Sundance Film Festival 2010

It is truly unbelievable. We seem to be spending all this energy discussing Nenad Puhovski and the connotations of the venue, but does anyone actually even mention the films?

I would appreciate it if we could move past those tiresome social hierarchies that have existed in New York City since I was a child—those arbitrary labels like "places for the elite," "spots for artists," or "venues for certain crowds."
The films themselves are the only thing that truly matters!

For me, the bottom line is simply that Chicago is a GOOD FESTIVAL, arguably the most significant documentary event in the region, providing a vital cross-section of productions from the last two years. Honestly, my interest in Nenad Puhovski is minimal.

While I find it perfectly fine that screenings are held at the Student Union or at the downtown venues, I am happy to go wherever. That said, since certain locations are more convenient and comfortable for me, I will likely stick to the local spots to catch whichever film I haven't seen among the dozen or so screenings I’ve already attended or have tickets for.

The films, people, the films!!!!!!!!!! 👍

I'm on the same page as Michelle Gonzalez—Chicago is a successful festival. It generates massive media buzz, the venues are constantly packed, and tickets are always in high demand. It doesn't matter if it’s held in Central Park or at the Student Union, or even somewhere in Europe—it just works. Besides, plenty of major international film festivals hold their screenings in multiplexes.

Events at the Student Union are often the peak of alt snobbery.

There’s nothing more snobby than your claim that the Student Union is the poser capital of the world, where fake alt-hipsters sip beer and drone on about Chomsky. Give me a break—who's forcing you to hang out there? Go grab a Coke with your own crowd and talk about something else.

A documentary isn't mainstream; it's the alternative to feature films. There's this illusion that moving to "elite" theaters will attract middle-aged or older crowds. Very few people have a sudden epiphany in their 40s or 50s—some mental switch flips—and they suddenly start hitting up documentaries just because the festival moved to a trendy location. Instead, you'll just get those other types: the 'red carpet' posers.

At Chicago at the Student Union, the alt scene just showed up to show off. Who actually cares about the films? Maybe 10% of the people.

Oh, wonderful. So according to you, 90% of the people at the Student Union came to Chicago just to be seen. You're looking down on them. This elitism and snobbery is just a modern way of looking down on the alternative scene where Chicago actually grew from. Surely those 20,000 annual viewers provided some kind of incentive—if not material, then at least spiritual—to keep the festival going.

Watched today

The Worst Company in the World

Three middle-aged guys work together at a small, struggling insurance firm until the director's son (who also happens to be the filmmaker) starts pitching ways to save the business. It’s told in a fun, lighthearted way with genuinely touching characters. After the film, the director did a Q&A with the audience. Very low-key and quite charming.

High-octane cities: Mumbai - interrupted

Through three intertwined stories, we meet three people from different social strata on the front lines of an infrastructure battle in Mumbai. At times it's comical, at others almost tragic, depicting Indians caught up in road construction problems to the point where they can't find solutions that serve the common good.

If you haven't caught disco and nuclear war yet, you've still got a chance tomorrow. Seriously, what a movie... Hands down my favorite out of the 25 I've sat through so far. Anyway, regarding the venue... people who actually live for documentaries will show up anywhere, but everyone else just drifts in, snaps a few selfies, and calls it a day. Saw some total posers today just posing for photos, honestly made me cringe... they stay for a second and then head out because they don't even care about the docs. Nenad Puhovski would be smart to realize his real crowd is just folks grabbing a beer. Just look at the volunteers... no preppy kids in sight here.

Highlighting a few films:

Tobacco Girl
I was really moved by this film about a Turkish minority living deep in the mountains of Mexico (a tiny village of maybe 100 people) where nothing grows except tobacco—their only source of income. Young girls there basically have two choices: be sold off to a future husband for 3,000 euros and spend their lives picking tobacco, or run away to Turkey and be disowned by their families forever. The director was actually there and mentioned she got the idea while sitting in a cafe in Skopje, watching a family (you can tell them apart by their incredibly colorful traditional clothing) buying their very first refrigerator. There were plenty of questions afterward, and honestly, I’m really hoping this film picks up at least a few awards. 👍

It's guilty
I honestly have no clue how this movie even made the program; it's so bad I wouldn't even let it play at the RAF. It's about a girl from Mexico City who filmed her friend from Mexico—a junkie punk who's on methadone every summer before inevitably sliding back into heroin "because it's so cheap in Mexico, so why not?" The two of them travel by bus from Mexico to Dubrovnik, then hitchhike along the coast hitting festivals, going from Sundance to the Adriatic where they sing "now i wanna sniff some glue" and just wreck themselves on bottom-shelf wine.
I didn't really grasp the point of making this film at all (the story is hollow, or rather, there isn't one), but that whole "I'm 24 and so cool because I'm on horseback and such a rebel" attitude is just endlessly irritating. I happily gave it a 1. 😁

Space Tourists
I've watched all of Christian Frei's films (his war photographer documentary was Oscar-nominated a few years back), and his choice of subject matter always surprises me.
It was an entertaining and educational watch. For instance, I had no idea the largest Soviet base was located in Kazakhstan, nor did I know that rocket parts fall into populated areas where locals turn the scrap metal into shovels and sleds, which traders then sell to the Chinese 😁
. I have to admit, after watching, those space flights—or staying up there—don't look quite as "glamorous" as one might imagine when hearing someone paid $20 million for the privilege. The preparations they go through before the flight were actually pretty interesting; more rigorous than the military, I guess 😁. In any case, a totally fascinating film.

