked on such films as Ang Lee’s
“Sense and Sensibility” and “The Wedding Banquet“, and Grow
previously directed the short film, “Red and Rosie“.

In addition to “Love God”, there are several other digital projects being
showcased Sundance. The Sony Digital Film Screening Room at the Sundance New
Media Center is presenting 35mm screenings of various work shot on the
DVW-700, including Robert Miller’s short film “Mail Bonding“, and clips from
“Dying is Easy“, a feature shot by Deborah Dobski. In addition, there will be a
free seminar for the media presented by Laurence Thorpe, Sony vice president
entitled: “Digital Filmmaking for the Independents and Hollywood in the main
presentation room at the Apple New Media Center on Saturday, January 18th at
11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 5:30 pm.

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