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Sundance Spectacular: Plethora of Emersonians Involved in Festival Films

Several dozen Emersonians worked on films being screened at this year’s Sundance Film Festival that started January 23.

Notable Emersonians with films at the festival, which runs through February 2, include entertainment industry icon Norman Lear, who is the executive producer of I Carry You With Me. Actress Jennifer Coolidge is in the dark thriller Promising Young Woman.

Emerson College’s Alumni Association hosted a special conversation with alumni directors premiering new films at this year’s festival on January 24. Ramona Diaz ’83 (A Thousand Cuts,) Danny Madden ’09 (Beast Beast) and Alex Huston Fischer ’08 (Save Yourselves!were panelists, and director and Emerson Professor Maria Agui Carter moderated.

Here are photos from the event, taken by Monica Fowler:

Here is a list of many of the Emersonians who worked on films being shown at Sundance.

  • Glenn Allen ’90, Visual Effects Producer: Brainstorm Digital, Worth
  • Christopher Battaglia ’14, Sound Effects Editor, The Nowhere Inn
  • Michael Bulger ’03, Co-executive Producer, Scare Me
  • Alyssa Carrol ’13, Assistant Editor, Four Good Days
  • Julie Christeas ’99, Producer, Black Bear
  • John Clifton ’14, First Assistant Camera, La Leyenda Negra
  • Jennifer Coolidge ’85, Actor (Susan), Promising Young Woman
  • Jim Cummings ’09, Producer, Beast Beast
  • Derek Brian Demkowicz ’18, Actor (Beefy Track Kid), Dinner in America
  • Ramona Diaz ’83, Director/Screenwriter/Producer, A Thousand Cuts
  • Shaun Farley ’04, Sound Effects Editor, Come Away
  • Edward Fee ’03, Executive Producer, Worth
  • Dan Finlayson ’15, Camera Operator, Max Richter’s Sleep (short)
  • Katie Fleming ’09, Production Design, Save Yourselves!
  • Dulany Foster IV ’11, Compositor: Visual Effects, The Evening Hour; Zola
  • Amy French ’97, Actress (Elizabeth), Blocks (short)
  • Natasha Gregson Wagner ’92, Producer, Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
  • Robert Grigsby Wilson ’04, Film Editing, Little ChiefThe 40-Year-Old Version
  • Sonia Hadad, MFA ’07, Director/Screenwriter, Exam (short)
One woman touches another woman's face.
Sadaf Asgari and Hadis Miramini appear in Exam by Sonia K. Hadad, an official selection of the Shorts Programs at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Alireza Barazandeh.
  • Alex Huston Fischer ’08, Director/Writer, Save Yourselves!
  • Doulas W. Johnson ’95, Film Loader, Zola
  • Daniel Kwan ’10, Director/Screenwriter, Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia
  • Devynne Lauchner ’14, Set Decoration, Kajillionaire, Horse Girl
  • Norman Lear, ’44, Executive Producer, I Carry You With Me
  • George Loucas ’04, Visual Effects Supervisor, nine Days
  • Danny Madden ’09, Director/Screenwriter, Beast Beast
A woman and a man laugh
Shirley Chen and Jose Angeles appear in BEAST BEAST by Danny Madden, an official selection of the NEXT program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Kristian Zuniga.
  • Sunita Mani ’08, Lead Actor, Save Yourselves!
  • Cass Marks ’14, Line Producer, Come Away
  • JD Marlow ’08, Editor, Love Fraud (docuseries)
  • Tallie Medel ’08, Actor, Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia
  • Jackie Moonves ’10, Cinematographer, Max Richter’s Sleep (short)
  • Victoria Petrosky ’14, Actor (Victoria), The Glorias
  • Philip Quinaz ’04, Music Supervisor, Meats (short)
  • Sarah Reimers ’98, Additional Editor, Come Away
  • Silas Robinson ’12, Rigging Electrician, Bad Hair; Lighting Technician, Wander Darkly
  • Jaime Rogers ’14, Producer, Untitled Kirby Dick/Amy Ziering Film
  • Rachel Rosenbloom ’10, Actor (Abbie), The Nowhere Inn
  • Allison Rubinfield ’12, Set Decoration/Set Designer, The Nowhere Inn
  • Daniel Scheinert ’09, Director/Screenwriter,Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia
A woman stands on the front of a speedboat looking up to the sky.
Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia, co-directed by Daniel Scheinert, is an official selection of the NEXT program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Daniel Fernandez.
  • Ric Schnupp ’09, Sound Designer and Re-Recording Mixer, The Night House
  • Jonathan Silva ’10, Camera & Electrical Dept. “Swing”, Beast Beast
  • Emily Skeggs ’12, Lead Actor (Patty), Dinner in America
  • Jesse Smith ’99, Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Run Sweetheart Run
  • Dan Tiffany ’11, Art Department Coordinator, Promising Young Woman
  • Manolo Vargas ’15, Actor (Ernesto), Blast Beat
  • Lauri E. Vega ’93, Unit Production Manager, The Last Thing He Wanted
  • Mari Walker ’07, Film Editing, Beast Beast
  • Jake White ’16, Sound Mixer, Additional Photography, Run Sweetheart Run
  • Benjamin Wiessner ’08, Producer, Beast Beast
  • Garrett Williams ’10, Gaffer, The Nowhere Inn

If you don’t see your name here, we apologize for missing you! Please let us know by emailing alumni@emerson.edu

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