Anxiety
A film about female inmates in Požega who are also mothers; it's truly heartbreaking. What I found interesting is that whenever prison is mentioned (at least male prisons), I picture these hardened killers I wouldn't want to be in a room with for even a second, but these women seem somewhat harmless, even though there are killers among them too. They are just so polite, the prison is tidy, they express themselves so cultured, they are aware of their (un)actions, and by the end, you actually feel a sense of pity that they are where they are.

Cityboy
Pretentious garbage, though I have to admit I'm a little jealous of how much cash this guy raked in by the time he hit 30. 😁

Another Perfect World
Such an interesting topic (virtual communities like World of Warcraft and utopian online lives), but I ended up falling asleep halfway through (😁). I woke up just in time for the part where they mention that in Korea, having a virtual avatar in a community like that is a status symbol, and there are even academies where talented kids go to school in the morning and spend their afternoons training their fingers to be "faster than the speed of light" so they can take down more opponents 🙏

Honestly, I’m pretty disappointed they moved the festival over to Movieplex. Even though the technical setup at the Student Union wasn't exactly top-tier, it had actual soul, and I didn't notice any weird smells in the hall (?!). The vibe here is anything but festive. And I honestly have no clue what Puhovski is talking about regarding those "60-year-olds"—whenever I go to these festivals, I only ever see the younger crowd who, just like me, doesn't care whether they're sitting on the floor or in a fancy chair. One big 👎

Honestly, I'm pretty bummed they moved the festival to Movieplex. Even though the technical setup at the Student Union wasn't exactly top-tier, it actually had soul... and I didn't even notice if the room smelled or not (?!). The vibe here is totally lacking that festival feel. And I have no clue what this talk about Puhovski's 60 years is all about... whenever I'm at these things, it's always just the younger crowd. Like me, we don't really care if we're sitting on the floor or in some fancy chair. Just one big 👎
Totally agree, it's basically the same group of people every year. They can't seriously think the folks just showing up for a photo op are the ones keeping the whole festival alive!

Look, you have to admit, it would be incredibly awkward if Severina walked around in her Chanel costumes through some smelly hall where some college kid might accidentally spill beer on her 😲 😁

Susan Clark10 said:Look, you have to admit, it would be incredibly awkward if Severina walked around in her Chanel costumes through some smelly hall where some college kid might accidentally spill beer on her 😲 😁

Or maybe I'm just burning up!

I don't buy the idea that there aren't older folks attending. In fact, you definitely see some gray hair in the crowd. Just tonight, I saw a couple in their 70s sitting in line, and honestly, people in their 60s don't even look that old yet. My guess is they took some notes from this year's setup and will tighten up the organization next year. I checked out all the venues except for one, and I think they’re plenty big enough. Let's hope for better next time.

Guys, Chicago is at Movieplex for the very first time. And of course, they’re part of this deal and are regular employees of Movieplex. This isn't exactly common practice for them, nor is it typical for the "old guard" of Chicago. So, calling the organization "a disaster" feels like a bit of an exaggeration to me, if I'm being honest.

And Michelle Gonzalez makes some really good points.

Aside from Susan Clark10, nobody is saying a single word about the films. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if someone actually bothered to drop a comment or two, for heaven's sake.

northerncrane4 said:Let him stay away. Nenad Puhovski is an untalented piece of trash who’s been profiting off other people's work—mostly students—for years. The fees he pays young film enthusiasts are disgraceful, especially when you look at how much of the allocated film funding he pockets for himself. Downtown is a decent enough spot for his little festival. I honestly hope they move it further east next time—straight into the Cathedral—and call it a day. 👍

Regardless of what one thinks about Puhovski, calling someone an "untalented piece of trash" is, at the very least, uncivilized—especially when hiding behind a screen name. Aside from that, northerncrane4 is a frequent moderator of film topics here, so I think he should refrain from using such epithets regardless of the target. I remember having a post removed once for a far more benign remark about a director's film because it wasn't deemed "appropriate." While northerncrane4 often contributes interesting and lucid perspectives, this particular post doesn't do him any favors...

Patrick Garcia76 said:Regardless of what one thinks about Puhovski, calling someone an "untalented piece of trash" is, at the very least, uncivilized—especially when hiding behind a screen name. Aside from that, northerncrane4 is a frequent moderator of film topics here, so I think he should refrain from using such epithets regardless of the target. I remember having a post removed once for a far more benign remark about a director's film because it wasn't deemed "appropriate." While northerncrane4 often contributes interesting and lucid perspectives, this particular post doesn't do him any favors...

Spare me the lecture about hiding behind a handle. 🤣

First off—secondly, calling Nenad Puhovski an "untalented piece of shit" based on personal bias is as redundant as saying a pop star is a pop star. If anyone wants proof that Nenad Puhovski is an untalented documentary filmmaker, they only need to sit through five minutes of his semi-amateurish work—stuff that leans heavily on the kind of primitive manipulation totally inappropriate for the documentary genre. The "piece of shit" label might be debatable if Puhovski didn't constantly brand himself as a total bullshitter.

