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| N.M. Movies Make Sundance Cut |
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| By Dan Mayfield | |||
| Friday, 11 January 2008 02:08 | |||
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Sundance is it. If your movie is accepted to the largest independent film festival in the United States, you’re a big deal. Your film is a big deal. The gods have smiled on your filmmaking abilities, and you’re set for life. Mostly. Two of the big deals at Sundance were filmed in New Mexico. Both “Sunshine Cleaning” and “Hamlet 2” have been accepted at the 2008 Sundance Festival in Park City, Utah, which starts next week. The festival attracts nearly 50,000 film buffs and industry executives starting Thursday through Jan. 27. Some go to see the best in cutting-edge film; others go to buy or sell films, and others go to network. Some just go to celebrity-gawk. An even bigger deal: “Sunshine Cleaning” didn’t just make Sundance — it was one of only 16 films to make the Dramatic Competition, the most prestigious category in the festival. Its first showing at the festival is Jan. 18. “Sunshine Cleaning” was filmed in Albuquerque — all over the Duke City, from a new house in the Sandia foothills to Buffett’s Candies and Hinkle Family Fun Center to Downtown. “Sunshine Cleaning” is not the sequel to “Little Miss Sunshine,” despite all the rumors. Both films star Alan Arkin and were both produced by Big Beach Films. “Little Miss Sunshine” supposedly takes place in Albuquerque, but actually was filmed in L.A. and Phoenix. “Sunshine Cleaning” was shot in and takes place in Albuquerque. “Sunshine Cleaning,” which also stars Amy Adams (“Enchanted”) and Emily Blunt (“Charlie Wilson’s War”), came to Albuquerque via line producer Bob Dohrmann. Dohrmann worked on, of course, “Little Miss Sunshine.” Still, he didn’t have any experience with Albuquerque until he worked on the picture “Beerfest,” which was shot entirely in New Mexico. “I worked on ‘Beerfest’ for Warner Brothers. I got to go out under the studio’s guidance. Some of the studios like New Mexico more than others, and Warner does,” he said. “I met a lot of people on that show. Then, I worked on ‘Little Miss Sunshine.’ That was L.A. for Albuquerque with a second unit run in Phoenix. “The producers (who) made ‘Little Miss,’ when it came time to make (‘Sunshine Cleaning’), called me and I won them over to doing it in Albuquerque. Their script was originally planned to be shot on the East Coast, and they worked to re-orient it for Albuquerque. “You have Alan Arkin to thank for that,” he said. Arkin lives part time in New Mexico. The budget, Dohrmann said, and the state’s experienced and eager crews made the shooting a snap. The tax incentives made it financially viable. “It’s something I like to promote,” Dohrmann said, “because I’m very comfortable going to New Mexico, and I can make it happen.” The film is about a woman who wants to send her son to private school, but she needs extra cash. So with her bum of a sister, she starts Sunshine Cleaning Co., a biohazard removal company that cleans up blood and body parts at crime scenes. Rush job The second film, “Hamlet 2,” finished shooting and editing in what could be record time to make it into the Sundance premiere series of films. The crew wrapped shooting on Halloween, and the film is pretty much done, said producer Eric Eisner. “We did finish, but it’s a work in progress,” he said. Eisner said he showed the Sundance judging committee the rough — really rough — cut of the comedy, which stars Steve Coogan. He got in, but that meant director and writer Andrew Fleming had to really crank to get the film finished for its premiere at Sundance, which is Jan. 21. Most films need at least a year for editing. “This was one of the quickest turnarounds in Sundance lore,” Eisner said. “There’s not as many effects in it. It’s a comedy, so we had to work on the pacing.” Albuquerque doubles for Tucson in “Hamlet 2,” which is about a high school drama teacher who decides that with a little bit of therapy, the characters from “Hamlet” could have led happy, productive lives. If you think back to high school English class, you may remember most everybody dies in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Eisner, though, isn’t going to the festival to win: He’s going to sell. The film, so far, doesn’t have a distribution contract. He’s hoping someone will pick it up for a summer 2008 release. “Without distribution, you’re nothing,” he said. “Everything is for sale. That’s why we wanted to go to Sundance. Knock on wood.” SEND US YOUR TIPS: If you know of a film shooting in the state, or are curious about one, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 11 January 2008 02:11 ) |
