Cinema and snow: Sundance 2014 in photos

Bryan Bishop

Sundance is a marathon, not a sprint, but I found myself wanting to catch every single thing the festival had to offer. When you haven’t seen a new movie before — when nobody in the world has really seen the movie before — those first screenings are filled with the vibrating hope of possibility and creative potential. Add in the presence of the filmmakers themselves, and the intimate setting provides an experience unlike anything else. Despite the lines, logistics, and corporate sheen, Sundance continues to feel like ground zero for the next wave of emerging filmmakers — and the only regret I had was that I couldn’t squeeze in just one more screening before I left.

Casey Newton

Sundance is the one place where I don’t mind waiting in line. People show up really early for movies at the festival, and while you wait you inevitably wind up introducing yourself to everyone around you. This year I met vacationing high school students, aspiring filmmakers, movie-loving retirees, and true fans in line to see movies they had backed on Kickstarter. Everyone had an opinion on which films at the festival were underrated, overrated, and “must see” — information I used to chart my own path through the catalog. I never see half the things I want to, but my fellow filmgoers help me see way better movies than I would otherwise — and distract me from the freezing temperatures that are a hallmark of Park City in January.