Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Chris Smith's iconic 1999 documentary about aspiring filmmaker Mark Borchardt knows the true definition of indie spirit. Through the sheer strength of commitment to his craft, Borchardt (hilariously) proves that if you have a camera, you CAN make a movie.
It's this spirit that Sundance tries to foster with their NEXT program and it's with good reason that they chose Smith's American Movie to open their NEXT WEEKEND mini-fest taking place in LA August 8-11. We'll have a full festival preview next week, but in the meantime, if you've never seen American Movie (or if it's been a while), get your butt down to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery Thursday 8/8 for one of the best indie docs about filmmaking ever made.
Both Chris Smith and Mark Borchardt will be on hand and after American Movie there will be a very special screening of Borchardt's short film Coven (the production that sets the backdrop for the doc). Check out the awesome personal invite from Borchardt below. You can find more info on Sundance's NEXT WEEKEND site.
Sundance NEXT WEEKEND to Kick Off With Cemetery Screening of AMERICAN MOVIE & COVEN