Manager of programming department, Sundance Film Festival
Brazil-born Ana Souza grew up in Amsterdam and graduated in film studies from the UK’s Warwick University. She moved to the US for her masters in critical studies in cinema and television at the University of Southern California and “edged her way in” to AFI Fest and Outfest, eventually joining Sundance in 2015 as assistant to then director of programming Trevor Groth.
Current Sundance director of programming Kim Yutani has been a big influence, acknowledges Souza. “She is able to listen and instil confidence in everyone to trust their own tastes.
“I’m fond of genre films and have been encouraged how wider audiences have embraced what was once niche,” adds Souza, who programmes for the Midnight section. Case in point: Bruno Mourral’s unsolicited submission Kidnapping Inc., a Haitian thriller that screened at this year’s Sundance. “It’s an action comedy that’s also very sensitive.
“Sundance is a big festival but we can’t rest on our laurels and wait for the work to come to us,” notes Souza, who also does some work at Palm Springs International ShortFest, a good place to meet future feature directors. Last year she added BAM in Bogota, Colombia, to her itinerary. “It’s a big meeting point for Latin American co-productions.”
She says witnessing a film connect with an audience is supremely rewarding. Shuchi Talati’s Indian drama Girls Will Be Girls won this year’s Sundance world cinema dramatic audience award. “I had been tracking that for a while,” she says. “It looks at sexuality and felt completely unique.”
Rejecting filmmakers hurts, but having that “bird’s-eye view” of the independent cinema landscape is a privilege. Souza notes that she feels excited about what lies ahead. “Filmmakers are so good at reflecting our existential anxieties and transforming those fears into work that will move us.”
Contact: Ana Souza
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