Shawn attended the Sundance Red Carpet Premiere for The Climb. The film was written by Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin who both star in the film. (And, because he's an over achiever, Michael directed it too.)

Michael and Kyle play….Michael and Kyle. Kyle is getting married. He and his best friend (and best man), Mike, embark on a bike ride to clear the sinuses, when, out of nowhere Mike reveals that he slept with Kyle’s fiancée. 

Interviews include the films stars Daniella Covino, Judith Godrèche, Gayle Rankin as well as a brief chat with Michael Angelo Sovino and Kyle Marvin. 

The Climb will be released in theaters by Sony Pictures Classics on March 20. Follow @theclimbfilm on Instagram for more information.

Learn more about the Sundance Film Festival at sundance.org.

Shawn is joined by writer/director Frederike Migom to discuss her new film Binti, which premiered in the Kids section of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. 

Twelve-year-old Binti and her father, Jovial, are undocumented immigrants from the Congo, who have lived in Belgium since Binti was a baby. She aspires to be an online influencer, but their lives are upended when the refugee squat they are living in is raided by the Belgian police. 

While on the run, Binti meets Elias, a young boy who is working to save the okapi, the threatened “forest giraffe” native to the Congo. Their parents meet, and Binti realizes that a solution to her problems is right in front of her—all she needs to do is convince Elias’s mom and her dad to get married. 

Frederike and Shawn talk about where the idea for Binti came from and how she sought to humanize the issues surrounding immigration. They also discuss the kind of condescending vibe some people give off when it comes to kids’ films and how frustrating it can be.

You can learn more about Frederike and her work at her website FrederikeMigom.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @FrederikeMigom. 

Learn more about the film at bintithefilm.com and follow on Instagram @bintithefilm. 

Learn more about the Sundance Film Festival at sundance.org.

And Then We Danced was one of Shawn's favorite films from Sundance 2020. In this Between Takes episode, he chats with the film's writer/director Levan Akin. They discuss the controversy surrounding the film's production and how the film has helped open doors to reaffirm LGBTQ rights and protections in the country of Georgia. They also discuss the film's joyful tone, and why it was so important to Levan to tell an ultimately uplifting story.

And Then We Danced opens in New York City this weekend and expands to Los Angeles and additional cities the weekend of February 14. Learn more about the film and when/where you can see it here.

Follow Levan Akin on Instagram @levanakin

Learn more about the Sundance Film Festival at sundance.org.

Shawn attended the red carpet premiere for Tesla at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Not only did he get to chat with some of the stars and writer/director Michael Almereyda, he got to share a brief moment with Ethan Hawke celebrating the 25th anniversary of Before Sunrise. 

Also featuring interviews with:
- Rebecca Dayan
- Michael Almereyda 
- Jim Gaffigan

To learn more about the Sundance Film Festival, visit Sundance.org.

Actor Will Madden joins Shawn to discuss his role in the upcoming film Beast Beast, which premiered at Sundance 2020. Will plays Adam, a somewhat introverted gun enthusiast who seeks to make a full-time career as a YouTube personality. He and Shawn discuss how Will managed to make Adam sympathetic, despite some of the character's darker tendencies, and what it's like to star in a Sundance film.

You can learn more about Will and his work at his website willmadden.com.

Twitter: @willrmadden
Instagram: @willrmadden

Learn more about the Sundance Film Festival at sundance.org.