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At Sundance

Name: At Sundance
Director: Michael Almereyda, Amy Hobby
Released: 1995
Duration: 71 min

Representation Score

6.1/10

Good

1995

Director

Michael Almereyda, Amy Hobby

Runtime

71 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

At Sundance serves as a vital historical document of the 1995 independent film landscape. Its strength lies in its authentic capture of the New Queer Cinema movement and its celebration of anti-establishment artistic values. While the film successfully highlights queer filmmakers and provides a window into female creative ability to act, it remains a product of its time. The racial diversity reflects the industry's mid-90s limitations, and the gender dynamics still show the era's male-dominated leanings. Ultimately, the documentary's value is archival. It captures the raw, unpolished reality of a specific creative vanguard, documenting both the progress and the systemic gaps of the decade.

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Category Breakdown

Does At Sundance have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film captures a pivotal era where queer identity became central to the festival circuit. By featuring New Queer Cinema figures like Todd Haynes and Greg Araki, it centers on perspectives that reflect more than one aspect of diversity.

How does At Sundance portray gender?

Good

Amy Hobby’s co-direction helps disrupt a purely patriarchal view of the 1990s indie scene. The documentary highlights female voices and creative ability to act within a historically male-dominated industry.

How racially and ethnically diverse is At Sundance?

Fair

The film serves as an archival record of the mid-90s indie movement's demographics. It reflects an era where the creative vanguard was still navigating its relationship with racial inclusivity.

How does At Sundance represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative prioritizes outsider perspectives and anti-establishment values over Hollywood's studio system. It celebrates a culture of artistic rebellion and niche, identity-driven storytelling.

Does At Sundance include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no visible or invisible disability representation documented in this portrait of the festival.

Present on Screen

Captures the emergence of New Queer Cinema through seminal figures like Todd Haynes.
Provides an authentic, anti-establishment look at independent filmmaking culture.
Features a female co-director who brings a necessary perspective to the documentary format.

Limited or Absent

Reflects the racial homogeneity prevalent in the mid-90s independent film industry.
Shows the lingering effects of a male-dominated cinematic landscape.
Lacks any documented representation of individuals with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

A group portrait of filmmakers attend the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Featuring Matthew Harrison, Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Todd Haynes, Greg Araki, Abel Ferrara, Atom Egoyan, James Gray, Robert Redford, Haskell Wexler, among many others. Co-directed by Amy Hobby. [Filmed in Pixelvision and blown-up to evocatively grainy 16mm.]

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