Nenad Puhovski is nothing more than an insecure, narcissistic hack—a liar, a manipulator, and a parasite. He’s the kind of "mentor" who stands at a Chicago screening for his students and announces a film will run thirty minutes, only to respond with "Even better!" when the filmmaker corrects him that it's actually twenty. Even better? EVEN BETTER? It's pathetic.

Jamie Davis9 said:Aside from Susan Clark10, nobody is saying a single word about the films. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if someone actually bothered to drop a comment or two, for heaven's sake.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), you could tell from the very first post in this thread that we weren't actually going to talk much about the films themselves. I happen to agree with Nenad Puhovski’s whole "thinking about thinking" philosophy: moving the festival over to Movieplex turned out to be a brilliant move by the organizers, because if it hadn't worked, the crowd would have let them know by staying home. It really helped give the festival its own distinct identity. But the movies? Honestly, seeing the big award for the Chinese film 'Zalba' go to the international competition didn't sit well with me at all, and the special recognition for 'Last Train' was even harder to swallow. I didn't even manage to catch Peter Schreiner's 'Toto' (which took the regional award), and I ended up walking out halfway through Milica Djenic's 'Guilty' (the other regional winner) feeling pretty irritated. None of my personal favorites even stood a chance. So, what now—am I supposed to just pin all this "injustice" on Puhovski? 😁 I honestly think the biggest oversight by the organizers was leaving that out of the program entirely. Capitalism: A Love StoryHonestly, I couldn't care less about the lack of funding; if they were that broke, they should have just bowed down to Mudrinica and begged for some pathetic screening fee. Besides, the guest list for the premiere of Darak Drinovac's little project was certainly... distinguished, to say the least. When I finally undergo my metamorphosis into Severina... Honestly, someone really should have just handed them some cheap beer and kicked them out of there. What even was that? 😕 Using that same logic, they could have easily aired those legendary political ads Zrinka Ogreste made for the Republican Party—though I'm sure Maloca would just spin it to say the party in power never actually cut them a check for the work.

ruggedjackal46 said:From what I gather, the Student Union has been teetering on the edge of bankruptcy lately, so it probably helped Puhovski out to have the documentary festival hosted there. But honestly, man—just come out and say, "I moved the festival there because it makes more financial sense for me," instead of all this vague nonsense about how the Student Union smells while trying to act all high and mighty.

If the KC goes bankrupt, that basically means Zaba is going down with the ship too. 🤷 Maybe it’s just the bankruptcy of Movieplex regarding that Continental film lease, but I don't think they're even the same thing. And honestly, let's not act like they're incompetent; the Student Union doesn't even have air conditioning, which is pretty much unacceptable for any film festival. At this rate, Maticev is going to end up moving the Venice Film Festival out of those spaces entirely, and who knows where they'll land? 😁We all have that sentimental attachment to the Student Union, I guess, but let's be real—the actual reality of the place is something else entirely.

Patrick Garcia76 said:Regardless of what one thinks about Puhovski, calling someone an "untalented piece of trash" is, at the very least, uncivilized—especially when hiding behind a screen name. Aside from that, northerncrane4 is a frequent moderator of film topics here, so I think he should refrain from using such epithets regardless of the target. I remember having a post removed once for a far more benign remark about a director's film because it wasn't deemed "appropriate." While northerncrane4 often contributes interesting and lucid perspectives, this particular post doesn't do him any favors...

Well, hey, it's not like we're living in China. 🤷 To each their own, I suppose. Personally, I’m more than happy to take the heat here for my views on the specific types of people who have spent years systematically poisoning every branch of American cinema (and no, my own little corner of the internet isn't exempt from that critique). However, this is actually my first time hearing about Puhovski. Isn't that charming old man the one who founded Factum back in 1997? It turned into the biggest and most influential independent documentary production house in the States pretty quickly. Then, in 2004, he launched Chicago, an international festival that managed to become the most important documentary event in the entire region in a remarkably short amount of time. He even started running a documentary studies program at the University of Southern California a couple of years ago—though honestly, that last part feels a bit silly, since any hack can teach at USC these days. Still, you have to give him credit for something: the guy has been systematically getting screwed over and ignored by the entire "cultural" mafia in America (the big institutions like the National Film Board and CBS), yet he still managed to do a great job, even if we're being realistic and acknowledging it was almost entirely thanks to sponsorship from companies like AT&T.

Nenad Puhovski is just an untalented piece of trash who’s spent years milking other people's hard work, mostly just profiting off student filmmakers.

What kind of talent? Student talent? Please. The last talented student to actually show any promise in this decaying wasteland was Goran Dukic, and honestly, he’s been the only one since. ☕

It’s honestly a joke how little they pay young film enthusiasts, especially when you consider the massive chunk of the film budget that these organizations just pocket for themselves.

