Portland, OR. Irene Taylor Brodsky is an Oscar-nominated, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker based in Portland. Her film, “Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements,” is an HBO film that will premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 27th. It’s in the U.S. Documentary Competition. “It’s about my deaf son growing up, my deaf father growing old, and Beethoven as he wrote his famous “Moonlight Sonata” while going deaf. It’s a coming of age story about three people across three centuries discovering their true voices,” Brodsky explains.

Here’s a video featuring Irene Taylor Brodsky.

Irene Taylor Brodsky’s first feature film, “Hear and Now,” won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award in 2007 as well as a Peabody. Her most recent feature documentary, “Beware the Slenderman,” was nominated for an Emmy, received two Critics’ Choice Award nominations for Best Director and Best Documentary, and premiered on HBO. “Open Your Eyes,” “One Last Hug: Three Days at Grief Camp,” and “Saving Pelican 895” are among her other credits.

“Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements” is one of dozens of films that will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. With Over 46,000 attendees expected, it’s the largest independent film festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Utah, the festival is a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival includes competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films. The 2019 Sundance Film Festival runs through February 3rd. It draws top artists from around the world.

President and Founder Robert Redford and actress/producer Glenn Close sit together at An Artist at the Table.

Jada Pinkett Smith at An Artist at the Table at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. © 2019 Sundance Institute | photo by Duston Todd.

Lisa Kron at An Artist at the Table at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. © 2019 Sundance Institute | photo by Duston Todd.

Jackie Chan at An Artist at the Table at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. © 2019 Sundance Institute | photo by Duston Todd.

Ty Burell at An Artist at the Table at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. © 2019 Sundance Institute | photo by Duston Todd.

The chilly atmosphere outside the Library Center Theatre.

One hot ticket was the screening of  “‘Late Night” written by Mindy Kalin.

Screenwriter/actor Mindy Kaling attends the ‘Late Night’ premiere.

Here is more information about the film: “Late Night” Starring Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Paul Walter Hauser, Reid Scott, and Amy Ryan Directed by Nisha Ganatra Written by Mindy Kaling Category: Premieres

Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson) is a pioneer and legendary host on the late-night talk-show circuit. When she’s accused of being a “woman who hates women,” she puts affirmative action on the to-do list, and—presto!—Molly (Mindy Kaling) is hired as the one woman in Katherine’s all-male writers’ room. But Molly might be too little too late, as the formidable Katherine also faces the reality of low ratings and a network that wants to replace her. Molly, wanting to prove she’s not simply a diversity hire who’s disrupting the comfort of the brotherhood, is determined to help Katherine by revitalizing her show and career—and possibly effect even bigger change at the same time.

Another marquee film premiere was “After the Wedding,” starring Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams on the press line for the premiere of ‘After the Wedding’ at Eccles Theatre.

Actor Michelle Williams, director Bart Freundlich and actor Julianne Moore attend the World Premiere of After The Wedding by Bart Freundlich, an official selection of the Premieres at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. © 2019 Sundance Institute | photo Ryan Kobane.

Here’s more information about “After the Wedding” starring Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Billy Crudup, written and Directed by Bard Freundlich:

Isabel (Michelle Williams) has dedicated her life to working with the children in an orphanage in Calcutta. Theresa (Julianne Moore) is the multimillionaire head of a media company who lives with her handsome artist husband (Billy Crudup) and their two adorable twin boys in New York. When word comes to Isabel of a mysterious and generous grant for the financially struggling orphanage, she must travel to New York to meet the benefactor—Theresa—in person. And when Isabel is spontaneously invited to Theresa’s daughter’s wedding, Isabel discovers a connection to Theresa that takes her on an unexpected journey into her own past.

Here’s a link to more information about all of the offerings at Sundance:

http://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival/

The Sundance Film Festival®
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Eighth Grade, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2019 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire, YouTube; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, Amazon Studios, AT&T, DIRECTV, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom, Stella Artois; Sustaining Sponsors – Ancestry, Canada Goose, Canon, Dell, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, GEICO, High West Distillery, IMDbPro, Lyft, RIMOWA, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, VARIETY, The Wall Street Journal. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Look for the Official Partner seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Eighth Grade, Blindspotting, The Tale, Get Out, The Big Sick, Strong Island, Blackfish, Top of the Lake, Winter’s Bone, The Wolfpack, Dear White People, Trapped, Brooklyn, Little Miss Sunshine, 20 Feet From Stardom, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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