For the fifth year, CNN Films celebrated independent film at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival by hosting talent, industry professionals, festival-goers and media at their CNN Films Lounge in Park City, Utah, last weekend. During our visits to their pop-up lounge (January 19-21) on Main Street, we were fortunate to meet three filmmakers premiering their work at the festival.
All of these filmmakers were beaming with pride, and shared more background on their work and Sundance premieres. Look for these three films: Three Identical Strangers, The Oslo Diaries and The Mortified Guide.
- Three Identical Strangers (co-produced with CNN Films) – David Kellman (Talent in Three Identical Strangers) was at the CNN Films Lounge, where we learned about this documentary. It’s about three identical triplets who are separated at birth, and then find each other later as young adults. Robert Shafran and Edward Galland found each other at 19 while attending the same community college. The press coverage of this discovery resulted in them finding another 19-year-old, David Kellman, who looked exactly like them. The surprise triplets became good friends, and overnight media sensations. The documentary uncovers the story about how they got separated in the first place. It sounds a little like This Is Us, but it’s based on a true story. (Premiered January 19, 2018)
- The Oslo Diaries – The film team for The Oslo Diaries was also at the CNN Films Lounge from Israel. Their film is based on personal diaries written by Israeli and Palestinian participants of secret peace talks, along with archival footage of The Oslo I Accord that was signed in Washington D.C. in 1993. It’s an insider view of 1,100 days of secret peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian participants, told by people who were there. The meetings changed the Middle East forever, and the documentary gives new insights about why peace has not been achieved in the longest ongoing conflict of our times. (Premiered January 21, 2018)
- The Mortified Guide – We also met Mike Mayer, who is the Director of the The Mortified Guide that premiered in the Indie Episodic Shorts and Special Event Selections category. The Mortified Guide is a 6-episode comedic docu-series that shows people reading personal teenage diaries, love letters and performing music/art to total strangers. It’s based on the Mortified storytelling project which creates stage shows, books, podcast, TV and film. (Premieres January 23, 2018)
Since becoming a buyer at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, CNN Films has acquired the critically-acclaimed Blackfish, which was nominated for a Sundance Grand Jury Award, as well as a BAFTA Film Award nomination for Best Documentary. CNN Films has also acquired several other films that premiered at Sundance, including Trophy, Dinosaur 13, Holy Hell, and Escape Fire. Also, in the years since, CNN Films has exhibited co-productions including Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger, Fresh Dressed, The Hunting Ground, Legion of Brothers, Ivory Tower, and Life Itself.
Many thanks to CNN Films for being a Sundance Film Festival sponsor, and for supporting independent filmmakers at the festival for the past five years. Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes coverage @LizHKelly, and don’t forget to check out these independent films!