What exactly is he keeping to himself, and more importantly, what's the motive behind the secrecy? 🤔 While the National Film Board pours millions into feature films, the biggest chunk they handed out to a single documentary last year was barely anything. 120 thousand dollarsIf he actually manages to pull off filming something with that kind of budget—which could easily cover a solid 20-minute short—while still walking away with a decent chunk of change for himself, we should probably just skip the formalities and hand him a Nobel Prize in Economics right now. 😁 I mean, honestly, don't all the other directors and producers deserve to get paid too? And let’s be real, some of them have been using state funds to pick up houses, apartments, and luxury cars, so why should they be any different? Why exactly are they being left out of the loop? And who are these supposed "young film enthusiasts" that Nenad Puhovski is supposedly shortchanging? If they're feeling bold, they should step up and convince us that Puhovski is actually as terrible as everyone says he is.

Downtown is actually a pretty decent spot for his little festival. I’m honestly hoping that down the road they move things just a bit further east, right into the heart of the Cathedral—if they pull that off, then it's officially game over.

It’s not really his little solo show, and honestly, I’d like to believe Nenad Puhovski isn't actually the devil incarnate. At least, that's my hope. Last year, Chicago pulled in about 23,000 viewers, earned recognition from the European Documentary Network, and even made the cut as one of the ten most significant cultural events of the last decade. Forget the awards; what matters is that people actually show up for it. And this year, that momentum just keeps rolling...

How is that even possible?

Sources:
Puhovski: Awards and Public Trust
We have the only documentary festival in the region, and it’s going to collapse because of local politics

Christian Taylor3 said:Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), you could tell from the very first post in this thread that we weren't actually going to talk much about the films themselves. I happen to agree with Nenad Puhovski’s whole "thinking about thinking" philosophy: moving the festival over to Movieplex turned out to be a brilliant move by the organizers, because if it hadn't worked, the crowd would have let them know by staying home. It really helped give the festival its own distinct identity. But the movies? Honestly, seeing the big award for the Chinese film 'Zalba' go to the international competition didn't sit well with me at all, and the special recognition for 'Last Train' was even harder to swallow. I didn't even manage to catch Peter Schreiner's 'Toto' (which took the regional award), and I ended up walking out halfway through Milica Djenic's 'Guilty' (the other regional winner) feeling pretty irritated. None of my personal favorites even stood a chance. So, what now—am I supposed to just pin all this "injustice" on Puhovski? 😁 I honestly think the biggest oversight by the organizers was leaving that out of the program entirely. Capitalism: A Love StoryHonestly, I couldn't care less about the lack of funding; if they were that broke, they should have just bowed down to Mudrinica and begged for some pathetic screening fee. Besides, the guest list for the premiere of Darak Drinovac's little project was certainly... distinguished, to say the least. When I finally undergo my metamorphosis into Severina... Honestly, someone really should have just handed them some cheap beer and kicked them out of there. What even was that? 😕 Using that same logic, they could have easily aired those legendary political ads Zrinka Ogreste made for the Republican Party—though I'm sure Maloca would just spin it to say the party in power never actually cut them a check for the work.

If the KC goes bankrupt, that basically means Zaba is going down with the ship too. 🤷 Maybe it’s just the bankruptcy of Movieplex regarding that Continental film lease, but I don't think they're even the same thing. And honestly, let's not act like they're incompetent; the Student Union doesn't even have air conditioning, which is pretty much unacceptable for any film festival. At this rate, Maticev is going to end up moving the Venice Film Festival out of those spaces entirely, and who knows where they'll land? 😁We all have that sentimental attachment to the Student Union, I guess, but let's be real—the actual reality of the place is something else entirely.

Well, hey, it's not like we're living in China. 🤷 To each their own, I suppose. Personally, I’m more than happy to take the heat here for my views on the specific types of people who have spent years systematically poisoning every branch of American cinema (and no, my own little corner of the internet isn't exempt from that critique). However, this is actually my first time hearing about Puhovski. Isn't that charming old man the one who founded Factum back in 1997? It turned into the biggest and most influential independent documentary production house in the States pretty quickly. Then, in 2004, he launched Chicago, an international festival that managed to become the most important documentary event in the entire region in a remarkably short amount of time. He even started running a documentary studies program at the University of Southern California a couple of years ago—though honestly, that last part feels a bit silly, since any hack can teach at USC these days. Still, you have to give him credit for something: the guy has been systematically getting screwed over and ignored by the entire "cultural" mafia in America (the big institutions like the National Film Board and CBS), yet he still managed to do a great job, even if we're being realistic and acknowledging it was almost entirely thanks to sponsorship from companies like AT&T.

Nenad Puhovski is just an untalented piece of trash who’s spent years milking other people's hard work, mostly just profiting off student filmmakers.

What kind of talent? Student talent? Please. The last talented student to actually show any promise in this decaying wasteland was Goran Dukic, and honestly, he’s been the only one since. ☕

It’s honestly a joke how little they pay young film enthusiasts, especially when you consider the massive chunk of the film budget that these organizations just pocket for themselves.

