Sundance 2012 Daily Blog: Day 1

Total Film is in Park City, Utah for that world's premier independent movie showcase, the Sundance Film Festival.After a legendary, mix-Atlantic journey that involved grouchy customs officials, "minor" turbulence and embarrassing guffaws at Melissa McCarthy shitting inside a sink (in Bridesmaids, clearly), we have finally showed up slap bang in the center of a winter wonderland similar to a Tim Burton movie.For the following ten days, this snowy corner of america hosts a packed schedule of the highest quality American indies, documentaries and world cinema all competing for distribution over next season.Complete Film braved jetlag delirium to bundle in to the The First Day press conference. There, Sundance founder and Hollywood legend Robert Redford introduced the approaching points of interest while showing he's lost none of his defiant indie spirit."We must help remind people why we're here," he stated, warning from the corrupting forces of Hollywood money males. "This is one of the filmmakers as well as their work."A fast slice of pizza later and the time had come to trap the very first film from the fest - mental Aussie thriller Wish You Had Been Here, which pairs Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom) with Teresa Palmer (I'm # 4) for any brutal traveller's warning.Slow-burning and flashback heavy, debut feature director Kieran Darcy-Cruz effectively cranks the tension, while Edgerton requires a break from his recent alpha male roles and impresses having a remarkably fragile turn.Right, we are off and away to brave a snowdrift to the TF headquarters. Wish us luck!