sundance scrapbook

what we learned as first-time attendees<3

Hiii from RM.19 co-founders Imani, Jamie, and Julia! We’re so excited to start rolling out new thoughts and takeaways on the film scene, being women creatives, and running a small community-focused business through our Substack. Keep following along for film and filmmaker recs, interviews with fellow femme community builders, and industry scrapbooks!

Speaking of scrapbooks, here’s entry one from our first ever Sundance <3

Imani Davis (ID): yoooooooo Sundance was unrealllll. It was my first time ever going, and I went completely on my own, so I really got to pick and choose how I spent my time.

Julia Relova (JR): I did a sprint for my Sundance experience! It was a bit of a crazy decision because I had to make Jamie’s Baby Shower and a reunion with my college friends as the bookends of my trip, but I have no regrets! Even 3 days at Sundance made a huge impact.

WHY WE WENT

JR: I wanted to see a specific movie I’ve been following and anticipating since I saw its proof of concept at the PROOF Film Festival - Liz Sargent’s TAKE ME HOME. I was lucky enough that their premiere was on Monday, one of the two days I could be there the whole day.

ID: I also got to support filmmakers connected to the PROOF community, especially seeing projects grow from proof-of-concept shorts into features premiering on one of the biggest stages in independent film. The Musical (PROOF Audience Award Winner 2024) and Take Me Home (PROOF Grand Jury Prize Winner 2024) both world premiered in US Dramatic Competition. I couldn’t be prouder.

JR: Several fellow filmmakers I have been connecting with for the past 2 years through Laverne McKinnon’s Moonshot Producer’s Group were attending and even had films in the festival this year. I just had to meet them in person and get even a moment to connect face to face!

ID: And I was fortunate enough to participate in two panels during my time there. I moderated the Film Fatales panel at the United Lounge with 3 amazing women directors with projects at the festival - Liz Sargent (a PROOF Film Festival alumni), NB Mager, and Josephine Decker.

I was also on a panel at the Impact Lounge called “Shorts are the New Long Game” co-presented by Switchboard Magazine and moderated by the incredible GG Hawkins from the No Film School Podcast.

WHAT WE LEARNED

JR: At Sundance, everyone is worth chatting up! You wait in a lot of lines for a lot of time - make friends and get to know the people around you, they’re interested in the same events and movies as you! You’re likely to easily find a connection and if you’re lucky, maybe an opportunity.

ID: Agreed. Community is still key in independent film. The strongest moments of the week were not panels or parties, but small conversations in lines, on sidewalks, and in crowded living rooms.

JR: There’s nothing like hugging an online friend for the first time in person and being able to just gab with a natural flow. Get to networking BEFORE you even get to Sundance. Find people online who are going and share information! Resource sharing is everything.

ID: The proof-of-concept pipeline is REAL. Seeing filmmakers who once screened shorts at PROOF now premiering features reinforced that early-stage support and visibility genuinely matters. It reminded me why we built the festival in the first place.

JR: Sundance, compared to other film festivals I’ve been to, truly feels like a space for FILMMAKERS. I’ve been to SXSW, but the energy there feels a bit more expansive with all types of creatives, entrepreneurs, and educators prancing around Austin. Chicago International Film Festival feels catered to movie watchers, and their Industry Days event feels tailored towards folks in the local scene. TIFF might be the festival I could most closely compare to Sundance - but something about Sundance actually felt a little bit more streamlined and accessible (!?! crazy right???) in the sense that I bought all my tickets through the Sundance app without a pass for less than $40. Compared to when I tried getting a ticket for a movie or got to an event at TIFF, it felt like you needed a pass/invite/ or were sent to Ticketmaster. I’d like to preface and reiterate that this was my experience going to these festivals all pretty blind and honestly with no plans at all. My goal this past year was to truly go to film festivals and catch their general vibe and see what events and movies I could see with my limited resources.

ID: Everyone is tired, but hopeful. There’s a shared understanding that the old models aren’t working the way they used to, but also a quiet excitement about building new ones.

JR: I truly believe, for most people, film festivals are another place to grow your network and practice pitching your work. You can’t count on a film festival to grant you a meeting that solves all your funding problems, or running into a distributor that will give you all their insider secrets, or even that any meetings you set will actually happen! I am so grateful for all the magic I experienced during my Sundance experience, including meeting the incredible producers I’ve met online in person for the first time and seeing them in action, seeing a vibrant Filipino community at Cinema Sala’s brunch event, being able to see TAKE ME HOME and congratulate Liz in person, and bonding in brief moments with the amazing filmmakers I got to lodge with.

OVERALL…

ID: I went to Sundance to listen, reconnect, observe, and remind myself why this work matters. I left with some great new friends, perspectives, and ways to move forward.

JR: Ultimately, for me, a film festival is just another opportunity to keep your door wide open and hope it’s time for your moment. The best thing we can do for ourselves as creatives is stay doing the work and practice being our own biggest advocate and most enthusiastic cheerleader.

ID: Can’t wait for next year!!