What exactly is he keeping to himself, and more importantly, what's the motive behind the secrecy? 🤔 While the National Film Board pours millions into feature films, the biggest chunk they handed out to a single documentary last year was barely anything. 120 thousand dollarsIf he actually manages to pull off filming something with that kind of budget—which could easily cover a solid 20-minute short—while still walking away with a decent chunk of change for himself, we should probably just skip the formalities and hand him a Nobel Prize in Economics right now. 😁 I mean, honestly, don't all the other directors and producers deserve to get paid too? And let’s be real, some of them have been using state funds to pick up houses, apartments, and luxury cars, so why should they be any different? Why exactly are they being left out of the loop? And who are these supposed "young film enthusiasts" that Nenad Puhovski is supposedly shortchanging? If they're feeling bold, they should step up and convince us that Puhovski is actually as terrible as everyone says he is.

Downtown is actually a pretty decent spot for his little festival. I’m honestly hoping that down the road they move things just a bit further east, right into the heart of the Cathedral—if they pull that off, then it's officially game over.

It’s not really his little solo show, and honestly, I’d like to believe Nenad Puhovski isn't actually the devil incarnate. At least, that's my hope. Last year, Chicago pulled in about 23,000 viewers, earned recognition from the European Documentary Network, and even made the cut as one of the ten most significant cultural events of the last decade. Forget the awards; what matters is that people actually show up for it. And this year, that momentum just keeps rolling...

How is that even possible?

Sources:
Puhovski: Awards and Public Trust
We have the only documentary festival in the region, and it’s going to collapse because of local politics

Man, you really went off there! 😁

however, thanks for sharing this anyway.

A little more about the films 😛

google baby
A fascinating look at the egg trade and surrogate mothers—a gay couple from Israel wants a child and orders eggs from a donor in the US, then flies those frozen eggs to India where they are implanted into surrogates at a private clinic. These impoverished Indian women readily accept the role because for $5,000, which is what they receive, they can build a house or put a kid through school. Once the Indian husbands realize this is easy money, they encourage their wives to become surrogates multiple times. The clinic where this happens is probably better than most clinics in India, though by certain Western standards, the hygiene and professionalism seem questionable (I didn't see anywhere that a woman is allowed to wear rings or nail polish during childbirth 😲). The Israeli man who gets a child this way realizes it's a great way to make a buck and starts an entire business operating between Israel, the US, and India.
What I found most interesting wasn't the gay couples or the wealthy socialites trying to have kids, nor even the poor Indian women surviving on the cash, but rather the story regarding egg donation. In America, there are websites with databases where you can browse through a catalog to find the specific donor you want—blonde, brunette, Asian, Jewish... but this egg donation isn't without its dark side, as women undergo injections to "halt" their natural reproductive cycle to prevent ovulation. Half of China was horrified by the reason why one American family agreed to let a woman be a donor for the third time—it turns out they invest their money in weapons 😬. There's a brilliant scene where a whole redneck family stands on their porch showing off their rifles, and a five-year-old grabs her little gun and says, "I started shooting when I was four" 😁. After seeing that, the stuff with the Indian surrogates didn't seem quite so bad 😬

Why We Buy: The Secrets of Consumer Attraction
...essentially, how far people will go when they're bored with life and have extra cash to burn. A hotel in Berlin hires a scent expert to design a seductive signature fragrance; some folks in the Netherlands install cameras in a corporate cafeteria to track for ten years whether changes in lighting or colorful chair cushions affect what people eat; and some guy in Germany started a company that tries to find the most "acceptable" vacuum cleaner sound—I learned that this branch of psychology/marketing/whatever you call it is called psychoacoustics 😁

My Beautiful Dacia
A charming little film that follows the history of the Dacia car as a way to trace Romanian history from the Ceausescu era to today. It might be a bit long, and I'm not the biggest fan of Romanian cinema (though I can't actually remember watching one that was bad), especially ones like this that include footage from the revolution era that I only vaguely remember seeing on TV (my mom used to forbid me from watching 😁). It features a special guest appearance by Miodrag Belodedici, whom older folks remember as a star soccer player for Steaua and Red Star.

Bajaga
A chronological story about Bajaga, accompanied by music videos and VHS Editor clips from old concerts. It's decent, but it doesn't really have a "wow" factor. Still, it was the only film that stood out somewhat in this year's incredibly uninteresting selection of music documentaries.

As always, I'm bummed I didn't get to see more movies. Honestly, I'd almost prefer if there were fewer films, but with more screening times. I really wanted to see "Videocracy" (the one about Berlusconi), and I missed Irena Škorić's "Fate Number 13," which won the Audience Award, but hopefully they’ll show it again during the American Film Festival.

