Horsing around at Sundance: Director Cindy Meehl’s perspective

Digital Journal Reports | January 2, 2012
Michael Krebs

Andrea Meditch, Julie Goldman, Buck Brannaman, and Cindy Meehl at Sundance 2011

With the 2012 Sundance Film Festival set to begin on January 19, I caught up with Meehl to ask her about experience with “Buck” and about her Sundance perspectives.

KREBS: Often with journalism and with documentary film making the story reshapes the storyteller’s original thought on the subject at hand. And with Buck, the cowboy helps reorient the perspective of a given troubled horse. How did Buck shape you as a director? And when you see the film now, how does he continue to have an impact on you?

MEEHL: Buck actually did a lot to shape me as a director, though I’m sure he does not know it. He has a way of “raising the bar” on everything you do. There is no such thing as too tired, too difficult or not trying your absolute best in his world. Excuses are a joke to him. He’s like the Nike ad ~~ Just Do It! His hard work philosophy and tenacious manner was a big influence on me. Anyone who has ever made a film knows that it is a job full of challenges and choices. It is not for the faint of heart. Knowing his dedication to his work made me work harder than ever to accurately depict him and achieve what it was that I wanted to say in this film. Seeing the film, even now, I still get choked up when I see him riding alone in that field at the end of the film because I know how hard won his success is.

Live @ Sundance

BUCK winning the Acura U.S. Documentary Audience Awards at Sundance 2011

BUCK is at/around 49:00 minutes

BUCK wins BEST DOCUMENTARY in Bergen, Norway!

Straight from Pam’s Iphone!
Cindy accepting award!

BUCK at DOC NYC

BUCK at DOC NYC
Screening 9:00 pm, Friday, Nov 4, 2011 IFC Center
Buy tickets

 

 

 

CASE STUDY: MAKING AND DISTRIBUTING BUCK
10:00 AM, Sat. Nov. 5, 2011 – NYU’s Kimmel Ctr. 9th Floor (room 900)

Co-presented by NYU-SCPS Department of Design, Digital Arts and Film.

An in-depth case study traces the key steps that Cindy Meehl, first-time filmmaker, took to get her film made and into theaters. Panelists include director Cindy Meehl, producer Julie Goldman, sales agent Josh Braun, and distribution specialist Ryan Werner of Sundance Selects.  More information >

More info on DOC NYC

DOC NYC, New York’s premier documentary festival is back, returning for its second year to Greenwich Village with an expanded line-up, 2 extra days, and more guests, panels, and films than last year! The largest festival of its kind ever held in New York, DOC NYC 2011 will showcase 107 events, including screenings of 52 feature-length films and 40 shorts as well as 15 doc-related panel discussions. All events will take place at IFC Center and New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts and Kimmel Center.  There will be over 200 special guests in person, including Werner Herzog, Jonathan Demme, Charlotte Rampling, DA Pennebaker, Barbara Kopple, Russell Simmons, Joe Frazier, and others.  Highlights include: Opening Night Gala of Herzog’s latest, INTO THE ABYSS; US premiere of LEMON, a profile of the Def Poetry Jam star; Spotlight presentation of THE ISLAND PRESIDENT, Toronto Audience Award-winner; an evening with Elliott Erwitt; portraits of Bill T. Jones, Charles & Ray Eames, Jascha Heifetz, Stan Lee, and more!

BUCK wins Golden Eye at Zurich International Film Competition

Listen to Cindy Meehl accepting Gold Eye Award
at Zurich International Documentary Film Competition

 

L: Cindy Meehl with Golden Eye and Kristen Vermilyea
C: Cindy Meehl R: Cindy with Pam Miles, Executive Assistant
Photographer Brigid Schluneger

 

 

 

Dark Horse: Interview with Cindy Meehl and Buck Brannaman

Filmthreat.com
KJ Doughton – interview

There’s absolutely no way on God’s green-pastured, stallion-roaming earth you could POSSIBLY convince me that “Buck” would bring me to tears. I can’t stand horses. The thought of enduring 88 minutes with a boot ‘n bolo-wearing cowboy seemed like one big cinematic saddle sore. Before entering the theater, I was already smelling cow-pies and swatting flies.

More >

Horses Offer a Glimpse into the Soul

Behind the Lens at HotDocs 

In the film Buck, legendary horseman Buck Brannaman shows us what we can learn from our four-legged friends.

Buck Brannaman’s patience and compassion toward horses can teach us a lot about life. First-time documentary film director Cindy Meehl finds that similar patience is required in filmmaking.

Read complete 5/10/11 post at  The Mark.

See Cindy Meehl on Buck interview

Sundance audience winner “Buck” takes same prize at Full Frame

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Buck Brannaman, better known in equestrian circles as the horse whisperer, continued to work his magic over crowds.

“Buck,” Cindy Meehl’s documentary on Brannaman’s unique career, took home the Audience Award at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, months after it claimed the same prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Read complete story at HollywoodNews.com

BUCK Won 2011 Best Documentary at Crossroads Film Festival

BUCK wins award for Best Feature Documentary

Full Frame Doc Film Fest

BUCK is an official selection of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival taking place April 14-17, 2011 in Durham, North Carolina. Full Frame will announce it’s full schedule of programming for the 14th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on March 24th.