Therese_Shechter's blog

As Sundance devotees start packing their bags, filmmaker and festival volunteer Therese Shechter fields reader questions, including whether or not an average moviegoer should try to attend Sundance at least once, how she pitched her documentary project to potential backers and distributors, and what films she saw at the festival that readers should keep an eye on. She also talks about actor Diego Luna, pictured at left, who participated in the "Latin Renaissance" panel. Apparently, he's very thoughtful about film.

Didn't make it to Park City this year? Therese Shechter did—in fact, for the seventh year in a row, she's volunteering at the festival. So what makes this Sundance different from every other one? After a few days in Park City, Shechter finds herself lamenting a lack of a functional hot tub at her condo and professing love for strangers who deliver hot food. Oh, and she has caught a few films—so far, Anvil! The Story of Anvil! (pictured at left) is her favorite—in between pitching her latest documentary, The American Virigin, to movers and shakers in the indie world. In her next dispatch, Shechter will answer readers' questions about Sundance. To submit one, click here.