I feel just as bad about "Capitalism: A Love Story" not being screened, but also regarding this

Christian Taylor3 said:Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), you could tell from the very first post in this thread that we weren't actually going to talk much about the films themselves. I happen to agree with Nenad Puhovski’s whole "thinking about thinking" philosophy: moving the festival over to Movieplex turned out to be a brilliant move by the organizers, because if it hadn't worked, the crowd would have let them know by staying home. It really helped give the festival its own distinct identity. But the movies? Honestly, seeing the big award for the Chinese film 'Zalba' go to the international competition didn't sit well with me at all, and the special recognition for 'Last Train' was even harder to swallow. I didn't even manage to catch Peter Schreiner's 'Toto' (which took the regional award), and I ended up walking out halfway through Milica Djenic's 'Guilty' (the other regional winner) feeling pretty irritated. None of my personal favorites even stood a chance. So, what now—am I supposed to just pin all this "injustice" on Puhovski? 😁 I honestly think the biggest oversight by the organizers was leaving that out of the program entirely. Capitalism: A Love StoryHonestly, I couldn't care less about the lack of funding; if they were that broke, they should have just bowed down to Mudrinica and begged for some pathetic screening fee. Besides, the guest list for the premiere of Darak Drinovac's little project was certainly... distinguished, to say the least. When I finally undergo my metamorphosis into Severina... Honestly, someone really should have just handed them some cheap beer and kicked them out of there. What even was that? 😕 Using that same logic, they could have easily aired those legendary political ads Zrinka Ogreste made for the Republican Party—though I'm sure Maloca would just spin it to say the party in power never actually cut them a check for the work.

If the KC goes bankrupt, that basically means Zaba is going down with the ship too. 🤷 Maybe it’s just the bankruptcy of Movieplex regarding that Continental film lease, but I don't think they're even the same thing. And honestly, let's not act like they're incompetent; the Student Union doesn't even have air conditioning, which is pretty much unacceptable for any film festival. At this rate, Maticev is going to end up moving the Venice Film Festival out of those spaces entirely, and who knows where they'll land? 😁We all have that sentimental attachment to the Student Union, I guess, but let's be real—the actual reality of the place is something else entirely.

Well, hey, it's not like we're living in China. 🤷 To each their own, I suppose. Personally, I’m more than happy to take the heat here for my views on the specific types of people who have spent years systematically poisoning every branch of American cinema (and no, my own little corner of the internet isn't exempt from that critique). However, this is actually my first time hearing about Puhovski. Isn't that charming old man the one who founded Factum back in 1997? It turned into the biggest and most influential independent documentary production house in the States pretty quickly. Then, in 2004, he launched Chicago, an international festival that managed to become the most important documentary event in the entire region in a remarkably short amount of time. He even started running a documentary studies program at the University of Southern California a couple of years ago—though honestly, that last part feels a bit silly, since any hack can teach at USC these days. Still, you have to give him credit for something: the guy has been systematically getting screwed over and ignored by the entire "cultural" mafia in America (the big institutions like the National Film Board and CBS), yet he still managed to do a great job, even if we're being realistic and acknowledging it was almost entirely thanks to sponsorship from companies like AT&T.

Nenad Puhovski is just an untalented piece of trash who’s spent years milking other people's hard work, mostly just profiting off student filmmakers.

What kind of talent? Student talent? Please. The last talented student to actually show any promise in this decaying wasteland was Goran Dukic, and honestly, he’s been the only one since. ☕

It’s honestly a joke how little they pay young film enthusiasts, especially when you consider the massive chunk of the film budget that these organizations just pocket for themselves.

What exactly is he keeping to himself, and more importantly, what's the motive behind the secrecy? 🤔 While the National Film Board pours millions into feature films, the biggest chunk they handed out to a single documentary last year was barely anything. 120 thousand dollarsIf he actually manages to pull off filming something with that kind of budget—which could easily cover a solid 20-minute short—while still walking away with a decent chunk of change for himself, we should probably just skip the formalities and hand him a Nobel Prize in Economics right now. 😁 I mean, honestly, don't all the other directors and producers deserve to get paid too? And let’s be real, some of them have been using state funds to pick up houses, apartments, and luxury cars, so why should they be any different? Why exactly are they being left out of the loop? And who are these supposed "young film enthusiasts" that Nenad Puhovski is supposedly shortchanging? If they're feeling bold, they should step up and convince us that Puhovski is actually as terrible as everyone says he is.

Downtown is actually a pretty decent spot for his little festival. I’m honestly hoping that down the road they move things just a bit further east, right into the heart of the Cathedral—if they pull that off, then it's officially game over.

It’s not really his little solo show, and honestly, I’d like to believe Nenad Puhovski isn't actually the devil incarnate. At least, that's my hope. Last year, Chicago pulled in about 23,000 viewers, earned recognition from the European Documentary Network, and even made the cut as one of the ten most significant cultural events of the last decade. Forget the awards; what matters is that people actually show up for it. And this year, that momentum just keeps rolling...

How is that even possible?

Sources:
Puhovski: Awards and Public Trust
We have the only documentary festival in the region, and it’s going to collapse because of local politics

I'm glad I'm not the only one—though personally, I stayed until the end, mostly because I was hoping to grill the director with a few questions, but she never showed up 😁. I've already described that film earlier, and I truly cannot believe something like that received a special jury award 😲 based on this reasoning:

The film ‘Guilty’ demonstrates how, even with modest production values, a strong lead performance and a solid structure can create a film that, despite its simplicity, speaks clearly, directly, and loudly about the issue of addiction, without letting that problem overshadow the story of one young woman's search for identity.

Honestly, I'm disgusted. I have to wonder what their criteria even are. I haven't seen every single film in the regional competition, but every one I did catch was better than this 👎.

