Stuff YOU Should Know
The Sundance Film Festival
This may be the time of year when Hollywood honors the best films of the previous year during the Academy Awards, but it is also the time for Independent film to roll out its newest films. The Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 16-26 in Park City, Utah, is considered one of the premiere film festivals in the world. A film festival is an organized event where filmmakers submit their films for consideration to be screened and often judged by a jury who give out awards. This year, more than 12,000 filmmakers submitted their work to Sundance, with nearly 120 making the final cut.
Hollywood veteran actor Robert Redford founded the Sundance Institute (named after his character in the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”). His vision was to provide a space and a platform to bring new voices and new ways of seeing the world using independent film. In 1981, he began a lab where writers and directors could develop projects. In 1984 he hosted the first Sundance Film Festival. This year, more than 45,000 people are expected to attend. Some of the most-talked about films are:
- “Wish I Was Here” — Zach Braff of the sitcom Scrubs directed this follow-up to his very popular 2004 movie, “Garden State.”
- “Camp X-Ray” — a Guantanamo Bay prisoner story staring “Twilight” star Kristen Stewart.
- “Boyhood” — a literal coming-of-age film where director Richard Linklater had spent a few weeks each year since 2002 shooting the story of a boy from age 6 to 18.
- “Skeleton Twins”- – a dramatic film partnering Saturday Night Live alums Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader as siblings.
Dig Deeper Director David O. Russell, who is up for an Academy Award, got his start at Sundance. Do a search of the Sundance archives and see if any you recognize the work of any filmmaker you admire.
Florida Still Divided Over Civil War Battle
Between 2011 and 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the United States Civil War. The occasion has seen many commemorations of various battles held in the states where they were originally located. February 20 will be the anniversary of the Battle of Olustee, located near St. Petersburg, Florida. But in addition to the largest Civil War re-enactment in the southeastern United States, interested parties have found themselves engaged in a current conflict over a proposed monument.
The Florida chapter of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War asked the state parks system to approve an obelisk (a stone pillar) be placed in the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park to commemorate those Union soldiers who died there. The request, however, has sparked tremendous controversy. The Confederacy were the victors of that battle and groups like the Sons of Confederate Veterans of the Civil War believe that such an act is unneccesary–that both sides are equally remembered on the current monument. The Florida Parks Service decided to open the topic up for public debate, which draw a crowd of more than 100 people. Lasting nearly three hours, the gathering grew heated as both sides presented their side. The parks department has not yet reached a decision.
What Do You Think? Follow this story as the anniversary of the Battle of Oulstee approaches. Which side do you think will be victorious? Why?
Michelle Obama Turns 50
Credit: © McGraw-Hill Education; the First Lady, Michelle Obama reached a milestone this month.
Birthdays ending in zero often call for big celebrations. This is especially true if you happen to spend one of those milestone birthdays living in the White House. On January 17, a crowd made up of celebrities (including Beyonce, John Legend, Oprah and Magic Johnson), dignitaries (including Bill and Hillary Clinton) as well as childhood friends joined the First Lady to celebrate her fiftieth birthday. The invites called for “Snacks & Sips & Dancing & Dessert.” Dancing was definitely a big item on the agenda.
The role of the First Lady is sometimes criticized because some believe presidential spouses shouldn’t have power or influence because duties are not spelled out in the Constitution. But many of them have particular causes or agendas anyway. Michelle Obama has an approval rating of 65% (currently 20 points higher than her husband). She recently addressed a group of educators to announce that education would become a major focus of her remaining years as First Lady. Her attention will coincide with the president’s goal to make the United States have the highest number of college graduates in the world by 2020.
What Do You Think? When she met with educators, the First Lady said that none of her other issues were going away. Name at least two of them and the progress she has had while in office?
Smoking Still Bad News
Also turning 50 this year is the first report issued by the U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Luther Terry, about the dangers of smoking. While this may seem commonplace today, it was the first time the government stated that smoking caused lung cancer. The announcement was so controversial that it was issued while Congress was on recess to lessen any immediate political outburst. At the time of its release in 1964, about 43 percent of adults were regular smokers. The document is said to have had a big impact on changing attitudes around the habit. The number adult smokers today have dropped to around 18 percent.
But the dangers of smoking still continue to plague us, prematurely killing more than 400,000 people every year. In a recent report, the current surgeon general, Dr. Boris D. Lushniak, expanded the list of illnesses and health consequences caused by or linked to cigarette smoking. These include impaired immune function, vision loss, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. In addition, smoking affects nearly every organ in the body. The goal of the surgeon general is to completely eliminate the use of cigarettes and tobacco altogether, ending the need for another report in 50 years.