Everything’s EXTREME these days…even film festivals.
The third annual X-Dance 2003 Action Sports Film and Video Game Festival showcased over 25 of this year’s top action sports films and video games. Running January 18th-21st in Park City, Utah, concurrent with the Sundance Film Festival, X-Dance was a magnet for icons of the EXTREME whether they be athletes, musicians or Hollywood celebrities.
Sundance alum and producer of Requiem for a Dream and Pi, Randy Simon commented on the X-Dance festivities, “It was the best party of 2003 by far, one of the greatest ever, and I’ve been at Sundance for the past 10 years. Incredible visuals, the best music, and the coolest people.”
Actually, the Film Threat party, in celebration of Bob Odenkirk’s new film Melvin Goes to Dinner, was the best party of the year…not to rain on anyone’s parade or anything.
Serving up a decidedly different flavor of indie films than the other festivals at Sundance, X-Dance delivered a welcome alternative to the often-preposterous pretense of the Hollywood scene. As emcee Glen Plake reminded the crowd, “Unlike Hollywood, our stars are real people.”
This year’s winner for Best Action Sports Film was Steve Olpin’s “NASTY’S WORLD,” a dog on a bike film starring BMX superstar Corey Nastazio. Nastazio and the filmmakers accepted the evening’s top honors from ESPN Commentator Sal Masekela and Ken Block, President of DC SHOES.
As in 2002, the interactive component was a huge hit this year at X-Dance, and the Best Action Sports Video Game Award went to Activision’s “TONY HAWK PRO SKATER IV.” You were expecting something else?
Pauly Shore presented Best Stunt Film to Fleshwound Films’ “CRUSTY DEMONS OF DIRT: THE EIGHTH DIMENSION,” directed and produced by Dana Nicholson.
During the festival, X-Dance hosted panels on the state of action sports films and video games featuring DC Shoes President Ken Block, “KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN” director Tamra Davis, Powder magazine editor Steve Metcalf, athlete manager Circe Wallace-Hetzel, music supervisor Andrew Mitchell, EA Lifestyle Marketing Manager Gaylene Nagel, filmmaker/athlete Jake Oelman, and athletes Seth Morrison, Andy Hetzel and Mike & Tina Basich.
For more post festival information, please visit the X-Dance website.