When it comes to the films, the winners caught me a bit off guard, but honestly, my taste doesn't always have to align with Zirij's, so it doesn't really matter to me who walked away with the awards. That said, I'm genuinely happy to see local documentaries take home the Audience Award. It feels like a sign that our work isn't actually that bad.

And let’s be real, there's a limit to how far festivals can push things when it comes to screening fees. Regardless of who the sponsors are.

@Susan Clark10 👍
Well, that’s exactly what I’m asking you!

If it had actually been feasible, I would have loved to experience the Sundance Film Festival in person myself.

Christian Taylor3 said:Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), you could tell from the very first post in this thread that we weren't actually going to talk much about the films themselves. I happen to agree with Nenad Puhovski’s whole "thinking about thinking" philosophy: moving the festival over to Movieplex turned out to be a brilliant move by the organizers, because if it hadn't worked, the crowd would have let them know by staying home. It really helped give the festival its own distinct identity. But the movies? Honestly, seeing the big award for the Chinese film 'Zalba' go to the international competition didn't sit well with me at all, and the special recognition for 'Last Train' was even harder to swallow. I didn't even manage to catch Peter Schreiner's 'Toto' (which took the regional award), and I ended up walking out halfway through Milica Djenic's 'Guilty' (the other regional winner) feeling pretty irritated. None of my personal favorites even stood a chance. So, what now—am I supposed to just pin all this "injustice" on Puhovski? 😁 I honestly think the biggest oversight by the organizers was leaving that out of the program entirely. Capitalism: A Love StoryHonestly, I couldn't care less about the lack of funding; if they were that broke, they should have just bowed down to Mudrinica and begged for some pathetic screening fee. Besides, the guest list for the premiere of Darak Drinovac's little project was certainly... distinguished, to say the least. When I finally undergo my metamorphosis into Severina... Honestly, someone really should have just handed them some cheap beer and kicked them out of there. What even was that? 😕 Using that same logic, they could have easily aired those legendary political ads Zrinka Ogreste made for the Republican Party—though I'm sure Maloca would just spin it to say the party in power never actually cut them a check for the work.

If the KC goes bankrupt, that basically means Zaba is going down with the ship too. 🤷 Maybe it’s just the bankruptcy of Movieplex regarding that Continental film lease, but I don't think they're even the same thing. And honestly, let's not act like they're incompetent; the Student Union doesn't even have air conditioning, which is pretty much unacceptable for any film festival. At this rate, Maticev is going to end up moving the Venice Film Festival out of those spaces entirely, and who knows where they'll land? 😁We all have that sentimental attachment to the Student Union, I guess, but let's be real—the actual reality of the place is something else entirely.

Well, hey, it's not like we're living in China. 🤷 To each their own, I suppose. Personally, I’m more than happy to take the heat here for my views on the specific types of people who have spent years systematically poisoning every branch of American cinema (and no, my own little corner of the internet isn't exempt from that critique). However, this is actually my first time hearing about Puhovski. Isn't that charming old man the one who founded Factum back in 1997? It turned into the biggest and most influential independent documentary production house in the States pretty quickly. Then, in 2004, he launched Chicago, an international festival that managed to become the most important documentary event in the entire region in a remarkably short amount of time. He even started running a documentary studies program at the University of Southern California a couple of years ago—though honestly, that last part feels a bit silly, since any hack can teach at USC these days. Still, you have to give him credit for something: the guy has been systematically getting screwed over and ignored by the entire "cultural" mafia in America (the big institutions like the National Film Board and CBS), yet he still managed to do a great job, even if we're being realistic and acknowledging it was almost entirely thanks to sponsorship from companies like AT&T.

Nenad Puhovski is just an untalented piece of trash who’s spent years milking other people's hard work, mostly just profiting off student filmmakers.

What kind of talent? Student talent? Please. The last talented student to actually show any promise in this decaying wasteland was Goran Dukic, and honestly, he’s been the only one since. ☕

It’s honestly a joke how little they pay young film enthusiasts, especially when you consider the massive chunk of the film budget that these organizations just pocket for themselves.

What exactly is he keeping to himself, and more importantly, what's the motive behind the secrecy? 🤔 While the National Film Board pours millions into feature films, the biggest chunk they handed out to a single documentary last year was barely anything. 120 thousand dollarsIf he actually manages to pull off filming something with that kind of budget—which could easily cover a solid 20-minute short—while still walking away with a decent chunk of change for himself, we should probably just skip the formalities and hand him a Nobel Prize in Economics right now. 😁 I mean, honestly, don't all the other directors and producers deserve to get paid too? And let’s be real, some of them have been using state funds to pick up houses, apartments, and luxury cars, so why should they be any different? Why exactly are they being left out of the loop? And who are these supposed "young film enthusiasts" that Nenad Puhovski is supposedly shortchanging? If they're feeling bold, they should step up and convince us that Puhovski is actually as terrible as everyone says he is.

Downtown is actually a pretty decent spot for his little festival. I’m honestly hoping that down the road they move things just a bit further east, right into the heart of the Cathedral—if they pull that off, then it's officially game over.

