The independent filmmaker’s life is the life of a starving artist. Maxing out credit cards, bargaining for permits and convincing actors to work for free are often only stepping stones to bigger and better things.
But for Justin Lin and many other UCLA students past and present, independent filmmaking is a privilege.
“It’s definitely a privilege to make independent films,” said the writer-director, who received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in film from UCLA. “With a studio movie, they work from the marketing and all the way back down. With an independent film, it’s all from an idea. In the studio system, the currency is money. In independent films, you use the currency of passion.”
In 2002, Lin’s directorial-debut and cinematic-brainchild “Better Luck Tomorrow” was admitted among thousands of entries to the preeminent independent film marketplace ““ the Sundance Film Festival. After MTV Films picked up the movie for distribution ““ an even more selective feat than admittance to the festival itself ““ “Better Luck Tomorrow” was released to wide critical and popular acclaim. And a career was launched.
“”˜Better Luck Tomorrow’ was one of those once-in-a-lifetime chances you take. I was in six-figure debt. I had 10 credit cards,” Lin said. “But if I was going to go down, I was going to go down with that movie.”
Five years later, having directed the studio movies “Annapolis” and “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” in between, Lin is returning to Park City, Utah ““ Sundance’s famous ski-resort locale ““ with a new passion-driven film called “Finishing the Game.”
He’ll be joining dozens of other festival-accepted Bruins.
Last year, eight films involving Bruin students and alumni were accepted to the festival, most notably the independent hit of 2006 “Little Miss Sunshine.” The film has since been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. The film’s directors, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, both studied at UCLA as undergraduates.
Despite an increasing number of submissions ““ more this year than ever before ““ the 2007 Sundance Film Festival saw an unprecedented 20 films involving UCLA filmmakers accepted to the festival program.
This year’s festival, which began on Jan. 18 and runs through Sunday, received over 3,000 feature-film submissions, over 1,800 of which were American. Only 122 films were selected. Meanwhile, 71 short films were selected from around the world out of 4,445 entries.
“The number of submissions has grown because we’ve democratized the way we make movies. Films can be made by just about anybody because of the technological revolution. Nothing prevents you from sending user-generated films, shorts or documentaries to Sundance,” said Barbara Boyle, chair of the UCLA Department of Film, Television and Digital Media. “But that’s different from being an artist.”
Though the submissions to Sundance rise every year, UCLA has maintained a powerful presence at the festival.
Recent 2005 UCLA graduate Zack Godshall’s “Low and Behold,” is gaining much attention as the story of a claims adjuster in post-Katrina New Orleans.
“People seem to appreciate the fact that we actually made this movie. (Katrina) is a pretty important event, and there are plenty of stories to be told in that city,” Godshall said, noting that the film has already been screened and will screen again before the festival ends.
“Sundance has been great for exposure. Hundreds of people have seen the movie, and hundreds more will (in the future),” he said.
Additionally, among the features and shorts accepted, two documentaries, a growing field for Sundance, were accepted into competition. UCLA alumnus Marco Williams produced and directed “Banished: How Whites Drove Blacks Out of Town in America,” an exploration of U.S. cities that forced black families to flee in post-reconstruction America.
And Bruin alumna Lisa Wiegand was the cinematographer for “Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade,” a discussion with 1982’s video game world champions.
Alumnus and writer-director Alexander Payne (“Sideways,” “Election”) made a turn as a producer this year with two films ““ “King of California” and “The Savages,” the first of which was written and directed by former Bruin Mike Cahill.
“Because UCLA is more involved with artists and quality projects, we have maintained our presence at Sundance,” Boyle said.
Lin’s “Finishing the Game” involved the talents of several UCLA filmmakers, including Lin’s cowriter and classmate Josh Diamond, who served as first assistant director on “Better Luck Tomorrow.” Though Lin left UCLA long ago ““ and has proven his talents in the studio system along the way ““ he still looks back to UCLA as a melting pot for rising visionaries.
“Unfortunately, because the USC program is geared more for the industry, there are so many more Trojans (on every film set). So when a Bruin gets in a power position ““ especially after they lose to us ““ it’s a lot of fun. You should always have school pride,” Lin said. “I definitely feel a sense of connection to other Bruins.”
“Finishing the Game,” which also stars current UCLA student James Franco (“Spider-Man 2,” “Annapolis”), is an exploration of denial through the story of Bruce Lee’s tragic death and the legacy he left behind with the unfinished “Game of Death.”
Though Lin tried his hand, successfully, at directing studio movies, he is overwhelmingly content with his return to independent features, a mentality he owes largely to UCLA.
“What I love about UCLA is that they try to help you find your vision. At USC, it’s about how to get a movie greenlit, so it is geared more toward the studio system. Here it is more about finding and trying and falling on your ass,” he said. “However, what makes UCLA great is also its weakness. I felt like I found my voice (at UCLA), but I had no connections.”
As every major Hollywood player attends the festival, Sundance provides an imperative starting place for Bruin filmmakers.
“The vibe of Sundance and the vibe of UCLA are very similar. We certainly have an affinity with their principles of independent filmmaking and independent voices,” said Amy Adrion, a graduate student in film directing, noting that all young filmmakers have the dream of being accepted to Sundance.
“Sundance can create filmmakers,” she said.
Consequently, films accepted to Sundance, according to Godshall, often use the low-budget tactics characteristic of UCLA films.
“The UCLA experience encouraged a very do-it-yourself attitude. And that’s how we made (“˜Low and Behold’),” said Godshall. “It was very low-budget, very reminiscent of the first year in film school.”
For Bruin filmmakers, Sundance is an opportunity to put a foot in the door of Hollywood. Acceptance to Sundance is a prestigious accomplishment, one for which UCLA’s film department prepares its students, while instilling pride in their freedom of vision.
“Sundance is a pretty amazing place, because it’s a place where people’s lives change. Dreams are fulfilled. And people get crushed there too,” Lin said. “But, at the end of the day, to have that avenue to prove yourself is amazing.”