STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
A salute to Warren Miller, a coffee talk with Gwyneth Paltrow…
The seventh annual Sun Valley Film Festival has a wide array of events to engage film buffs.
The film festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in the Sun Valley Opera House with a screening of “Science Fair,” which follows nine students from around the world as they prepare projects they hope will change the world. It continues through Sunday with an array of films, talks and parties.
Many of the films will be followed by question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers.
Heather Rae, a founding board member who has been part of numerous other festivals including Sundance, said the Sun Valley Film Festival has done an “extraordinary job” in creating a festival with one foot in the industry and the other in the community.
“We have great audiences show up, great engagement through interactions. And the festival has done an amazing job bringing in people who are the real deal—people from the industry who really have something to offer, whether they’re artists or executives,” she said.
“It’s wonderful for the filmmakers. Some festivals are big and overwhelming, but Sun Valley has that rare quality of intimacy and access. Everyone I’ve talked to has had nothing but good things to say about how great their experience is.”
HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL:
FREE COFFEE TALKS
Jeanne Tripplehorn, star of “Basic Instinct,” “Waterworld,” “The Firm” and HBO’s “Grey Gardens,” will talk at 10 a.m. Friday, March 16.
Jay Duplass, an independent filmmaker and actor who played in the series “Transparent” and “The Mindy Project,” will speak at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Gwyneth Paltrow, who won an Oscar as Best Actress for “Shakespeare in Love,” a Golden Globe nomination for her role in “Proof” and an Emmy for her role in “Glee,” will speak at 10 a.m. Sunday.
All Coffee Talks are at the Sun Valley Opera House.
MUST SEE FILMS
“All the Wild Horses,” a 90-minute documentary following riders as they compete in the Mongol Derby in Mongolia, the longest and toughest horse race on the planet. 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Ford Cinetransformer.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a brassy sexy retelling of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy set in Los Angeles. 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sun Valley Opera House.
“Beirut,” which follows a U.S. diplomat who is called back to war-torn Beirut to negotiate for the life of a friend he left behind. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sun Valley Opera House.
“Leave No Trace,” which follows a father and daughter who are living off the grid near Portland, Ore., until a chance encounter blows their cover. They escape social services to undertake a perilous journey back to the wilderness where they’re confronted by a longing for community versus a fierce need to live apart. 8 p.m. Saturday, Sun Valley Opera House.
FREEBIE MOVIES
1 p.m. Thursday, Ford Cinetransformer—“Happening,” a film by James Redford taking viewers on a journey into the clean energy era.
3 p.m. Thursday, Ford Cinetransformer—“Angst,” a documentary focusing on teen anxiety caused by bullying, perfectionism, panic, obsession and hopelessness.
4 p.m. Thursday, Opera House—“Jane,” a documentary drawing from more than 100 hours of never-before-seen National Geographic footage offering intimate portrait of chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall.
5:30 p.m. Thursday, Magic Lantern Cinema—1 Potato, “The Big Burn”—Idaho filmmaker Samantha Silva’s feature film about a woman dealing with a failing marriage who is pulled into the orbit of a young woman whose own life is about to change forever. Includes footage shot at Redfish Lake.
9:30 p.m. Thursday, Ford Cinetransformer—Warren Miller’s “Many Moods of Skiing,” preceded by “The Fire That Saved Sun Valley.” Featuring Stein Eriksen and others.
1:15 p.m. Friday, Opera House—“Chasing the Thunder,” documentary about a 110-day, 10,000-mile chase of the world’s most notorious poaching vessel.
11 a.m. Saturday, Ford Cinetransformer—Future Filmmakers Forum showing shorts by young filmmakers.
1 p.m. Saturday, Opera House—Nat Geo WILD Kids “Party Animals,” world premiere introducing a nocturnal primate, baby sea turtles in an animal hospital and a road trip featuring a family of silly ducks.
5 p.m. Saturday, Ford Cinetransformer—“Giant Carnivorous Bats,” which takes viewers deep into a Mexican jungle in search of two of the continent’s rarest creatures. Finalists in Nat GEO’s “Wild to Inspire” contest will show shorts of their films preceding this one.
SALON TALKS
A panel of filmmakers, including Jessica Sanders, Eva Flodstrom and Shannon Gibson will headline a Salon Talk at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 15. They are replacing Yahya Abdul-Mateeen II of "Aquaman" fame, who had a last-minute conflict. Sanders' "SING!" was nominated for an Academy Award.
Kate Bosworth, who starred in “Blue Crush” and produced the new film “NONA,” will talk at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
Anand Varma and Jason Jaacks, award-winning National Geographic photographer and environmentalist filmmaker, will talk at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
All Salon Talks will be at Festival Headquarters at the Warfield Distillery and will include complimentary lunch. They will be open to pass-holders only.
MAIN STREET SALUTES WARREN MILLER
The party starts at 9 p.m. as Main Street Ketchum lights up with DJ Travis Jones on stage spinning high-energy dance tunes as the fire pits blaze. There’ll be screenings of Warren Miller’s vintage film clips of Sun Valley compiled by Stellar Media and Miller’s longtime film editor Kim Schneider, along with select shorts from the Homegrown Film Festival featuring local skiers and filmmakers. Prizes, including a special edition snowboard provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and a Stella Artois bicycle, will be given to those wearing the best vintage ski outfits.
PARTY ON
9 p.m. Thursday—Main Street Salutes Warren Miller
10 p.m. Thursday, Whiskey Jacques—“Sorry I Like to Party” Party, featuring music from DJ Nate, El Stash and complimentary Stella Artois for pass-holders. Free to public.
10 p.m. Friday, Galleria on Leadville and 4th Street—Pioneer Party saluting Kate Bosworth, winner of this year’s Pioneer Award. Music by L.A. DJ Chris Douridas. For pass-holders only.
10 p.m. Saturday, March 17, Whiskey Jacques—SVFF Awards Bash, headlined by Indie rock group Sir Sly. Awards will be given to filmmakers and SVFF special guests. Pass-holders only.
FREE CURRENT CONVERSATIONS
A free panel discussion at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Warfield Distillery will look at the future of Hollywood and other industries following the #MeToo movement, as well as the power of storytelling to change long-held notions.
The discussion will feature award-winning film producer Heather Rae, award-winning journalist Sarah Sunshine Manning, producer and change maker Effie Brown, and Bentonville Film Festival president Wendy Guerrero.
Free to public with priority admission for pass-holders.
WOMEN IN FILM CELEBRATION
Reception sponsored by Stella Artois featuring producer Cassian Elwes of “Dallas Buyers Club” as he honors Benita Ozoude and Giselle Bonilla, winners of the 2018 Horizon Award. Free to public with priority admission for pass-holders.
THE PITCH
Filmmaker Will McCormack will walk audience members through the do’s and don’ts of pitching ideas , then try to sell his idea to a panel of top producers in this event at 6 p.m. Friday, March 16, at Warfield Distillery. Free to public with priority admission for pass-holders.
TICKETS AND PASSES
Passes range from $150 to $1,000, and are available at www.sunvalleyfilmfestival.org. A number of individual tickets for films and panels are also available. The box office is at Café Artois, the site of the former Cornerstone Br and Grill, at 211 N. Main St.