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Daily Buzz from the Sundance Film Festival culminated with Episode 10 from the festival, re-broadcasting highlights from last week’s event in Park City, Utah. Earlier interviews from filmmakers including Documentary Premiere This May Be The Last Time, Stephanie Soechtig and Katie Couric’s Fed Up, Richard Ray Perez’s Cesar’s Last Fast and Brian Knappenberger’s Internet’s Own Boy as well as a final round of Hot Topics round out Daily Buzz’s coverage from the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Previous episodes from Main Street in Park City with some of the most talked about films at this year’s Sundance can be heard by clicking links below.

Daily Buzz from the Sundance Film Festival:

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3

Episode 4, Episode 5 , Episode 6

Episode 7 , Episode 8, Episode 9 

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

Veteran documentary filmmaker Brian Knappenberger focuses his story, The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz in the digital age through a personal story of a computer programming genius. Aaron Swartz emerged as a pioneer of the internet through his activism, education and politics. He was indicted on multiple charges in 2011 and 2012, which began a complex series of events that left the internet community reeling. Shortly after, Swartz ws found dead of an apparent suicide in his Brooklyn apartment at the age of 26.

This May Be The Last Time

Sterlin Harjo’s This May Be the Last Time debuted in Sundance’s Documentary Premieres section. The film is an investigation into Native American filmmaker Harjo’s family history, namely the mysterious 1962 disappearance of his grandfather and the songs of encouragement sung by those who searched for him. In the film, Harjo traces the creation of their songs, which recall a time of upheaval when U.S. policy forced their relocation. “The songs originated in Scotland, Appalachia and the blues of African American slaves,” noted Harjo.

Fed Up

“As a television journalist for 35 years I realized I’ve been covering this subject time and time again,” said Couric to Daily Buzz. “Nobody’s taken a comprehensive look at why childhood obesity has gotten worse and worse and worse despite the fact we’ve been talking about this for years.” Former network news anchor traveled to Sundance to promote Fed Up, the U.S. Documentary Competition film she helped executive produce for director Stephanie Soechtig. The film unearths a secret of the American food industry — far more people get sick via consumption than previously realized. Soechtig and Couric uncover why despite the public’s fascination with appearance and government policies to combat childhood obesity, generations of children are now expected to live shorter lives than their parents.

“There’s a systematic crisis that on the part of our govt and the food industry, in which our kids may have a shorter life span than their parents for the first time,” added Couric. “And that reality has a great consequences for us as a society.”

Cesar’s Last Fast

Labor and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez went on what would be his last act of protest in 1988, forming the backdrop of Richard Ray Perez’s Cesar’s Last Fast. Chavez’s “Fast for Life,” was a 36-day water-only hunger strike to draw attention to the terrine effects of unrestricted use of pesticides on farm workers and their families. Filmmaker Richard Ray Perez first learned of Chavez’s work as a grade school student and had been interested in doing a film about Chavez. He later met filmmaker Lorena Parlee who had worked with the labor leader and had amassed dozens of hours of footage of him — a good amount never before seen. She asked him to help her with the project since she was being treated for breast cancer.

Eventually, he inherited the film after her death. “He empowered a generation of Latinos to realize they have the power to organize and have a place in this nation’s history and they can fight for social justice,” Perez told Daily Buzz.  “I think there’s a generation of Latinos who don’t know that history and I hope this film will tell that history and let them know they can organize for workers rights, the minimum wage and that they can fight for the rights of all Americans including the growing income disparity in this country. This is a story that relates to today and has a profound message that resonates today.”

And finally a round of thanks to all that made Daily Buzz presented by Soyombo Vodka possible at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in addition to Daily Buzz host Eugene Hernandez, producer Irene Cho and of course our guests on the show throughout our stay in Park City:

Sponsors:
Soyombo Vodka
Skullcandy
Sabra
Cloud Electronics
KCPW
Film Linc

In-kind:
People Water
Allgood Provisions
SuperGood Bars

Special thanks:
City of Park City, Sundance Institute, Sundance Film Festival, Emily Coy (Ketchum PR) & Chase Sapphire on Main, Heather Webster (Mother NY) & Microsoft One Million Square Ft Lounge, Lansia Wann, Kevin Arthofer, Ross Chambless, Lauren Hundley, Elisha Gustafson, Sara Wagner, Melissa Mobley, Claire Chen-Carter, Tyler Ford (KCPW), Jesse Ellis (KCPW), Henry Eschelman, Sarah Eaton (Sundance Institute), Casey De La Rosa (Sundance Institute), Lizzie Latenser (Sundance Institute), Emel Shaikh (Sundance Institute), Anna Hanson (Sundance Institute), Brian Brooks (FSLC), Lesli Klainberg (FSLC), Courtney Ott (FSLC), David Ninh (FSLC), John Wildman (FSLC)
Nicholas Kemp (FSLC), Linda Yang (FSLC)