Sundance Film Festival Podcasts

History matters; it is one way in which we define our present and decide our futures. From World War II to race relations to civil war and radical countercultures, this year's docs and narratives defy expectation and break the mold of traditional historical storytelling. Hear from extraordinary filmmakers tackling the challenges of bringing the past to life for a new generation. Filmmakers Steven Okazaki (White Light/Black Rain), Marco Williams (Banished), Bill Guttentag (Nanking), Julie Gavras (Blame It on Fidel), and Newton Aduaka (Ezra) join moderator Ian Buruma for this discussion on the relationship between history and film. Recorded live Sunday, January 21 at the Filmmaker Lodge.

What happened to counterculture? Why does it look different today than it did in the 1960s? Some may argue that its ideological underpinnings have been eroded; others that it is routinely absorbed by the machinery of mass media. But what does the term really mean, and how does it relate to politics, activism, and protest? What about race, culture, music, and film? Join moderator B. Ruby Rich, author Todd Gitlin, filmmakers Brett Morgen (Chicago 10) and Julien Temple (Joe Strummer), investigative satirist Paul Krassner, and others for this stimulating discussion. Recorded live Saturday, January 20 at the Prospector Theater.

ROCKET SCIENCE (Director and Screenwriter: Jeffrey Blitz) A 15-year-old boy from New Jersey with a stuttering problem falls in love with the star of the debate team and finds himself suddenly immersed in the ultra-competitive world of debating. World Premiere, US Dramatic Competition. Filmed in Los Angeles.

Adrift In Manhattan (Director: Alfredo de Villa; Screenwriters: Nat Moss, Alfredo de Villa) Set in New York City, a grieving eye doctor is forced to take a closer look at her life; an aging artist confronts the loss of his eyesight, and a young photographer battles his innermost demons. World Premiere, US Dramatic Competition. Filmed in Los Angeles.

THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK / U.S.A. (Directors: Annie Sundberg, Ricki Stern) A documentary that exposes the genocide raging in Darfur, Sudan as seen through the eyes of a former U.S. marine who returns home to make the story public. World Premiere, Spectrum. Filmed in New York City.

Starting Out In The Evening (Director: Andrew Wagner; Screenwriters: Andrew Wagner, Fred Parnes) The solitary life of a writer is shaken when a smart, ambitious graduate student convinces him that her thesis will bring him back into the literary spotlight. World Premiere, US Dramatic Competition. Filmed in Los Angeles.

Snow Angels (Director: David Gordon Green; Screenwriter: Stewart O'Nan) A drama that interweaves the life of a teenager with his former baby-sitter, her estranged husband, and their daughter. World Premiere, US Dramatic Competition. Filmed in Los Angeles.

FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO (Director: Daniel Karslake) Grounded by the stories of five conservative Christian families, the film explores how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to support its agenda of stigmatizing the gay community and eroding the separation between church and state. World Premiere, US Documentary Competition. Filmed in Los Angeles.

The TEN / U.S.A. (Director: David Wain; Screenwriters: Ken Marino, David Wain) Ten stories, each inspired by one of The Ten Commandments, illustrate the perils of modern life via extreme comedy. World Premiere, Park City at Midnight. Filmed in New York City.

Joshua (Director: George Ratliff; Screenwriters: David Gilbert, George Ratliff) A successful, young Manhattan family is torn apart by the machinations of Joshua, their eight-year-old prodigy, when his newborn baby sister comes home from the hospital. World Premiere, US Dramatic Competition. Filmed in Los Angeles.

HEAR AND NOW (Director: Irene Taylor Brodsky) Filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky tells a deeply personal story about her deaf parents, and their radical decision - after 65 years of silence - to undergo cochlear implant surgery, a complex procedure that could give them the ability to hear. World Premiere, US Documentary Competition. Filmed in Los Angeles.

On the Road With Judas (Director and Screenwriter: JJ Lask) Reality, fiction and the notions of storytelling intertwine in this narrative about a young thief and the woman he loves. World Premiere, US Dramatic Competition. Filmed in New York City.

CHASING GHOSTS (Director: Lincoln Ruchti) Twin Galaxies Arcade, Iowa, 1982: the birthplace of mankind's obsession with video games. The fate of this world lies in the hands (literally) of a few unlikely heroes: They are the Original Video Game World Champions and the arcade is their battleground. World Premiere, US Documentary Competition. Filmed in New York City.

Join the short film Class of 2007 as Charles Burmeister, Carson Mell, Nanobeh Becker and Jonathan Pulley talk you through their projects & share their excitement. Special Appearance by Sundance Founder Robert Redford.

Al Gore and director Davis Guggenheim break down the passion and the hope behind the hit documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," which played in the Festival's "Spectrum" section. Filmed in Park City, Utah in January 2006.