When the Sun Valley Film Festivalwas young, honoree Jodie Foster prompted attendees to take a mental photograph of the moment. look around.
“Remember this,” she said.
It has been a lucky thirteen years of memories … and stars. In fact, Foster’s co-star Annette Bening in Nyad (for which Bening was just nominated for an Oscar) will be an honoree at the 2024 edition of SVFF.
“It’s something about the magic of Sun Valley - the place, the size and the scale of the event,” said Candice Pate, director of the Sun Valley Film Festival. “We have a really high rate of repeat visitors and we have a reputation as an event that people just can't miss.”
Pate and SVFF founder Teddy Grennan visit with Morning Edition host George Prentice to preview the upcoming event.
Read the full transcript below:
GEORGE PRENTICE: It's Morning Edition. Hi, I'm George Prentice. Most people have a favorite time of year. Mine. It's coming up. It's pretty soon. The Sun Valley Film Festival is now a little more than a month away. Here come Candice Pate, director, and Teddy Grennan, founder, of the Sun Valley Film Festival. Good morning to you both.
TEDDY GRENNAN: Good morning from sunny, snowy Sun Valley.
CANDICE PATE: Good morning, George.
PRENTICE: By the way, what year is this for the festival?
PATE: Lucky number 13.
PRENTICE: Okay, I've got my Sharpie, but what are the dates?
PATE: February 28th. So that's a Wednesday. We have a leap year this year, so you get an extra day… through March 3rd.
PRENTICE: I am asked time and time again about what makes this festival so unique. I've been to a few. You've been to a few. What have you learned? What have people have told you over the years.
PATE: You know, George, we are really starting to hear back a pretty consistent reprise that warms both of our hearts, and that is that people make incredible friends at this festival. I think it's something about the magic of Sun Valley, the place, the size and scale of the event, the parties and the headquarter lounges and the things outside of the screenings that we program that allow kind of this really cool network of creatives and Sun Valley skiers and folks from far and wide who come together and are able to kind of, uh, really create these lasting friendships and relationships and working relationships and get inspired by each other. And that, I think, is part of why we have a really high rate of repeat visitors and, you know, have been getting a reputation for an event that people just can't miss, which we're super grateful for.
GRENNAN: Yeah, people come here and fall in love and get married. It's true. We have a filmmaker returning. And then she was here when Daniel Rohr came with Navalny. They met, fell in love, got married, and then she's coming back and her name is Carolyn Lindy. It's her first feature film. So there's a little chemistry in the air, too. On top of all of it.
PRENTICE: You guys also bring stars. There's no way around it. The Sun Valley Film Festival has stars from Jodie Foster to Clint Eastwood to Amy Poehler to Chelsea Handler to Josh Brolin. I could keep going. But for this year, what can you tell us? Who is stepping into the spotlight?
GRENNAN: As the festival has grown, so has the involvement of the people in the valley and beyond. And we had a patron who was a big fan of the festival and said, “Hey, we are old friends with David O. Russell. “
PRENTICE: Wow. I know David O. Russell by reputation, but you need to drop some titles for our listeners. You need to mention some of his films.
GRENNAN: Well, we're actually going to screen Silver Linings Playbook just as a reminder of his unbelievable slate of films …February 1st here in Sun Valley. It's being presented by our patrons and our Founders Circle. And then during the festival, we are screening American Hustle. And David's going to be there, with some… special guests, some… that may be recognizable. And we're going to break it down. We're going to show some special scenes from the director's cut afterwards. And he does a lot of work with new storytellers. He provides opportunities in different parts of America for people to learn about film and storytelling, and he's very much about the process. So. So that's truly we see is never mind, you know, as an amazing visionary, but we also love this idea that he wants to get into it and break down his film, talk to the audience, get their thoughts. And so we're excited about that. And then our other one…
PATE: We are thrilled that we are honoring Annette Bening… hot off of her film Nyad, done by another film Festival alum, Jimmy Chin. She is truly one of Hollywood's royalty, and will be joining us along with David O. Russell. We're excited.
PRENTICE: So exciting. I was at the premiere of Nyad. Beautiful film. And there’s some synergy there. Her costar is Jodie Foster, who has a direct connection to the festival as well.
PATE: One of our first Coffee Talk-ers, for sure.
PRENTICE: And the Coffee Talks... they are also… free.
GRENNAN: It has a lot to do with how we launched the film festival. Coffee's on us. Get in line. Whoever shows up first gets in...which you're part of.
PRENTICE: Without exception, they usually become rather magical. They can become emotional. They're certainly funny. But the insights and yet… you're in this intimate setting. It's rather extraordinary.
GRENNAN: You're allowed to ask Woody Harrelson anything you want.
PATE: It results in everything… from tears to impromptu Beer Frisbee games,,, and everything in between. So, I think that's it's really fortunate that these conversations then get buzzed about… and it gets people coming back. We have a knack for delivering. With your help, George.
PRENTICE: I am asked often how it's possible that you get who you get. I have to assume… now, it's based on reputation.
PATE: Well, we're getting there.
GRENNAN: Honestly, we work hard. We actually just got a call from NBC, and they would like to bring somebody out and celebrate the duration of what they do. And we should announce that… hopefully next week. But yeah, that is a part of the reputation. They read an article in Variety about the festival and said, “Wow, could we bring out this ….person, this person… and celebrate them during the festival? And I said, “What a great opportunity. We'll get back to you.”
PATE: It's reputation, but I think it's almost more personal than that. These folks who've attended, um, these honorees in the past talked to their friends and to their representation, and we've got positive reports. They agree to come and it all works out. Annette Benning is coming. She's also really passionate about an organization called Ohana one, um, which is actually doing some amazing work in Third World countries, specifically in a short film that we're sharing in Mozambique, doctors working on patients who've had extreme burn injuries and doing plastic surgery. This is an organization that Annette's passionate about. She's very close friends with the doctor who runs it. So, he submitted the film. The film got in and then agreed to come and be a Vision honoree and also work in support of this exciting film. So, it's very interconnected. That's kind of the way Sun Valley works. And it's working for us. So we're rolling with it.
PRENTICE: You have my full attention anytime you start talking about nonfiction and documentary. That film sounds amazing.
PATE: It's great, it's great. And we're pairing it with two other short docs, under a slate called “Imagined Futures.” So, we've got some really great docs… we've got some really great, great narratives. We're going to be announcing those on or around February 1st. We’re giving you some sneak peeks today, but, but we're excited about the slate that we've got coming together.
PRENTICE: And I know that you're locking those down. So, can I invite you both to join me close to that date? And can we start unveiling some titles here with our listeners? Could you do that with us?
GRENNAN: Cannot wait.
PATE: You bet.
GRENNAN: Looking forward to it. Thanks, George.
Find reporter George Prentice@georgepren
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