Sundance 2010

The leader in Independent Film Festivals, since its beginning in 1978, has undeniably been the Sundance Film Festival. It started in Salt Lake City as the Utah/US Film Festival in order to attract more filmmakers to Utah. It was founded by Sterling Van Wagenen, John Earle, Cirina Hampton Catania.

With Robert Redford as the Chairperson, the goal of the festival was to showcase strictly American-made films, highlight what the potential of independent film could be and to increase visibility for filmmaking in Utah. At the time, the main focus of the event was to conduct a competition for independent American films, present a series of retrospective films and filmmaker panel discussions and to celebrate the Frank Capra Award; it highlighted the work of "regional" filmmakers who worked outside the Hollywood system.

The Festival has changed over the decades from a low-profile venue for small-budget, independent creators from outside the Hollywood system to a media extravaganza for Hollywood celebrity actors, paparazzi, and luxury lounges set up by companies that aren't even affiliated with Sundance. Recently though, the Festival itself has tried to curb these activities in recent years, beginning in 2007 with their ongoing "Focus On Film" campaign.

And with the emergence of a new director this year, John Cooper, the festival seems to be heading back towards its roots. Some of his more notable changes have been getting rid of the glitzy opening-night tradition of a premiere that's not competing for festival prizes as well as adding a new program of eight films with tiny budgets of less than $500,000 to ensure a place for do-it-yourself works amid high-profile Sundance premieres.

"I really felt a responsibility to, and actually permission, to not think about anything but what was core to us, and that is going for excellence and creativity in the films we choose, and nothing else," Cooper said.

True.Good.Beautiful brings you the pre-festivalbuzz, before the festival started on last Thursday.

Here is where you can find all the latest buzz.

And here is the link to the official Sundance website.