2024 marks the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford’s winter refuge for actors, filmmakers and indie studios who flock to Park City, Utah to celebrate cinema away from the franchises and nine-digit budgets of Hollywood.
It is also, apparently, a place for those celebs to have some snowball fights.
Kyle MacLachlan & Ethan Hawke during Sundance Film Festival 2000 in Park City, Utah, United States.
This pic of a 29-year-old Ethan Hawke slinging a fistful of frozen water was taken back in 2000 by photographer Jeff Vespa, who now serves as the creative director of TheWrap. He recalls coming across Hawke and actor Kyle MacLachlan, who were in Park City for the premiere of their modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” directed by Michael Almereyda, and took this spontaneous photo out in one of the parking lots.
“I didn’t even know I had this picture until the day after I took it and I looked back through the film,” Vespa told TheWrap. “This is the most quoted picture I’ve ever taken. It was in ‘People’ and I think it was in ‘Entertainment Weekly,’ too. Even years later, when Entertainment Weekly was sponsoring Sundance, they’d have the photo in their official festival space.”
Vespa parlayed photos like these into a job as the official photographer for Sundance from 2003 to 2017, taking tens of thousands of photos of the festival’s big stars.
“There were about 2,500-2,700 pictures I took myself that are now online,” Vespa said. “But, overall, I have around 50,000 pictures in my archives just from Sundance. I’ve probably taken more photos at the festival than anyone else.”
Vespa has been a regular at Sundance going back to 1995, after just graduating from the American Film Institute and went to the festival as an attendee. Two years later he met veteran photographer Randall Michelson and offered to help him take photos at the festival.
“He had this prepared speech about how people say they are going to help him, but they’re only there for half an hour and don’t do anything, but I insisted. ‘No, I’m really going to help you!’” he recalled. “So I came up with him in ’99, and that year I really understood the lay of the land when it comes to photography.”
Many of Vespa and Michelson’s photos in 1999 and 2000, like the one with Hawke, were shot out in the Park City cold; but in 2001, the pair began taking photos in studio spaces and at festival parties and screenings. Those pictures served as the basis for WireImage, a successful entertainment photo company that was acquired by Getty Images in 2007.
“My whole career has been really built around Sundance and I often say that I don’t think Robert Redford completely understands what he’s done, not just for filmmakers, but for various other people in entertainment,” Vespa said.
Vespa shared his photos of today’s big stars when they were still on the rise at Sundances in the early 2000s, including “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig and “Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan at the dawn of their careers. You can check out those photos below.
Kyle MacLachlan & Ethan Hawke Sundance Film Festival 2000 Park City, Utah USA January 22, 2000
Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston & Robert Redford during 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “The Good Girl” Premiere at Eccles Center For The Performing Arts in Park City, Utah, United States.
Ben Affleck at Sundance Film Festival 2000 at Committed Premiere
Matt Damon during Sundance Film Festival 2000 – Committed Premiere at Park City Library in Park City, Utah, United States.
Ryan Gosling at Sundance Film Festival 2001
More than two decades before he enchanted the world with his Kenergy, Ryan Gosling enthralled Sundance with “Believer,” a drama directed by Henry Bean in which Gosling plays a young Jewish man who hates his own identity to the point that he becomes a Neo-Nazi. Vespa’s photo of him above has never been published until now.
Vespa: “I just remember my friend was really close with him, and he was like, ‘You gotta photograph this kid, he’s gonna be huge. I knew I’d done this picture, but when I searched for it I couldn’t find it in my folders. I had to go all the way back to the raw images and I finally found it and thought, ‘How did this never get posted?’”
Taika Waititi during 2004 Sundance Film Festival – “Two Cars One Night” Portraits at HP Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States.
Kristen Stewart at the HP Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah – 2004 Sundance Film Festival – “Speak” Portraits
20 years ago, a teenage Kristen Stewart appeared at Sundance in the teen drama “Speak,” in which she played a high school freshman who goes silent after being raped by a senior.
Robin Wright Penn and Robert Downey Jr. at 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “The Singing Detective” – Portraits
Composer/actor Bob Dylan and Penélope Cruz at 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “Masked and Anonymous” Party
Greta Gerwig at the Sky 360 by Delta lounge WireImage portrait studio on January 22, 2008 in Park City, Utah.
America Ferrera during 2005 Sundance Film Festival – “How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer” Portraits at HP Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States.
Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis during 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “American Splendor” – Portraits at Yahoo Movies Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States.
Paul Giamatti has slowly but surely gained momentum for a possible Best Actor victory at the Oscars for his performance in “The Holdovers,” but Vespa notes that even decades after he took this photo of him at the 2003 Sundance, he still seems nervous about appearing at festivals.
Vespa: “It’s funny because he’s appeared at festivals to promote ‘Sideways’ and ‘American Splendor’ and all these films but, when I was at Palm Springs [film festival], he said, ‘Oh, I’m so nervous, I’ve never done this before.’ I had to remind him that, yeah, he has done this before and that I’ve shot photos with him, and he said, ‘Oh, no, no, this is totally different.’ I guess because now there’s social media and campaigning is so much more intense, he’s thrown by it all.”
Naomi Watts at Sundance 2001 – MAC/Diesel: Make Over Day
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jake Gyllenhaal at Sundance Film Festival 2001 – “Donnie Darko” Portraits
Jodie Foster, Kieran Culkin, Emile Hirsch & Jena Malone at 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys” Portraits
Clea DuVall & Natasha Lyonne during Sundance Film Festival 2000 in Park City, Utah, United States.
Joe Pantoliano, Christopher Nolan, & Guy Pearce at Sundance 2001 – Memento – Portraits
Kirsten Dunst, James Woods, A.J. Cook, Hanna R. Hall, & Kathleen Turner at Sundance Film Festival 2000 – The Virgin Suicides Party
Katie Holmes at 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “The Singing Detective” – Portraits
Juliette Lewis & Gena Rowlands at 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Hysterical Blindness” Premiere
Kate Hudson & Stuart Townsend during Sundance Film Festival 2000 in Park City, Utah, United States
Robert Redford during 2003 Sundance Film Festival – Robert Redford – Portraits at Yahoo Movies Portrait Studio in Park City, UT, United States.
Lisa Marie Presley & John Oszajca during Sundance Film Festival 2000 – The Virgin Suicides Party in Park City, Utah, United States
Mariah Carey, Mira Sorvino and Melora Walters during 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Wisegirls” Press Conference at The Lodge at Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, United States.
Philip Seymour Hoffman at 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Love Liza” Portraits
William H. Macey and Maria Bello during 2003 Sundance Film Festival – “The Cooler” – Portraits at Yahoo Movies Portrait Studio in Park City, Utah, United States
Courtney Love Snowboarding at Sundance 2001
Kyle MacLachlan 2002 Sundance Film Festival – “Miranda” Portraits Harry O’s Park City, Utah USA January 15, 2002
Check out all our Sundance coverage here.
Learn the ins and outs of bird photography with international renowned wildlife and conservation photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht in this workshop series! Mix and match the sessions you are most interested in learning about. All sessions will be from 6:00pm-7:30pm Pacific and are $100 each, or you can bundle all 4 sessions together for a discounted price of $325. This series includes classes on exposure, composition, and focusing, with an image critique in session 4.
Zoe Wiseman, Fine Art Photographer, Book Soup
Ida #4 for Sunkissed 85 by Zoe Wiseman
“Sunkissed 85” by Zoe Wiseman
The images in this book were created using discontinued Polaroid Type 85 film and Solarization.
— Leonard Nimoy
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, January 18, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Book Soup, the iconic independent bookstore in West Hollywood, is thrilled to host a book signing event featuring renowned visionary fine art photographer Zoe Wiseman. The event will take place on Monday, January 29th, 2024.
Sunkissed 85 is a limited first edition showcasing Wiseman’s mastery of Solarization, a technique refined by Lee Miller and Man Ray in the 1920s. The book features photographs from 2001 to 2022, all created using discontinued Polaroid Type 85 film.
Event Details:
Book Signing with Zoe Wiseman
Date: Monday, January 29th, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. PT
Location: Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA
Attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet Zoe Wiseman in person, explore her work, and have copies of her first monograph, Sunkissed 85, signed during the event.
Zoe Wiseman’s fearless approach to photography, embracing chance and the unexpected, has resulted in a body of work beyond aesthetic appeal. Her profound respect for subjects and the balance of strength and beauty within meticulously composed frames create a visceral impact that transports viewers into an otherworldly multiverse.
The late Leonard Nimoy expressed gratitude to Wiseman, saying, “Thanks to Zoe Wiseman for her constant uplifting efforts in the world of figure photography.”
