The Sundance Film Festival has announced its 2009 selections (full list available here, PDF), and we have our eye on Dare, “about three privileged high school seniors who decide they can no longer ignore their deepest needs and take the biggest risk of their lives,” starring Emmy Rossum and featuring Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, and Sandra Bernhard. Yes, it just so happens that we’re friends with Dare‘s (gay) screenwriter David Brind. (Though the more homoerotic short that appeared in Logo’s Short Film series might be more appealing to some.) That said, some of you plan on boycotting Sundance in some respect (Not attending? Not seeing the films once they’re bought?) out of deference to Proposition 8’s passing and the Mormon Church calling Utah home base, so this makes no difference to you.
Sundance Picks
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tallskin
Not much point in a boycot if some silly queens, ie Queerty, are scabs.
United we stand, divided we fall, blah blah
Or is that old fashioned gay activism and boring?
unicorn rider
If your friend’s film is good, it will make it without Sundance’s help. And if you and your friend are good, you won’t help Sundance.
John
@unicorn rider:
Exactly…
Martha
fuck Sundance, their films and Mormon-controlled Utah.
Eminent Victorian
Sundance is barely a shadow of what it was intended to be originally anyway. The only reason people go anymore–and let’s be honest, it’s a totally different crowd in recent years than what was originally intended, too–is for swag and to stargaze. Easy to give up, folks.
ggreen
Bitter Queerty Editor; your table for one is ready.
Al Benson
Regardless of the merits of the film, there is a much larger picture that has to be seen.
Demands have been made of Sundance to pull out of Utah and the reply so far is a deafening silence. Not even an excuse or a rationalization.
Sometimes principles are important to stick to, like when our rights and freedoms have been attacked and curtailed.
I can see no justifi8cation in financially supporting the films in or the event that is Sundance knowing that some part of the money I spend will go towards bashing gays.
The Gay Numbers
I saw the short. I liked it because for what it was, it was still well made. Good emotions evoked. But I have hard time thinking of it being more than another ‘I am gay, and, therefore sexually repressed, misery is me” story. I can only hope they thought of something less cliche for the feature. Either way, i wish them well. It’s a hard business.
John Monroe
Boycotting Sundance is one of the most absurd things I’ve heard of. It has been one of the major venues for gay films in the world.
And to boycott an entire state is also absurd–did you know that both PA and FLA had hire donations to “Yes on 8” both on dollar amounts and per capita? Should we stop visiting those 2 states?
What do you say to the thousands of young gays living in Salt Lake City and other parts of Utah who come to Park City every year to see films and meet people they’d never otherwise see and meet? Park City is the most liberal city in Utah, should we let it dry up and simply write off states one by one?
As far as money going towards bashing gays–do you know the political beliefs of every merchant you buy something from?
Proactivity involves standing strong, educating, combatting hatred with pride, strength and the willingness to never back down. A boycott of Sundance, an event that has always supported the gay POV and whose major power players ARE indeed gay is foolishness at its worst.
ask ena
Don’t get me started on prop 8 and the boycotts…I’m all for ’em…
but I DO think the nastiness towards Queerty is really uncalled for in this case. At least give him credit for reporting on the movie, which enables you to go ahead and bash him in the first place.
SHEESH
rem
Has Sundance made any efforts to show that it supports full equal rights?
It doesn’t have to pull out of Utah, but I think we should expect SOMETHING from them.
The Gay Numbers
They will do what Hollywood does. Weather it out and move on. Sundance is Sundance. It’s an institution. It has its pluses and minuses. I do think if they are serious about diversity they should set up a more long term program for gays and other groups. Right now, they only have a program for Naitive Americans.
Stenar
Everyone saying they’re going to boycott Sundance are pretty funny. I’m pretty sure none of them have ever been to Sundance so no one will be missing them.
I used to work for Sundance for 2 years. Nearly everyone on staff is either gay or a fag hag. It’s one of the gayest places on earth.
I’ve already bought my pass for Sundance 2009 and am looking forward to seeing films.
An Other Greek
Focus people FOCUS.
Cinemark, donations, propositions!
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=Dl6&q=cinemark+gay+sundance+boycott+main+venue&btnG=Search
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hardmannyc
Japhy, as one of the 1,000,000 queens in LA who consider themselves in “the business” because their dentist is Ed Begley’s cousin, maybe this is of interest to you. But not to us.
michael
Boycotting is so stupid. I guess when the bus company in Montgomery was boycotted by blacks for one year that was stupid. You know whats really stupid? Living in a society where you have to make people like you in order to get your rights. African Americans did not obtain their rights because people “liked” them.They did not do some damn “education program” so that when everyone went to the polls to decide whether or not they could live in a certain neighborhood, go to a certain school, or work at a certain place would vote in favor of them. Unless the courts eventually prove otherwise the constitution of this country is tremendously flawed and dangerous and if you want to educate people about anything educate them about that.
America is heading in the direction of Nazi Germany, not quite that bad, yet, but the way is being paved. Sounds extreme? Just look at what half this country is made of, religious nut cases that are no different than the terrorists America fights against. Everyone in America is in much deeper trouble than they realize.
