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Sun Valley Film Festival's Cinematic Cool
Boise State Public Radio’s George Prentice interviews 2023 Pioneer Award winner Emilio Estevez at SVFF’s Coffee Talk. PHOTO COURTESY OF SUN VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
BY APRIL NEALE
If you love cinema, the art of making films, and intelligent conversations of all that entails, Sun Valley Film Festival Director Candice Pate wants to meet you. “[Sun Valley] is very much in the DNA of the event. And we’ve had a lot of luck creating something that attracts interesting, curious, creative heavy hitters in the industry,” she said. “It brings them to this event and this town that disarms people and reminds them of why they got into the business in the first place.”
At Idaho’s most notable annual film festival, don’t expect to see sponsor-filled parties clogged with non-industry influencers. “The audiences that we bring in are super sharp, curious, and cultured, and they ask thoughtful questions. It creates this magic that results in a real celebration of cinema. We’re not a marketplace or about selling films,” explained Pate. “We’re just about people coming together in this destination mountain town with deep Hollywood roots and celebrating the art of storytelling and film.”
Teddy Grennan, Pate’s business partner, started the festival and promoted the idea that meaningful conversations about film can happen over coffee. “Teddy started coffee talks, too. And it’s a signature piece where we insist that our Vision [Award] and honorees participate in this part of the festival, all free and open to the public. It’s a crown jewel and a critical piece we want to share with our audience and give to the community effectively,” Pate said.
The talks, which sometimes bring in big stars like Clint Eastwood, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Annette Bening, also spotlight lesser-known talent, which Pate said can bring more impactful conversations. “We have an excellent reputation, and our audience trusts us; they line up and grab a cup of coffee and hang out,” she said.
Getting the stars and the major players is a deft blend of personal relationships and fortuitous friendships. “It’s gotten easier with a track record of some major guests in our past,” noted Pate, who explained that folks become involved for a variety of reasons— they’re promoting a project or have a personal relationship with somebody who lives here or has a tie to Sun Valley.
And then there’s the passion of it all. “Annette came to us through our PR firm, but then also a film that we’re screening about an organization called Ohana One. They do plastic surgery in third world countries for burn victims and other issues. She’s close with the doctor who started that and very passionate about that project. And so it was kismet when that film was something that our programming team had zeroed in on,” Pate said.
This year, the insider coolness factor is off the charts, with David O’Russell bringing deleted scenes from a classic film. “David O. Russell is breaking down ‘American Hustle’ with deleted scenes—15 minutes of material that didn’t make the final edit and going to share them with the audience and explain why he wished they had been able to be in there or why they were cut,” Pate said.
In year thirteen, the festival will see Annette Bening and David O. Russell honored with the Vision Award and Ted Hope with the Pioneer Award, as well as a host of screenings, which include the opening film, “Ezra,” starring Robert DeNiro, which Pate says is a beautiful, meaningful story.
“The acting is superb. I think it’s probably one of the best performances I’ve ever seen from Robert DeNiro. And that says a lot because he’s clearly a badass,” Pate said.
