Joshua Stunkel Conquers Sundance and Lives To Tell About It

The annual Sundance Film Festival (originally created by actor Robert Redford) is held each January in Park City, Utah. It's attended by more than 45,000 people from around the world who submit their films (and watch films made by others) in a ten-day frenzy of music, lights, parties, and screenings. It's known to be the runway for new independent films to showcase themselves and get lots of media buzz and attention before they're released to the the public.

This year, Joshua Stunkel, fellow junior and film student, somehow found himself representing Columbia at the Sundance / Slam Dance Film Festival. With a team of other students (including several Columbia alum) Stunkel created a documentary about local Chicago musician Chicago Mike to be screened at Sundance/Slam dance and entered into a competition. For Stunkel, it was the opportunity of his stay at Columbia (to date). We sat down with him to find out more ...

1. We want to hear how you ended up at Sundance.
I met a student named Glen McMannis and we became friends this year. He told me about this program he had done last year called "Real Ideas Studio" where he went to Cannes Film Festival and he had a great time making a documentary. He told me they were having one at Sundance and I should apply. So, I debated it, then I procrastinated, then I finally decided to apply. They called me for a phone interview and I was so nervous. I spoke with them, and because of my recommendation from Glen, they invited me to come!

2. What was your major Sundance moment? When did you realize you were really there?
When I bought my first Sundance ticket at the ticket counter. They have a huge box office you go to for all the theaters across the town. It was my first ticket and it was for an evening with Stephen Sodebergh.

3. How did you approach Sundance/Slam Dance going in?
With the mindset that I was there to create a documentary but also with the mindset that I was there to attend and enjoy one of the greatest film festivals in all the world.

4. Tell us a bit about the program you participated in.
The program has been going on for five years. It brings filmmakers from all over the world to a film festival to create a short documentary while they're at Sundance that will be screened on the last day of the festival. There were thirty-two people divided into six groups and each group had a director, a cinematographer, and a motion graphics person. I was the cinematographer in my group - which was scary because it was the first documentary I've ever shot.

5. What was it like to work with a team to create something that would be so widely seen in such a short period of time?
Stressful. Very stressful. If the director didn't know exactly what he wanted to do, we were lost. Thankfully, an idea came to us that we could focus on, but till then, we were completely in the dark.

6. What did you learn from the experience that you will bring into the rest of your time at Columbia?
In order for a film to be good, the communication has to be good. If the communication isn't there between the people making the film, the film will not look good. Even if the director, the cinematographer, and the motion graphics people are good - it doesn't matter if the communication is off.

7. What are you working on now?
I am shooting a fun little short film this weekend and I'll be shooting a Sprint commercial coming up soon. I am also looking into shooting a higher budget independent short film at the end of this semester. This weekend, I'm working on a set that will have a helicopter and a burning barn. I'm so excited.

8. There are about 2,000 Film students at Columbia. How do you stand apart from the crowd?
There are a lot of talented people here at Columbia, and there are a lot of people who have a lot more knowledge than I do. But I stand out because I don't pretend to know everything (because I don't), and secondly, I always try to be open and interested in what's going on in the classroom. And I study my butt off.

9. Got any words for Film students who are just coming into Columbia?
Get on set. If you really want to get ahead or just learn, go to Advanced Cameras, go intern on sets, go the fifth floor, and put your name on the "will work for food" list. Make friends with juniors and seniors. Get on sets.

Stunkel's documentary was screened at the Slam Dance festival, a part of Sundance Film Festival and won an award for motion graphics.

-Luisa Cabrera
Fiction Writing