And do not think Obama is the magical wizard who is going to fix this. As a constitutional attorney he should be taking a position that many groups in the United States could end up being oppressed because of the right of its citizens to do so. Don’t get me wrong, I think he is a decent man, but he is also a game player just like all career politicians and power corrupts, name a president that it has not. Even Jimmy Carter did not want to be photographed with a Gay person when he was in office (see Milk documentary). So I say raise all the holy hell you can because its not California that needs to change, nor the Mormons, nor florida and so on and so forth. Its our constitution, the document that was designed to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority that needs to change. Because no man or woman should have to wait until people “like” or “accept” them in order to be equal in the eyes of the law.
tommy
I tend to think the comment was made to do just his get us all riled up and commenting on the film, and festival. Sundance is nothing more then the Hollywood machine pumping out fair movies and promoting the industry. Gay rights do not turn into tickets sold. Japhy is just promoting,,, I hope he got a little token for his work.
Rob
You know, Japhy, I really don’t get you. Yes, the film sounds good. Yes, I think it is appropriate for you to post your thoughts about the film. And honestly, up to a point, I’ve really been enjoying many of your posts in your new position. But seriously, why do you have to be so condescending to your readers? Why do you insult the members of the community that approach things differently than you do? It’s clear that you are supporting Sundance because your friend has a film that will be showing there, and that’s great. But your snarling, sarcastic, elitist attitude toward those who have chosen to boycott Sundance is extremely rude. Either start showing some respect for your readers (yes, even those who disagree with you sometimes), or continue to lose your readers because of your not-so-constructive comments like these. Personally, I’ve now had about as much of your “I’m better than any of you” attitude, and I won’t be visiting the site much longer if you keep moving it in this direction.
David Hauslaib, Queerty
@Rob: For what it’s worth, I wrote this item, and the screenwriter is a friend of mine. Cheers.
Kari b
I say don’t boycott and go ahead and go to Sundance just picket, picket, picket.
mds
Since prop. 8 I have given a lot of though about our community, its leadership and our movement toward equality. One thing I believe is that in order to move forward we must have the purest of intention. If we are led by people who just want to become famous, or get attention, or say “look at me and how good I am”
we will always move in the wrong direction as our real intention is skewed by the ambitions of those who lead us.
Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Gandhi, even Jesus Christ were all leaders of the purest intentions. They all led because they loved, they loved the cause, they loved the people that they worked so hard for. Their intentions were not egotistical or designed to elevate themselves. They all shared what Dr, King once said “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
I pray everyday that our people find that kind of leader(s). As LGBT people we have been taught that we are less than, immoral, unloved by creation itself. This is so wrong. Our little brothers and sisters and taking their own lives because they have been taught this, our older brothers and sisters are often times left in isolation because the only thing we have been able to find lovable about ourselves is youth and physical attractiveness.
I believe that in the bigger picture, proposition 8’s passage will lead us home. To see so many of us standing up, demanding our rights, often for the first time in our lives makes me proud.
Because its the beginning of our community seeing its worth. And I believe that we do have a special place in this world. Our oppression and struggles have honed a character in all of us that forms a deep well of love and compassion, all we have to do is tap into it.
We will see our promised land. In my heart I know this is true. We will see the day our little brothers and sisters make their debut into society with hearts on fire, instead of hearts that are broken. We will see the day that the older members of our family are respected and cared for, there are so many out there that have been through so much and have so much wisdom to offer. We will see the day that we can live equal and free. Don’t worry, because out of all this strife and turmoil with come the miracles we have long awaited for.
Bitch Republic
Maybe he has a negative attitude about people boycotting Sundance (a very gay friendly organization) because it’s one of the dumbest ideas ever conceived. Let’s boycott the SLC MCC church or the Utah Pride Center next ’cause they’re also in Utah. DUH.
Rob
@David, thank you for your clarification. I appreciate your support of your friend, and again, I do think the movie sounds very good. And to clarify my own statements, I have not said that I personally support a boycott of Sundance; I honestly don’t know where I stand on this issue, and as I have never attended Sundance before, my stance on the issue isn’t even important. However, for the first time in my memory, the gay community is finally mobilizing and standing up for their beliefs, rather than just sitting around and complaining. My objection to the article is not David’s disagreement with the boycott, but rather the lack of respect shown to those who do support the boycott. Whether or not you think the boycott is the right move to make, we don’t need these bitchy bickering and sneering name-calling tactics between members of our own community. If you don’t agree with the boycott, just state your views, and allow others to state their views. Everyone doesn’t have to agree on every issue, but turning against one another makes us no better than those who wish to ensure that we never have equal rights. We need to respect the efforts of those within our own community, even if we do not agree with them. And as for the comments made by Bitch Republic, I understand that you think this is “one of the dumbest ideas ever conceived.” However, what you are doing to fight for the rights that were taken away from us? To me, the actual “dumbest idea ever conceived” is the idea that we can just sit around and complain about what others are doing, do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ourselves, and expect for things to change. So unless you are doing SOMETHING, don’t criticize those who are at least putting some effort into this.
mark
I’m BOYCOTTING Utah, and if Sundance Sponsors want to risk their reputation and sales to our community, thats a HUGE RISK for Showtime and Sundance channels, Delta Airlines, Honda, 360 vodka and ABSOLUT, Ray Ban, and Oil of Olay.
