I need a special ³spell check² on my Imagine computer. The one where I do most of the text work for this magazine. I spend entirely too much time quarreling with it! Disengaging it is not the answer because there are too many bad spellers and errant fingers to take the chance. Just this morning I had to stop everything too many times to change ³composting² back to ³compositing² and ³China Ware² back to ³CineWave.² Itıs exasperating to say the least, especially on the wicked deadlines we keep around here. I need a special spell check issue!

Thankfully, we do get out and do other things:

And one of them is to ³stop dancing.² The dancing is over at Robert Redfordıs annual 10-day affair off the slopes of Park City, Utah, In fact, most everyone has stopped dancing all around Park City, and the folks focus there has turned from Sundance, Slamdance, even Nodance and probably other-dances, back to snow boarding and skiing.

As no sure-thing mainstream feature there attracted the massive Hollywood bidding wars of recent years, the fest focused on edgier, more thought-provoking stories. With this yearıs crop of indie films undergoing what some have called an identity crisis, itıs only fitting that movies about identity crises came out on top at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. Imagine has several reports in this issue including a special piece filed by Anka Theroux who talked to Kate Davis after her reign at Sundance, upon her return from Berlin the day we are going to press.

David Kleiler covers all the New England films, how they played, what are the results and rewards. Donıt miss his unmistakable ³take² called Big Festivals in Establishing Shot. Vinca Jarrett was totally dedicated to Slamdance, which you will understand was her ³dance² of choice when you read her piece in this issue. She wasnıt at all perturbed that Robert Redford was in Morroco shooting a film that isnıt at all what Sundance is about.

For me, there were three or four really important happenings at Sundance: The most important may be that a terrific New England filmmaker won the Mercedes-Benz! Can you believe it? At a press luncheon with all the filmmakers that had films at Sundance, Jacqueline Bisset drew Bestor Cramıs name out of the hat! Bestor Cram, Northern Lights Productions, accompanied his documentary film, AN UNFINISHED SYMPHONY, (see related story from co-director Mike Majoros in this issue) to a well deserved series of screenings at Sundance. And there he had the opportunity to tell Jacqueline Bisset that he thought she had great hands! What a thrill. Soon, we were all wearing dog tags.

There were an outrageous number of star-sightings at this yearıs Sundance. Although not surprising, it was most important to me to see a New England star, one Errol Morris, who really packed Œem into the sold out Prospector Theatre. Everybody came for A Brief History of Errol Morris where Morris served as his own moderator, reflecting back on his career so far by showing clips, telling stories, sharing his lifelong obsessions. Those who know him and have been fortunate enough to see him present his films, know him to be as fascinating a raconteur, as he is a filmmaker. Every question from the audience prompts an even more extraordinary question from Errol himself. Roger Ebert, (who set next to me with his hand held digi-cam trained on Errol) is totally transfixed with Errol and his work; everyone loves the dialogue Errol keeps with himself. Whatıs next for Mr. Morris? He says a drama is next because he is a person with too many stories.

Another most important happening at Sundance is the Massachusetts Film Office Party at the Riverhorse for a number of reasons. For one, Kevin Fennessy gets to celebrate his birthday amongst a generous number of his friends and peers from New England. Here a large contingency from home gathers to celebrate their work, especially if itıs accepted into a ³dance² competition. It feels stronger, like the muscle of this filmmaking center is flexing more confidently each year. For the MFO, Robin Dawson and Tim Graft were delightful and sparkling hosts to a truly talented and dazzling group of guests. Very high marks all around!

Imagine unveiled its 2001: A CyberSpace Odyssey Calendar Poster this month! This is the second in the series, which began in the year 2000. The Plan is to keep them coming for at least five years. Again this year, Imagine salutes a classic film, Kubrickıs 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (BARBARELLA, last year) in a manner that reflects a daring combination of art, beauty, technology and the high production standards that this project is becoming famous for. Here, we rescue the baby Kubrick hurled into space and give it a beautiful Space Madonna, who I believe is responsible for protecting and nourishing the symbol of a new soul for Earth. If you like, you can send me your interpretation.

The main images of Actress and Model, Christie Scott Cashman, and her stunt baby, Willa MacLennan (the then 12-week old daughter of Ellen Friedman and Dave MacLennan), were captured by Boston photographer Jack Foley when Christie was 8-months pregnant with her new baby boy, Jay Michael Cashman. Many photo-composites and computer crashes later, Mike Travis, the Imagine Art Guy, finally completed the masterpiece and tendered it to Plymouth Color for their superb printing of what has once again proved to be a thoroughly exhilarating project. The poster will now be available as a client promotional piece and at many Imagine sponsored events in the coming months.

This month a Boston institution celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Imagine salutes this epic event with a special piece about the Boston Film/Video Foundation by Julie Levinson. While we were compiling this issue, we all noticed that those little initials BF/VF come up time and again in many of the articles, profiles, events, and spotlights weıve featured. We were amazed at just how often we see BF/VF embedded in the fabric of New England filmmaking. Read on and youıll see what we mean. Congratulations to Anne Marie Stein, the BF/VF staff, board, volunteers, fundraisers, members, supporters past and present for jobs all well done! Donıt miss their celebratory events, including the New England Film Festival this month!