It’s not really his little solo show, and honestly, I’d like to believe Nenad Puhovski isn't actually the devil incarnate. At least, that's my hope. Last year, Chicago pulled in about 23,000 viewers, earned recognition from the European Documentary Network, and even made the cut as one of the ten most significant cultural events of the last decade. Forget the awards; what matters is that people actually show up for it. And this year, that momentum just keeps rolling...

How is that even possible?

Sources:
Puhovski: Awards and Public Trust
We have the only documentary festival in the region, and it’s going to collapse because of local politics

Oh sure, I'm the big illusion, clearly. As if Nenad Puhovski is constantly being "screwed over." Give me specifics. Factum's docs regularly win grants—from the Department, then the National Endowment for the Arts, now the City of New York—hell, remember that little scandal where a certain documentary project was rejected by the Department, only to be accepted once it fell under the Factum umbrella? Furthermore, PBS's attitude toward Factum isn't any different from how NBC treats any other domestic production house. And honestly, his way of treating colleagues and students isn't much different either. So, the only people who could actually pity him are those who don't know him.

Whatever. I'm just talking nonsense here—Nenad Puhovski is clearly the benevolent grandfather in denim, and to anyone whose life or career hasn't crossed his path, I wish them that experience as soon as possible. 👍

Christian Taylor3 said:What talent? Student talent??? The last talented student to emerge from this rotting dump was Goran Dukic, and that was it.☕

At Sundance, I watched two very solid docs by current documentary students: "The Monk" (actually excellent) and "Benjamin" (good, even if the subject matter is a bit pretentious). Who knows how many more potential talents are being crushed in the university's production grinder.🤷

Christian Taylor3 said:Besides, don't all the other directors and producers (some of whom used state money to buy houses, apartments, and cars) have a right to a fee?

Yeah, that's a great question for the boss of Factum—exactly how much of a fee are these directors entitled to.

Christian Taylor3 said:It isn't really his little festival—and honestly, I'd like to believe Nenad Puhovski isn't quite that much of a Satan. Sundance Film Festival saw about 23,000 attendees last year, earned recognition from the European Documentary Network, and was even ranked among the top ten cultural events of the last decade. Forget the awards; the people have embraced it. And this year, that momentum is just continuing...

How is that even possible?

That’s about as possible as a massive Lakers-Celtics rivalry always selling out the arena—no matter how terrible the actual game is.

northerncrane4 said:Oh sure, I'm the big illusion, clearly. As if Nenad Puhovski is constantly being "screwed over." Give me specifics. Factum's docs regularly win grants—from the Department, then the National Endowment for the Arts, now the City of New York—hell, remember that little scandal where a certain documentary project was rejected by the Department, only to be accepted once it fell under the Factum umbrella? Furthermore, PBS's attitude toward Factum isn't any different from how NBC treats any other domestic production house. And honestly, his way of treating colleagues and students isn't much different either. So, the only people who could actually pity him are those who don't know him.

Whatever. I'm just talking nonsense here—Nenad Puhovski is clearly the benevolent grandfather in denim, and to anyone whose life or career hasn't crossed his path, I wish them that experience as soon as possible. 👍

At Sundance, I watched two very solid docs by current documentary students: "The Monk" (actually excellent) and "Benjamin" (good, even if the subject matter is a bit pretentious). Who knows how many more potential talents are being crushed in the university's production grinder.🤷

Yeah, that's a great question for the boss of Factum—exactly how much of a fee are these directors entitled to.

That’s about as possible as a massive Lakers-Celtics rivalry always selling out the arena—no matter how terrible the actual game is.

At the end of the day—or the festival—only one thing really matters:

Sundance Film Festival: Packed houses and over 25,000 viewers

Despite Skepticism, moving the Sundance Film Festival to Movieplex turned out to be a smart move. Aside from today's winners' showcase, the documentaries drew 25,000 visitors over six days, setting a new record for the festival and an absolute milestone for the multiplex. The awards have been handed out, with the new State of Affairs program tackling the crisis of liberal capitalism drawing particular interest; meanwhile, two local films, Irena Škorić's Fate Number 13 and Miroslav Mikuljan's Man with a Milky Way, split the audience award. The risk paid off, and the crowds embraced the new venue, according to festival director Nenad Puhovski.

Mind you, comparing this to those massive Lakers-Celtics games is a stretch—every 'matchup' at Sundance was equally well attended. In fact, they even broke last year's record. 🤷Quality? Well, supposedly the quality remains high enough (certainly enough for AT&T; they aren't crazy enough to walk away from a project like this).

But whatever. I'm just talking nonsense here; Nenad Puhovski is basically a benevolent grandpa in a denim jacket, and to anyone whose life or career hasn't crossed paths with him yet, I truly wish them that experience as soon as possible.

I don't actually know much about Puhovski (still waiting to hear from those highly aggrieved film enthusiasts), but that's hardly a reason not to believe you—it just means I'm not qualified to weigh in any further on the matter.

Yeah, that's a great question for the boss at Factum—just how much should directors actually be getting paid?

I mean, on a budget of maybe $10,000, if that thin little financial structure—along with whatever scraps come from the local Department of Culture—could somehow bump up to $15,000, who would actually be happy with the fees on these projects? And I'll ask again, since you're the pro here: does the producer get a fair cut too? 🤷