They can spend where they choose, and SO CAN I.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-8/1210139/sponsors.jpg
and
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-8/1210139/vodka.jpg
mark
During the Colorado Boycott National funds were raised to help the LGBT businesses which got impacted by the boycott, there’s NO reason to believe we’d be less helpful to gays/lesbians inside Utah. If you act as if NOTHING happened with prop 8, what stops these mo’ fo LDS elders with UNLIMITED global funds from tithes, from doing this sh*t EVERY election. STOP this NOW!
Lowell
Not sure why Queerty is promoting Sundance given the organizers aren’t supporting the boycott of Cinemark. You’ve lost a reader.
mark
I am fed up to the TEETH with whiney Park City UT folks and ski bums feeling so deprived someone might not ski this resort or go to this film festival.
REAL people had their REAL Constitutional Rights excluded from the equal protection clause.
If this proposition fails to be overturned by the Courts in June, put this initiative on CA ballot 2010.
Be it resolved the CA Constitution’s “equal protection clause”, will be re-named the “HETERO-EQUAL protection clause.”
Let’s just end the charade…shall we?
mark
Instaed of making this either or propositon, pun intended, PROMOTE other film festivals NOT in the H8 State, get young LGBTs films seen there.
Sundance was good for Indie films, and it’s prestigious, but it is in no way UNIQUE.
There’s a film festivals in EVERY major city, so what’s so special about Sundance?
mark
Gays did NOTHING to Mormons in Utah prior to prop 8.
YOUR elders took their funds to another State and attacked OUR FAMILIES, and now you get BLOWBACK…cry me a great salt lake.
John Monroe
Mark, you are a reactionary moron.
FYI- Sundance remains the preeminent film festival in the world where independent movies get purchased for DISTRIBUTION. A gay-themed film getting into Sundance significantly increases the chance of it reaching a wider audience, both in the U.S. and abroad. Quite simply, no other festival in the U.S. can compete with Sundance as a platform to get films out into the world. Would you have the gay-themed films at Sundance suffer and not get out into the world to EDUCATE ENLIGHTEN and CHANGE people’s minds and hearts?
Clearly this is an industry you know little about.
From your silly mindset–you should also boycott CA, who, regardless of money, VOTED for Prop 8. And PA and FL which had the highest donations per capita. And African-Americans and Catholics, who overwhelmingly supported the vote in CA.
The goal of those who fought for the passage of Prop 8 is to alienate and isolate us as a gay people. It is our task to fight back to NOT be separate but equal for that does not exist, but to posit ourselves as ONE of the MANY peoples that make up the U.S. and demand our rights, protections, and equality as such.
Go protest the Mormon church. Or specific businesses whose leaders supported Prop 8.
But do NOT encourage us as gays to write off an entire state–that is surrender and reactionary. And do not blindly spout your “knowledge” about the film industry. Sundance is so the wrong target in this game–there are more important battles to be fought–especially considering that without Sundance, there wouldn’t have been New Queer Cinema, movies like “The Living End,” “Swoon,” “Poison,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Mysterious Skin,” “Trick,” et al would not have reached the wider audiences they did and helped to build gay cinema as an important part of American culture.
mark
John Monroe,
you can spend where YOU choose, DON’T tell me where I need to spend.
mark
Celebrities attending Sundance are seriously hurting your fans
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-8/1210139/SundanceCelebs.jpg
There will be stars out in Park City for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, with premieres featuring Jim Carrey, Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Ewan McGregor, Billy Bob Thornton, James Gandolfini, Robin Williams, Kevin Spacey, Don Cheadle, Winona Ryder, Ashton Kutcher and Kristen Stewart.
Sundance organizers announced Wednesday the 54 films in the festival’s noncompetition programs — including 16 in the Premieres section that festival director Geoffrey Gilmore says “are as good as I remember in three or four years.”
Some big-name Hollywood directors are represented: Greg Mottola (“Superbad”) brings the coming-of-age comedy “Adventureland”; Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) takes to the mean streets in “Brooklyn’s Finest”; and brothers
More on the blog
Check out the Sundance blog for updates and news leading up to this year’s festival.
Michael and Mark Polish (“Twin Falls Idaho,” “The Astronaut Farmer”) return with the offbeat comedy “Manure.”
Romance is a big theme at Sundance ’09, but not in terms familiar to moviegoers.
derrysf
Sadly, this is really an academic argument. Any boycott of Sundance will work about as well as did the proposed boycott of Manhunt, and for pretty much the same reasons. My gay brothers as a group are simply not willing to forego their star-packed winter frolic to make a political point.