Producers, actors and avid filmgoers from around the world traveled to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival this year. For Ouachita students, this annual trip is often an experience of a lifetime. On Saturday, Jan. 21, students and faculty sponsors left for Park City to experience the 113 independent films chosen for the 2017 festival.
“I had an experience as a doctoral student that influenced my desire to create a course that would invite students to participate in the Sundance Film Festival and Windrider Forum,” said Dr. Rebecca Jones, sponsor and co-instructor of the Sundance course. As a doctoral student, Jones took a class on the rhetoric of independent film, which allowed her to attend Sundance and participate in Windrider. “The experience was very meaningful, and I wanted to be able to offer something similar to Ouachita students,” Jones said. Because of her experience, she was led to develop Ouachita’s Sundance course, alongside Dr. Doug Sonheim, professor of English and co-instructor of the class, which invites students to meaningfully engage with film, culture, and faith.”
The Windrider Forum is a gathering at Sundance where students from a number of colleges and seminaries meet daily during Sundance to consider the spiritual conversations that are currently taking place in culture through film.
“I thought it was really exciting to be there when Oscar nominations came out because people who were nominated were there and everyone seemed to be excited about it all. It was a cool environment to be in at the time,” said Katie Kemp, a junior mass communications and Spanish major from Conway.
During the fall semester and first half of the course, students prepared for trip logistics. Students often participated in the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival to acquire vocabulary to help them at Sundance.
“I think one of my favorite parts was getting to know a diverse group of people that I normally don’t talk to. I made some cool friends on the trip who I would have never met had I not gone,” said Jennifer Bray, a senior graphic design major from Little Rock. “I also loved the weather and atmosphere of the town. It snowed the entire time we were there. The movies were great, but without the town’s atmosphere and the people I went with, it wouldn’t have been the same.”
Students were also able to experience a wide variety of films. Before leaving for Park City, the group voted and ranked films they would be most interested in seeing while at Sundance.
“When people ask me what my favorite movie was that I saw I don’t really have an answer. All of them were so different that it’s hard to say this one stood out to me the most, Kemp said. “It was cool to see the directors of the movies and hear their thought processes and why they did things a certain way. Often it wasn’t what you thought or what you think much of. [The group] talked and debriefed afterward, which was pretty cool getting to share our thoughts with each other.”
As co-instructors of the Sundance course, Jones and Sonheim are able to enjoy many aspects of the film experience each year with students.
“One of the things I enjoy most is seeing the significance of the experience for students. They write and share their thoughts through essays and creative projects throughout the semester,” Jones said. “For some students, this experience has been profoundly meaningful, and it’s a delight to get to be a part of these experiences. A part of that for some is seeing their faith connected to that which is intellectual and aesthetic.”
Originally the annual trip to Sundance was made possible through the support of a Strategic Initiative Grant received from Ouachita. That grant made the first three years possible. Recently, a generous donor, Mr. Taylor King, provided support that has enabled the course to continue.
“It’s a special experience to be in community with students who are sharing these experiences and influencing one another. I’ve learned so much from students as a part of this course, and I’m so thankful for those who have ventured to Sundance each year,” Jones said.
The final part of the Sundance course consists of meeting weekly to share about everyone’s festival experience and teach students how to write and speak articulately about film. Students will present their papers and presentations on Scholar’s Day held April 26.
Jones invites any interested student to visit with her or Sonheim to receive more information, answer questions and provide details about upcoming trips. Students are generally recruited in April for the following January trip to allow time for students to secure funding and allow planning time for travel arrangements. For more information, contact Rebecca Jones at jonesr@obu.edu or Doug Sonheim at sonheimd@obu.edu.
By Amber Easterly, staff writer
