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2006年VOA标准英语-Film Festivals Bring Hollywood to Park Cit

时间:2007-03-07 16:00:00

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By Greg Flakus
Houston
26 January 2006

This week thousands of movie directors, writers, actors and Hollywood executives are huddled1 together in the ski resort town of Park City, Utah attending two independent film festivals. One is the now prestigious2 and well-established Sundance Festival, which was started with support from actor Robert Redford 22 years ago. The other is a more free-spirited event called the Slamdance Festival, which is now in its 12th year.

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Marquee of the Egyptian Theater, one of the theaters screening films for Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah  
  

Independent film producers were once on the fringes of the movie industry, struggling to have their works seen in small theaters and rented halls. The Sundance Festival has helped change all that by giving independent films recognition and all-important exposure.

The Sundance festival and the Slamdance Festival, which takes place at the same time, have put Park City, Utah on the Hollywood map. Every January, this ski resort with a population of about 7,000 hosts more than double that number of people who come to the festivals.

Craig McCarthy of the Park City Chamber3 of Commerce says the town takes on a lot of glitter and glamour4 as a result. "It is a really neat change of pace to all of a sudden have over 15,000 additional people who do not come from the ski and snowboard world as our normal customers do," he said. "It makes the town quite lively and it is just a really fun time for all of us." Mr. McCarthy says the festivals also bring in about $22 million to the local economy.

Millions of people around the world who are unable to go to Park City can also participate in the festivals, thanks to modern technology. Many of the films will end up being shown on cable television channels around the world and winning films are almost assured of distribution on DVDs, which are distributed worldwide.

Technology has a more immediate5 impact through the internet. The Sundance Festival is offering free, real-time online showings of some of the films entered in this year's competition on Sundance.org. The Slamdance Festival also has free viewings of short films on its web site, Slamdance.com.

 
Dan Mirvish, from the website slamdance.org
  
Slamdance co-founder and independent filmmaker Dan Mirvish, speaking to VOA by telephone from Park City, says the festival has grown into something much bigger than a 10-day event.

"We also have a full, year-round operation with a screenplay competition, we have a web site, Slamdance.com, where you can watch short films year round. We do screenings once a month in New York and events in L.A. [Los Angeles] We travel around the world actually. We have done events everywhere from China to Chile to Stockholm, Sweden to Cannes," said Mirvish. "So we really have a global presence one way or another now."

Mirvish says the internet now plays a big role in the festival. All through the year, he says, short films are shown on the web site so that online viewers can rate them.

"Those then actually come to Park City and then they are voted on in Park City and on our web site. So it is a separate and parallel competition," he added. "It is a nice way to have a sort of year-round competition."

Mirvish says technology, in the form of small digital cameras and computer editing programs has also made it possible for anyone, anywhere to make a film.

"It is amazing what you can do with these cameras. Every year they get a little better and fancier," he said. "There is no reason you cannot shoot a film for $5,000, $10,000, or $500 or even $50, if you have the camera. Then the editing and post production and sound work that you can do on your MacIntosh or whatever computer is amazing."

Dan Mirvish shot his latest film, Open House: A Real Estate Musical Comedy, with digital video cameras. The film is now out on DVD and has become a cult6 favorite around the country. In fact, he says, Open House has taken on a life of its own.

"People all around the country and it is starting to be around the world now, too, watch the film and they are throwing their own real estate open house parties, where they make finger sandwiches, which is kind of a key thing in the movie, and they are sending in home videos of them watching the film. It has become a bit of an interactive7 thing," said Mirvish. "Now there are high schools that actually want to do stage versions of the film, because it is a musical."

Both the Sundance and Slamdance festivals wrap up this weekend (Jan. 29), but independent filmmakers around the world are invited to prepare submissions8 for next year's competitions.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 huddled 39b87f9ca342d61fe478b5034beb4139     
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
  • We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。
2 prestigious nQ2xn     
adj.有威望的,有声望的,受尊敬的
参考例句:
  • The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
  • You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。
3 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
4 glamour Keizv     
n.魔力,魅力;vt.迷住
参考例句:
  • Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
  • The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。
5 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
6 cult 3nPzm     
n.异教,邪教;时尚,狂热的崇拜
参考例句:
  • Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书,但有一定的崇拜者。
  • The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。
7 interactive KqZzFY     
adj.相互作用的,互相影响的,(电脑)交互的
参考例句:
  • The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
  • This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。
8 submissions 073d6f2167f8d9a96d86b9fe6b9d5b37     
n.提交( submission的名词复数 );屈从;归顺;向法官或陪审团提出的意见或论据
参考例句:
  • The deadline for submissions to the competition will be Easter 1994. 递交参赛申请的截止时间为1994年的复活节。 来自辞典例句
  • Section 556(d) allows the agency to substitute written submissions for oral direct testimony in rulemaking. 第五百五十六条第(四)款准允行政机关在规则制定中用书面提交材料替代口头的直接证言。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

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