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Sundance Film Festival Reaches Record Economic Impact

June 18, 2009

“Grizzly Night” Entertains and Informs
By Matt Patti
January 30, 2026
Grizzly Night (Burke Doeren, 2026) 3 out of 5 stars Back in the 1960s, grizzly bears, and bears of any kind in fact, were not thought of as they are today. There were many notions about bears that turned out to be false that many hikers, campers, and even wildlife experts held to be true. Of course, back then, bear attacks were very rare. ... >>
Sundance Review: “Seized”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
January 28, 2026
Seized (Sharon Liese, 2026) 3½ out of 5 stars On August 11, 2023, police in Marion, Kansas, raided not only the office of the local newspaper The Marion Record, but the home of its editor, Eric Meyer, which he shared with his 98-year mother, Joan. Together they both owned the publication, though sadly Joan (pronounced “Jo-ann”) died the next day, leaving Eric as sole majority owner. In Seized, the jaunty new documentary from director Sharon ... >>
Sundance Review: “Cookie Queens”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
January 27, 2026
Cookie Queens (Alysa Nahmias, 2026) 4 out of 5 stars According to the title cards in Cookie Queens, the new documentary from director Alysa Nahmias (Art & Krimes by Krimes), the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) sell about 250 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies annually over the course of six weeks. That’s roughly $800 million in revenue, of which the sellers (i.e., the young troop members) receive $1 (out of $6) per box. As someone who ... >>
“Been Here Stay Here” Portrays Vanishing Island
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
January 7, 2026
Been Here Stay Here (David Usui, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Director David Usui makes his solo-feature debut with Been Here Stay Here, a documentary portrait of Tangier Island, located in Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Since the mid-1800s, the island has lost two-thirds of its land mass and is projected to essentially vanish in the relatively near future (as in, it won’t last till the end of this century). That’s rough news for the 400 ... >>
“Happy and You Know It” Offers Good Cheer
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
December 24, 2025
Happy and You Know It (Penny Lane, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Writing meaningful music for children is not easy. Just ask the composers/performers featured in Happy and You Know It, the latest documentary from Penny Lane (Listening to Kenny G), which come out Christmas Day on HBO. It’s a worthy profession, however, no matter the challenges, for there’s nothing better than inspiring children to sing, dance, and be merry. ... >>

10 Films to Watch at Sundance 2026
January 20, 2026
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival runs live and ...>>
Chris Reed’s Top 10 Films of 2025
December 31, 2025
It always amazes me how different a given year’s ...>>
Hannah Tran’s Top 10 Films of 2025
December 29, 2025
Whether in narrative or documentary, few years have ...>>
Matt Patti’s Top 10 Films of 2025
December 26, 2025
Another year has come and passed and here we are at ...>>
Patrick Howard’s Top 10 Films of 2025
December 24, 2025
Where I have previously reviewed the film (in this ...>>