Billboard’s new home every January? The Sundance Film Festival in
Park City, Utah. What started as a must for film insiders has become a
mecca for music as well, with lots of great concerts, parties, pop-star
sightings, music documentaries and more.
After a whirlwind,
insomniac week-and-a-half in the mountains, we looked back at our packed
schedules and narrowed them down to this best of the best from
Sundance.
Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall
Spike
Lee’s documentary looks at a crucial, often overlooked period of the
singer’s life, when he made the difficult transition from
Jackson 5 boy bander to grown-up solo star. There’s forgotten footage of
MJ
interviews and performances (him tapdancing with the Nicolas Brothers
is a particular treat) and revealing interviews from both past
collaborators and present-day stars (
The Weeknd,
Questlove, ballerina Misty Copeland) who were influenced by him. It’s a
delight for any music fan, and an absolute must for Jackson fanatics.
Nick Jonas in Goat
From boy bander to solo pop star to TV star,
Nick Jonas isn’t done evolving:
Goat, a
gripping drama that spotlights fraternity hazing and male
relationships, could be his breakout big-screen role. Jonas is
convincing and subtle in his role as Brad, the older brother of a new
fraternity pledge. The film has yet to announce a theatrical release or a
buyer, but it definitely emerged as one of the most buzzed-about
projects at Sundance.
Sting and J. Ralph at Sundance’s ASCAP Music Cafe
On
a wintry Saturday evening at Sundance, an intimate industry gathering
paid tribute to a tragic loss of journalist James Foley, who was
murdered by ISIS in August 2014.
Sting and J. Ralph appeared in support of documentary film
, Jim: The James Foley Story,
to which they contributed haunting song "The Empty Chair." Recognizing
the members of Foley's family in attendance, English singer/songwriter
hailed the movie as "the most important film you will see this year."
Sting kept the mood light initially with well-received opener “Message
in a Bottle,” and a cover of
Johnny Cash’s
“I Hung My Head,” quipping, “it’s difficult for an Englishman to sing a
country song. It’s a question of authenticity.” But the show’s
emotional apex soon came as J. Ralph joined Sting onstage for what
The Police’s former frontman called “the main event” -- a heartbreaking performance of “The Empty Chair.”
Flying Lotus at Base Camp
Sundance’s
first-ever Base Camp music and film stage, curated by Franki Chan’s LA
collective IHEARTCOMIX, proved to be one of the festival’s unheralded
highlights, with free admission, food trucks, an outdoor text right off
main street, and most of all, great music. On Saturday,
Flying Lotus took no prisoners in an animated hip-hop heavy set that culminated in a raucous rendition of
Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.” “Y’all are fun,” he interrupted his booming 808s to announce with a giant smile.
Diplo at Samsung Late Night LEVEL Party
Samsung celebrated the launch of its LEVEL headphone line by bringing surprise guest
Diplo
to drop mostly hip-hop jams to the delight of a celebrity-studded
cocktail party at O.P. Rockwell. Afterwards, Diplo took to the decks at
TAO, the popular nightlife pop-up whose notoriously tough door had even
the Mad Decent boss waiting outside for a bit.
Southside With You
Richard Tanne's
Before Sunset-esque
film about the Obamas' first date is emotional, enjoyable and
inspiring. Leaving aside the politics, it’s a treat to watch these two
people get to know each other, with just small hints of the big things
that await them. The film also features a moving tune by
John Legend that plays over the credits (Legend also co-produced the film).
Lena Dunham Chat
At a
Times
Talk Friday on Main Street Friday, Lena Dunham and Norman Lear had an
engaging conversation about television, character creation, "political
correctness” and Donald Trump (needless to say, neither are fans). The
enlightening conversation was a treat to watch -- Dunham's obvious
fondness for Lear, and his for her, was obvious.
Tallulah
Call it three women and a baby. Featuring knockout performances by Ellen Page, Allison Janney and Tammy Blanchard
Tallulah
tells the story of three very different ladies, and the way their lives
connect after homeless teen Tallulah (Page) makes a rash decision to
kidnap a toddler. Emotional and powerful, the film has already been
picked up by Netflix, so fans all over will get a chance to check out in
the coming months.
Billboard Winterfest
Hey, what can we say? Our second annual concert series at Sundance was pretty damn good, with
Wiz Khalifa,
Travis Scott,
Cage the Elephant,
Chainsmokers and
Kygo performing raucous sets to a great mixed crowd of locals and festival-goers at Park City Live four nights in a row.
Birth of a Nation
Believe
the hype. This film about slave Nate Turner and the rebellion he led
not only shines a much-needed spotlight into a little-discussed
historical benchmark, but it's remarkably shot and acted, at turns
harrowing and beautiful.