Forward of its 30th anniversary, Slamdance continues to be making the identical first impression.
Shaggy but shiny, the indie movie pageant was solid within the shadow of Sundance after its founders have been rejected from the celebrated Park Metropolis showcase throughout the mid-nineties. Now, the Slamdance Group goals to be forward of the sport — having already moved from Utah and made its West Coast debut on the Director’s Guild of America on December 9 with the first-ever Indie Awards.
“I don’t really feel prefer it’s being dramatic or over-dramatizing it to say that impartial movie is at stake,” mentioned Slamdance Competition Director Taylor Miller throughout her opening remarks. “There may be a lot occurring that that is one of the best place to be and to have these awards. Los Angeles is the place a lot is altering week in and week out.”
Also referred to as The Indies, the occasion was designed to “not simply rejoice however elevate” initiatives which can be “really indie,” Miller mentioned. To qualify for the Slamdance honor, contenders couldn’t have made their world premieres at Sundance, SXSW, or Telluride. Nominees did nevertheless must play at the very least one home movie pageant, and have been restricted to North America and the Indigenous Nations of Turtle Island.
“By no means has there been a more durable time for true impartial movies and true impartial filmmakers to go on and discover business success, but it surely’s very important,” Miller continued. “So we attempt more durable and do one thing new to nurture a legacy for the subsequent technology — and we belief within the promise of the brand new.”
The whole Slamdance pageant involves California subsequent 12 months and is scheduled to happen in Los Angeles from February 20 to 26, 2025. Talking in regards to the determination to maneuver, President Peter Baxter instructed IndieWire in Could that Sundance had nothing to do with it (though that group can also be contemplating leaving Utah). Nonetheless, the charmingly chaotic Indies’ ceremony rang true to the spirit of Slamdance’s origins.
Hosted by comic Nic Novicki, with repeat appearances by Miller, Slamdance arrange the night extra like a rallying cry than your common awards present. Presenters typically appeared on stage after they weren’t presupposed to and the sporadic use of an intercom triggered one viewers member to loudly marvel, “Who IS that disembodied voice?” A latest Gotham Award winner, “The Individuals’s Joker” Vera Drew additionally obtained a particular jury prize that doubled as one thing of a head scratcher.
“That is such a phenomenal night time,” Drew mentioned, holding The Renegade Award. “I additionally seemed up the definition of the phrase ‘renegade’ simply now as a result of I spotted I didn’t try this. And it’s a noun and it’s ‘an individual who deserts and betrays a corporation, nation, or set of ideas.’” Met with laughter and applause, the filmmaker mentioned this gave her trigger to “mirror” earlier than commenting on the rogue allies her IP-reimagining required.
“It’s a scary time to be making artwork and to be making aggressively bizarre artwork, however indie movie confirmed up for this film,” Drew mentioned. “It’s unattainable for me to be cynical when so many individuals put their careers on the road to display this movie.”
Wanting again on the 12 months, Slamdance gave prime honors to “Atikamekw Suns” for Finest Narrative Characteristic and “All We Carry” for Finest Documentary Characteristic at The Indies. In each circumstances, the creators spoke about dealing with important headwinds when defending the care important to maintaining their work genuine.
“Atikamekw Suns” tells the true story of 5 First Nation youths who have been discovered useless in a truck in 1977. It gained Excellent Storytelling Craft, Excellent Technical Achievement, and The Native Viewpoint Award For Excellent Indigenous Group Story Collaboration at The Indies.
“It’s a hybrid documentary and fictional movie and there was a complete group that was very traumatized by what occurred,” mentioned author/director Chloé Leriche on her remaining journey to the rostrum. “It was actually exhausting to do that movie. It was eight years of actual feelings and exhausting work to try to inform this story.”
“It shouldn’t be as exhausting as it’s to inform tales this necessary,” echoed the “All We Carry” documentary crew. In a pre-written joint speech, the four-person filmmaking crew — Cady Voge, Laura Pilloni, Laura Tatham, and Rachel Clara Reed — described the obstacles they overcame with their “love story” and Honduran immigration saga.
“Thanks a lot to Slamdance and The Indies, who additionally consider in any such story filled with nuance,” the filmmakers mentioned. “We’re so appreciative of every little thing that you just stand for in creating areas for really impartial movies like ours.”
Filling a possibility hole left by the demise of the LA Movie Competition and OutFest in Los Angeles (coincidentally, the place “The Individuals’s Joker” premiered), Slamdance appears to be like to carve acquainted house for filmmakers in a brand new dwelling. The Indies served as a heat welcome.
“Our mission is to foster the ability of group and shared success within the artistic course of, mentioned Miller, “making certain that each voice has the chance to assist form cinema for a brand new century.”
Slamdance Movie Competition will happen in Los Angeles from February 20 to 26, 2025. Learn on for an entire listing of the winners from the 2024 Indie Awards:
Finest Narrative Characteristic
Chloé Leriche for “Atikamekw Suns”
Excellent Storytelling Craft
Chloé Leriche & Natalie Lamoureux for “Atikamekw Suns”
Excellent Technical Achievement
Giauco Bermudez for “Atikamekw Suns”
Excellent Ensemble and Casting
Keris Hope Hill, Mélanie Bray, Fixed Bernard, Alex Trahan, Josée Younger, Brandon Oakes, Jocelyne Zucco, John Buchan, and Jason Knight for “Rosie”
The Native Viewpoint Award For Excellent Indigenous Group Story Collaboration
Chloé Leriche for “Atikamekw Suns”
The Narrative Committee Renegade Award
Vera Drew for “The Individuals’s Joker”
The Narrative Committee Authenticity Award
Kelli McNeil-Yellen for “Daruma”
Finest Documentary Characteristic
Cady Voge, Laura Pilloni, Laura Tatham, and Rachel Clara Reed for “All We Carry”
Excellent Storytelling Craft
Karen KH Sim, Elisa Levine, Gabriel Miller, and Brittany Kaplan for “Sweetheart Deal”
Excellent Cinematography
Luke Connor, Ben Giesbrecht, Joshua Manyhands, Calvin Stimson, and Anthony Stengal for “Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Earlier than the Solar”
Excellent Use of Archival Footage
John Carlos Frey & James Cude for “The Little Pageant That Might”
The Documentary Committee Highlight Award
Jesselyn Silva for “JessZilla”
The Native Viewpoint Award For Indigenous Movie Critic’s Finest General Choice
Jules Koostachin for “WaaPake”