Sundance 2020 is almost here, and we wanted to introduce you to the team that will be bringing you all the best Sundance coverage! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest reviews, celebrity selfies, photos, interviews and so much more!
Jaime Winston — A former Salt Lake magazine intern, web editor, family blogger and weird guy in the office, Jaime now writes for us on a freelance basis. At this year’s Sundance Film Fest, he hopes to be terrified while reviewing films in the Midnight section, but he’s pretty sure that will really happen while watching a few documentaries bring horrible truths to light. If he’s not waitlisting at the Rose Wagner theater, you may find him ogling baked goods at The Rose Establishment.
David Shuff — David spent years running around the world, most specifically Japan, Utah and the L.A. film industry before finally settling down in his almost-native Florida, with occasional stints back in Utah as needed, like for Sundance. Watch this space for his videos of the action. “I love feeling the energy of Main Street during the festival. For a short time, Park City becomes the center of the film industry’s universe.”
Natalie Simpson — SLC photographer Natalie Simpson will be braving the cold in Park City for several red carpet premieres at Sundance this year. This will be her 7th consecutive year shooting the film festival for Salt Lake Magazine. Natalie is most looking forward to being in one of George Pimentel’s famous group shots, where he convinces an actor to pose with the paparazzi (some favorites from Sundance’s past are James Franco, Jon Hamm and Jack Black). She is not looking forward to most likely being the shortest photographer on the red carpet.
Stuart Graves “celebrity searcher” — It’s a great, eclectic mix of folks at Sundance. More so this year than ever. Scheduled to participate in Sundance 2020 is everyone from Hillary Clinton, to Taylor Swift, to Anthony Hopkins. Stuarts number one celeb selfie hope? Bette Midler! She is an icon! He’d love to meet her and get a photo. That’s what Stuart is looking forward to the most.
Michael Mejia — Many of Michael’s most anticipated films of this festival come from the World Cinema categories, tales of immigration and justice from Mexico and Guatemala, Ai Wei Wei’s documentary on the 43 disappeared students of Ayotzinapa, rural disintegration in Venezuela. Massoud Bakhshi’s Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness, may be at the top of his list. It’s a fiction film, based on real events, about a young Iranian woman seeking forgiveness for murdering her husband via a live, reality television program. The director is skipping Sundance in protest of our current administration’s war spasm, but we’re fortunate to still have this opportunity to get a glimpse of contemporary life in Tehran. And just so Michael’s slate’s not (quite) all darkness, he’s looking forward to the return of the Ross brothers (whose Western he loved in 2015), documenting the last night of a Vegas dive bar, and Jumbo, a film from France about a woman whose romantic interest is a Tilt-a-Whirl. Bien sûr. Oh, and Isabella Rossellini, one of this year’s jurors!
Kaitlyn Christy — Kaitlyn is the Web Editor for Salt Lake Magazine. This will be Kaitlyn’s first Sundance. She is thrilled to be apart of such an incredible team. She will be covering films and fashion at Sundance. Kaitlyn is looking forward to (hopefully) getting to meet Hillary Clinton and experiencing the alluring energy of Sundance.
