IFFB: Waiting for Lonesome Jim

Tonight I'm seeing the opening night film Lonesome Jim which is directed by Steve Buscemi. I saw this flick at Sundance and fell in love with it. So I'm here to get a second viewing, this time with some much needed sleep. For those of you who haven't been to Sundance, let me explain. There are so many films worth seeing, that you find yourself seeing 35 films in a 10 day period which equates to only 3 hours of sleep a night. Plus, you're in the elevated Park City, Utah, where air is in short supply. In short, some films must be seen again after Sundance.

Sundance was filled with slice of life films, more than a couple where the main character decides or is forced to come home. Instead of them being fish-out-of-water stories, these are fish-back-into-water stories, I guess. Lonesome Jim is one of those.
At Sundance I make it a point not to bother the stars, as most of them don't want to be bothered. But when I saw the opportunity to tell Steve Buscemi what I thought of his film, I jumped at it. I saw him on Main Street and while passing, told him I loved his film.

He stopped and came over to me, grabbing my hand. He shook it and gratefully thanked me. We had a conversation, and not one of those conversations you see so often at Sundance where the actor is trying to get away, looking over your shoulder for someone more important. Actually it was quite the opposite. I was on my way to a screening and was running late but Steve kept talking, and I was the one trying to escape.

He is the complete opposite of the Hollywood stereotype. In the introduction of his screening he made it a point to thank all the Sundance volunteers for all their hard work. I've never heard any filmmaker or actor do that at Sundance, not even the unknown first timers... Never mind a big star like Buscemi.

I'm standing next to one of the IFFB Jurors who was also on the Documentary Jury at Sundance this year. Some would call him a product of Sundance nepotism: he's been an advisor at the Sundance Summer Labs, and his film Citizen King appeared in competition in 2004. Others call it being part of the Sundance Family, I’m somewhere inbetween on the subject but also consider myself part of that family (In a third cousin sort of way). His film didn't win a prize at Sundance that year but now he travels the festival circuit deciding who wins, kind of ironic (but in fairness his film aired out of competition as a special screening as it aired on PBS the same day.)

As both a filmmaker and juror, he calls the BIFF cozy, and says "It will be one of the best in the coming couple years."

Lonesome Jim has been sold out for a while now. A volunteer tells me that due to a computer glitch they were selling tickets days after they officially sold out. Couple this with the fact that pass holders get let in before ticket holders, and there will probably be some unhappy people, some with tickets. The early bird indeed gets the worm tonight. Someone offered to trade their unborn kid for my press pass. His girlfriend then proceeded to slap him over the offer.

Now in the theater there is a true Sundance like buzz going on. Everyone chatters with the people around them as if they are friends, but aren’t.  They talk about the movies they want to see. The lady behind me is making a prison documentary. It's that kind of crowd.

The program director informed the audience that 400 people were turned away for this screening. And one lucky audience member found a round trip ticket voucher under his seat from festival sponsor and super cool airline - Jet Blue. (if Jet Blue wants to send me a free ticket, PLEASE do.)

What's unfortunate is they're running 8 minutes of sponsor commercials before each film. I guess it's not as bad as the local multiplex nowadays but you would expect more from an indie festival. Hey if this is how they make this possible, I'm all for it. Liam Lynch did the opening music video entitled “Picture Show” which heads up all the films this year. He’s the United States of Whatever guy, and also known for The Sifl & Olly Show (which was way before it’s time if you ask me). Good stuff.
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Contact Peter Sciretta here.