The Midwest meets Hollywood as students experience Sundance Film Festival


Krystal Johnson, a 2014 graduate of Waukon High School, was among the several students from Western Technical College in La Crosse, WI who participated in a trip to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah earlier this year. Pictured above are: Left to right - Front row: Bao Xiong, Dylan Overhouse and Krystal Johnson. Back row: Jonny Tippetts and Kace Coelin. Submitted photo.

by David M. Johnson

Hollywood seems a far-off land, especially to those who live in fly-over country, such as the Midwest. Movie stars, the films that they star in, the famous directors and producers that are responsible for what movie-goers watch in the theater are all part of a world not familiar to most people. Other than what  is heard and seen when entertained by their finished craft, movie-goers normally do not have any real knowledge on how they live or what it takes to make a film; it is often just taken for granted that it happens.

A group of students from Western Technical College in La Crosse, WI had a rare experience when the college sponsored their Fine Arts Club, which consisted mainly of visual communication students, on a trip to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah last January.

The Sundance Film Festival is one of the more prestigious film festivals in not only North America but the world. Film aficionados are familiar with Sundance and the much larger Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. Most of the world press follows Cannes, which previews new films and documentaries from around the world. The annual festival draws a large number of celebrities which, in turn, attracts the world press.

Sundance attracts a large press contingent but its format is more attentive to independent films and not the blockbuster films with the world famous red carpet treatment that Cannes affords.   Sundance started in 1978 in Salt Lake City, UT to attract more film makers to the region by previewing feature length and short films, a list that included "Deliverance" and "Midnight Cowboy" in its first year in existence.  Today, some 40,000 to 50,000 people journey not only to Salt Lake City but Park City and Ogden, UT to sample the newer films coming out.

Sundance has somewhat changed its format in that it presents more independent films and is responsible for bringing wider attention to films such as "The Blair Witch Project," "Saw," and "Reservoir Dogs." The festival is also responsible for giving independent film makers like Robert Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino their first big breaks. Actor and film producer Robert Redford has been the driving force in making Sundance relevant and in promoting smaller films and unknowns of the film industry to broaden the industry's reputation beyond big budget films and mega stars.

This year’s festival not only had the rich and famous rubbing elbows but included a flavor of Iowa and Wisconsin college students who wanted to experience and learn from the best and brightest that the industry has to offer. The Fine Arts Club at Western Technical College of La Crosse, WI held a variety of fund raisers and was assisted by the college to make a dream come true by sponsoring their trip to Sundance.

The students flew to the Utah site and were immediately amazed at the cacophony of events and attractions that are part of the multi-day festival. One of those students, Krystal Johnson of Waukon, was extremely impressed by what she saw and heard, believing that her Western education and experience prepared her for the technical aspects of the festival. What it did not provide was the onslaught of the hordes of people and the differing attractions that encompass such a gathering of both the not so known and the world famous.

“It was easy to see the things we learned at Western being applied in a real life situation,” observed Johnson, “but actually meeting the people and seeing how things are done gave a greater understanding on how the film industry works.”

Being born and raised in a small rural Iowa community gave Johnson a greater appreciation of what the world has to offer when a setting such as Sundance presents a not the run of the mill experience that is typically part of the day-to-day functions that communities such as Waukon have to offer. She and her fellow students were given the technical background with their classroom education, but this Utah extravaganza was something totally different and somewhat awe inspiring.

Johnson had been given somewhat of a feel on what she might see by the attention given by television media, but what she observed gave a more real, up-close taste of what really goes on. The crowds and the compacted schedule were a negative to this Midwestern contingent, but a negative that was outweighed by the many positives, such as a first-hand sharing of knowledge between them and those involved in the entertainment business.

Information about the movie industry and its many functions to produce a product was helpful, but this knowledge may also be used if the students were to become involved in local television or producing media packages or promotional public relations presentations for businesses or organizations like hospitals and service industries.

Part of seeing how it works entailed many different panel discussions with industry people who shared their insights on their involvement in making and marketing films seen by the general public. One of those panels included J.J. Abrams, who either directed or produced movies such as "Armageddon," three "Mission Impossible" films, three "Star Trek" films and the newest "Star Wars" production, "The Force Awakens."

Jonny Tippetts, a student from Holmen, WI, felt the panels offered the chance to “test augmented reality and virtual reality, which was amazing, and seeing the potential filming possibilities with that new technology was fascinating.”

Bao Xiong, a student from La Crosse, WI, felt the panels were the best part of the festival as they allowed the opportunity to meet and speak with directors, writers, producers and program managers, giving valuable insights into the film and entertainment industry. Xiong had worked previously in the film industry in Los Angeles, CA and commented that “anyone who has an interest in having a career in film or the entertainment industry should go to a film festival like Sundance.”

What about those individuals who do not have the educational background but just want to taste the offerings that a film festival such as Sundance has to offer? Johnson's expectations to learn about films and what this industry might have to offer were met, and she feels that those who just want to enjoy the ambiance of the festival atmosphere will not be disappointed. She and her fellow classmates felt their career opportunities were enhanced by giving them insight, but the guy and gal that just want to go as “tourists” will still enjoy what this event has to offer.

All of the students that were part of the Sundance scene heartily endorse all to go and enjoy this event, feeling that anyone experiencing the festivities will not be disappointed. They described the scenery as breathtaking and said the activities of the festival will educate and entertain anyone that becomes part of this yearly phenomenon.

For decades, millions of people have flocked to their local cinema to escape their daily regimen by savoring the sights and sounds of Tinseltown. This nation’s televisions have been tuned in on the award shows and industry programming such as Entertainment Tonight, which gives the public a peek at Hollywood and its trappings.

Events like the Sundance Film Festival, however, provide the public a more personal look inside the nuts and bolts that are part of the entertainment industry. The Fine Arts Club of Western Technical had the experience of a lifetime and, who knows, small town Midwest America just might have left a little of its own influence on the Hollywood types at Sundance as well.