Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Jeff Zimbalist, the Filmmaker Behind Skywalkers: A Love Story

By Bailey Pennick

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 2024 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 ongoing series: Give Me the Backstory!

Jeff Zimbalist - the artist behind the 2024 U.S. Documentary Competition film Skywalkers: A Love Story - is no stranger to the Sundance Film Festival, but, to him, this year feels special. I've screened my films during the Festival and produced films that have been official selections, he explains. But getting a film I directed into competition is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

While this just might seem like a figure of speech, the multiple award-winning documentarian isn't exaggerating. He's actually been a part of the Sundance Festival community for nearly a quarter of a century. I volunteered during the Festival in 2000 and made it a life goal to get accepted as a director one year This Festival is where my favorite works were born and launched, where so much of my inspiration came from as a young filmmaker, and, of course, the internationally renowned stamp of excellence and ingenuity. [I'm] so honored.

This goal-setting, all-in energy is something that Zimbalist has brought to all of his projects and is definitely present within Skywalkers - a feature that follows a Russian couple who perform death-defying acrobatics on the tops of some of the tallest buildings in the world. It's a harrowing watch for anyone afraid of heights, but, more importantly to Zimbalist, it's a rooftoppers love story. When asked who he wants to see this film, he simply says, Anyone drawn to or afraid of love.

Below, hear Zimbalist explain the biggest challenges of shooting Skywalkers: A Love Story, what inspired his film, and what he would be doing if he weren't a filmmaker.

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-jeff-...
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