Nimoy’s heartfelt acknowledgment of Wiseman’s impactful contributions uplifts her status as a trailblazer in the art of photography and their collaboration on The Full Body Project.
Please visit Zoe Wiseman’s website for more information about Sunkissed 85 and Zoe Wiseman’s extraordinary work. Sunkissed 85 is available to purchase through Amazon or Shopify: https://zoephoto.myshopify.com/
About Zoe Wiseman:
Zoe Wiseman is a renowned fine art photographer known for her innovative use of Solarization and alternative photographic techniques. With a career spanning more than two decades, Wiseman’s work is exhibited and collected worldwide. Her artistry pushes the boundaries of traditional Photography, resulting in images that are both surreal and captivating.
About Book Soup: Book Soup, located at 8818 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, has been a literary landmark since 1975. With its vast and diverse selection, the bookstore is a haven for readers seeking a curated collection of independent and classic titles. Book Soup’s commitment to supporting independent voices aligns seamlessly with celebrating Zoe Wiseman’s groundbreaking work.
About Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy, renowned for his role as Spock in Star Trek, was an influential actor, director, author, and photographer.
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CLEVELAND — Some museums have either covered or taken down Native American exhibits after an updated federal law about how Native American artifacts can be displayed.
The Cleveland Museum of art brings in people from far and wide, but today, not all artifacts are on display.
The museum said in a statement that concealing the Native American displays is in direct response to the updated 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
“Out of respect for the native American tribes and NAGPRA, the CMA has covered the display cases that contain items that might fit the new NAGPRA definitions until the appropriate determinations can be made and, if necessary, consents obtained,” the statement reads, in part.
NAGPRA was created in 1990 to protect and return cultural items to the Native Americans; the provision now requires museums and federal agencies to obtain the consent of lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or native Hawaiian organizations to display cultural items.
“Basically, they’re putting a fire under some particular museums,” said Marie Toledo.
Toledo is a board member on Lake Erie’s Native American council and sits on the advisory board for the museum. She said she was pleased to see how they responded.
“It is enough right now. Yes, they’re following the guidelines. I think they’ve been proactive. There are many museums that have not even done that much,” said Toledo.
She added that it’s painful to see artifacts and pieces of Native American history on display, knowing how they were secured.
“When I go into a museum, and I maybe see a Cheyenne woman’s dress and you can see holes in it. Well, those holes can be bullet holes, and you know, the history of that dress,” Toledo said. “You know how that dress was gotten. It wasn’t just given, some Cheyenne woman didn’t make that dress and say here you go, you know, those were gotten in a really, really violent, genocidal manner.”
Philip Yenyo, with the American Indian Movement of Ohio, feels the same way.
“It hurts for me; I feel like our ancestors aren’t being respected. Our burial sites aren’t being respected,” said Yenyo.
Yenyo believes the museum could have done more.
“They should be consulting with the different native nations to begin with,” said Yenyo.
But Yenyo’s still happy to see they are moving in the right direction. He and Toledo just want their indigenous people to have a say in pieces of their history.
“I hope that it continues to evolve and that we continue to decolonize museums and listen to the people give the people their voice and, return our relatives and our items of significance, culturally and spiritually,” said Toledo.
The Cleveland Museum of Art added that they are going through their records to see if consent has already been obtained for some items.
The museum’s full statement can be read below:
The federal government recently issued new requirements related to the 1990 Native American Graves Protection Act (NAGPRA). These new requirements were issued on December 13, 2023, and went into effect January 12, 2024. A new provision requires museums to secure consent of lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations to display cultural items. The CMA has a few items that may be subject to the new regulations and is currently consulting the relevant parties to secure their consent to display those items. In some instances, the CMA may already have the required permissions based on historical discussions with Native American representatives. The CMA is currently reviewing archival records to determine if consent consistent with the regulations has been obtained and, in instances where there is no record of consent, determine which parties need to be consulted. The 30-day period between the time the new requirements were issued and when they went in effect did not provide adequate time to secure consent. Out of respect for the Native American Tribes and NAGRPA, the CMA has covered the display cases that contain items that might fit the new NAGPRA definitions until the appropriate determinations can be made and, if necessary, consents obtained. Three of the six display cases in our gallery of Native North American art have been covered, so that those items are protected from public view until appropriate consent is obtained.
