America Ferrera at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 24, 2005.Photo:Frazer Harrison/Getty
Frazer Harrison/Getty
The 2002Sundance Film Festival, saysAmerica Ferrera, was “the first time I ever saw myself on screen.”
Founded with the help ofRobert Redford, the Sundance Institute’s annual celebration of cinema has launched hit indies ranging fromLittle Miss SunshinetoThe Blair Witch Projectto this year’s Best Picture Oscar nomineePast Lives.
At the debut of her breakout filmReal Women Have Curves, which won a jury prize at the 2002 fest, Ferrera remembers celebrating “with a packed audience as they laughed and cried and applauded and then gave us a minutes-long standing ovation.”
America Ferrera at Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 24, 2010.George Pimentel/Getty
George Pimentel/Getty
Adds thenewly mintedBarbieOscar nominee: “That moment changed my entire world. I was getting to live out my wildest dreams. I’ll never forget it.”
“I remember it being the first time that somebody wanted to interview me and was really interested because they thought I was a good actor, so that stood out,” she tells PEOPLE.
For other indie-film fans, the annual event has created an opportunity to connect with lifelong friends and collaborators. The Don Cheadle–starringManic, which debuted in 2001, is whereJoseph Gordon-Levittbonded with fellow actor and musicianZooey Deschanel.
Ingrid Oliu, America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros, Josefina Lopez and Patricia Cardoso of “Real Women Have Curves” at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.Randall Michelson/WireImage
Randall Michelson/WireImage
“Zooey had lightened her hair,” recalls Gordon-Levitt, 42. “I know it sounds like a small thing, but it sticks in my memory for some reason. I guess because years later [in 2009], we went back to Sundance together with500 Days of Summer,so thinking back on that first year, with her looking so different, it stands out.”
“I made the foundation of my career doing indie films, and Sundance was a huge part of that,” Deschanel, 44, tells PEOPLE. “It’s a wonderful place to run into old friends and meet new ones.”
Not that her first experience in Utah was without its hiccups. “I didn’t even know anyone would be taking my picture,” remembers Deschanel. “The only makeup I had with me was one lipstick which I put on my lips and cheeks for all the events.”
She also recalls feeling “super embarrassed watching a kissing scene in the movie with my parents sitting next to me.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel at 2001 Sundance Film Festival.J. Vespa/WireImage
J. Vespa/WireImage
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The British star adds, “Although London isn’t exactly a stranger to cold weather, it still all felt very exotic to me. But maybe that was something to do with the people running off to go skiing between screenings.” Ejiofor’s advice for those new to Sundance? “Try not to freeze to death!”
For Ejiofor, what makes the Sundance experience so memorable is “the people, the discussions, the (honestly pretty manic) love of films and filmmaking.”
The Egyptian Theatre.Getty
For Gordon-Levitt, Sundance was a “holy grail” even before he began premiering films there. “All the movies I loved as a teenager in the ’90s had come through Sundance.Reservoir Dogs, Swingers, Sling Blade, these little movies that didn’t fit into the mainstream Hollywood box.”
Now, the actor adds, the fest is a “safe harbor” for him. “I remember this joyful feeling that I’d finally arrived where I’d always wanted to be.”
The2024 Sundance Film Festivalruns from Jan. 18 to Jan. 28, screening debuts in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah.
source: people.com
