Press Kitchen clients The-Artery and Washington Square Films head to Sundance 2024 to celebrate the screening of films they worked on. The-Artery prepped, supervised, and completed VFX for three films, one in each screening category of Dramatic Competition, Midnight, and Premieres.
Here is a closer look at The-Artery’s exciting lineup at the 2024 festival:
Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg appear in A Real Pain by Jesse Eisenberg, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Writer/Director/Actor Jesse Eisenberg – in his directorial debut – and Kieran Culkin deliver “devastating, funny” performances as mismatched cousins who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history, visually highlighted by Michał Dymek’s eloquent cinematography and a Chopin-driven score. The-Artery’s visual effects work on the feature included prepping, supervising and completing VFX, greatly adding to the striking visual impact of the film.
Known for his Academy Award-nominated role as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, Eisenberg has also starred in Sundance films ‘The Squid’ and ‘The Whale’, ‘Adventureland’ and ‘Zombieland’, among others, plus won accolades for his turn as Lex Luthor in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine appear in I Saw the TV Glow by Jane Schoenbrun, an official selection of the World Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Produced by Oscar-winner Emma Stone (La La Land, The Favorite, Birdland), ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ is from writer/director Jane Schoenbrun and was selected for Sundance’s celebrated Midnight screenings. In the film, teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack. The-Artery contributed visual effects including prepping, supervising and completing the effects which bolstered the film’s otherworldly visuals.
A still from Presence by Steven Soderbergh, an official selection of the Premieres Program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Selected for Sundance’s blockbuster-heavy Premieres section, Presence was directed by Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Sex Lies and Videotape) and includes visual effects contributed by The-Artery. Shot entirely in one location, the film “will haunt audiences with its otherworldly story and constantly awe-inspiring visuals,” centering on a family that moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone. The-Artery was honored to provide portions of the VFX in this film, billed as a thrilling cinematic experience and featuring a compelling cast of both known actors and newcomers.
Here is a glimpse of into two films featuring Washington Square Films talent that were selected for the 2024 Festival:
A still from Between The Temples by Nathan Silver, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. | Photo by Sean Price Williams.
Executive produced by Washington Square Films’ founder Joshua Blum, produced by Adam Kersh and written and directed by Sundance favorite Nathan Silver, Between the Temples is an offbeat comedy that was chosen for the prestigious Sundance Dramatic Competition. In it, a cantor played by Jason Schwartzman has a crisis of faith when his grade school music teacher re-enters his life as an adult bat mitzvah student. Cast members including Oscar-nominee Carol Kane (Hester Street) and Dolly de Leon (Verdict, Triangle of Sadness) add to the humor and comedy writing legend Robert Smigel is credited for the script.
A still from Look Into My Eyes by Lana Wilson an official selection of the Premieres Program at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
While not produced by Washington Square Films, Look Into My Eyes was produced by Emmy-nominated roster commercial director Lana Wilson (Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, The Departure) and was chosen to screen in Sundance’s new ‘premiere free binge series’ section available for free viewing on AMC+. The gripping True Crime series delves into the story of Dr. George Kenney, former principal of North Port High School in Florida, who hypnotized students. After three of his students died in 2011, the series unpacks what happened and explores how culpable Dr. K may be.