Words from Sundance Staffers: Landon Zakheim

What is your job at Sundance?
Programming Coordinator.

What do you do the rest of the year?
Festival Hobo. Lately, I skulk about the Guest Services department of San Francisco International Film Festival.

Why did you decide to start working at SFF?
I worked 7 festivals my first year on the circuit, and at every single one, there were always people passionately extolling what they felt was the enchanting festival experience to top all others: Sundance. It seemed to leave you with the feeling that if you hadn’t yet participated, then you didn’t know festivals. So in 2008, I decided to try and see what all the fuss was about and volunteered for the filmmaker office. A few months later, a job opened up in Programming and I was lucky enough to land it.

If you have worked at SFF in previous years why do you return?
The people. My colleagues are so much damn fun to be around. There’s a real sense of camaraderie in that we’re all a bunch of fantastic lunatics who share a drive and dedication to the job at hand, but always with a sense of play and good humor. And at the end of the day, everyone believes in the mission of discovering and showcasing strong, independent cinema. There aren’t many organizations in the film industry that actually deliver on that promise. The inmates are running the asylum, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

What is your most cherished memory from previous festivals?
On the first Saturday of last year’s fest, I got to introduce my very first Sundance screening. It was an afternoon screening of THRILLER IN MANILA, from the International Doc Competition. I had done intros before at other festivals, but there was something very exciting about being the one that introduced a film at a place I used to read about and research all the time as I grew up. I had become a part of something that I had always admired. It also helped that the joke I made got a laugh. I can’t remember what it was, but I’m sure it was hilarious.

What film are you most looking forward to seeing at SFF?
This year, FOUR LIONS. Word on the street is that it’s a comic masterpiece.

If you’ve had a chance to preview any of the festival films, which ones are you recommending to friends?
There is a LOT worth checking out this year, especially documentaries. Some favorites include: FAMILY AFFAIR, BOY, SECRETS OF THE TRIBE, DOUCHEBAG, THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE!, ANIMAL KINGDOM, WINTER’S BONE, TILLMAN, BHUTTO, LIFE 2.0, 7 DAYS, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL, LOVERS OF HATE, RESTREPO, JOAN RIVERS – A PIECE OF WORK, BURIED, ONE TOO MANY MORNINGS, NEW LOW, LOUIS CK: HILARIOUS, I AM LOVE, CATFISH and so on and so on and so on and so on.
We have a new category in the festival this year—the NEXT section for new no-budget voices, which I would encourage you to check out. It’s a new step forward for the festival, and this category will grow into something really special.

How many films do you hope to see?
I have set a goal for 8 during the festival. If I’m very lucky, I’ll get to see 4.

What are your strategies for selecting which films to see and getting into screenings?
I always look for the ones I know I won’t be able to see anywhere else and go from there. The best way to get a ticket? Go work there. Volunteer tickets and wait lists are an excellent way to see a lot of films for free. Also, at the bigger venues, Eccles, Library, Racquet Club, the wait list definitely works. Try it out.

How does SFF differ from other film festivals that you have attended or worked at?
While every festival showcases films they believe are innovative, because of the Sundance brand, the movies that get shown here create more opportunities for our filmmakers. A screening at another festival might expose a handful of more people to a worthy film, but a screening at Sundance might still mean distribution (maybe…), or that that filmmaker gets to make another film.

If you have to choose between going to a film or a party how do you decide what to do?
Movies, always movies. You can have a party anywhere. Most of these films you won’t get many chances to see in this day and age. At a certain point, you realize that every party is the same, it’s just the people trying to get in that change.

How do you deal with the cold and altitude in Park City?
Alcohol.

Will you be back for next year?
Yeah, I got at least one more rodeo in me.