One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there's always more we can learn about them as people. This year, we decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our Backstory questionnaire!The main challenge of creating a memorable short film is twofold: Not only do you have to capture the audience's attention immediately, you also have to leave an impact in a matter of minutes. Parker, which screened as part of Short Film Program 1 at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, invites viewers to think, feel, and laugh, all within its 13-minute run time.
Directed by Sharon Liese and Catherine Hoffman, Parker unites three generations of a Kansas City family for a monumental event. They're choosing their own last name - a decision that countless Black Americans have been unable to make. This film has these themes of legacy and naming in the African American community. It gets into Black history, says Hoffman in the film's Meet The Artist video. And the Parkers are just a really fun, joyful family, she adds. Black joy was a meaningful component of the film for Hoffman- it's an emotion not often depicted on screen - and the Parkers have it in spades.
Below, discover the other feelings Hoffman hopes to inspire in Parker's viewers, as well as why she believes filmmaking is important to the world. And if you missed seeing the short at the Festival in January, fear not - Parker is one of seven shorts traveling across the U.S. (and beyond) as part of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour, which kicked off June 9. Click here for information about upcoming dates and venues.
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