UNC Talent Hits Screen At Sundance

Psychedelic visions do more than make people trip. They can make them famous.

UNC professor Francesca Talenti has had her film "The Planets" -- a highly stylized explorative short film -- selected for entry in the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

She leaves today for the event, which starts tomorrow, spans three Utah cities, and ends Jan. 26.

The festival is an extension of the Sundance Institute, founded by Robert Redford and colleagues in 1981 to support and enhance emerging American films and filmmakers.

Every January, the works of burgeoning independent directors and screenwriters from across the nation and the world are showcased at the event.

The largest and most prestigious independent film festival in America, Sundance traditionally has been a central venue for filmmakers hoping to gain more recognition for their work and for producers looking to find an independent gem to take into the Hollywood spotlight.

"I'm just very honored and excited," said Talenti, professor of communication studies. "I'm looking forward to seeing other films, especially foreign ones."

"The Planets" is a stylized portrayal of the solar system, which is presented through a unique method of still-frame animation developed by Talenti over the past seven years.

"The film is psychedelic, but you don't have to be on drugs to have a psychedelic experience," Talenti said.

The film has been accepted into the festival's "Frontier" category, reserved for the most experimental and unconventional works submitted.

"The Planets" is the second of Talenti's works to be showcased at Sundance, the first being a two-minute animated short film called "Partita" that she presented in 1990.

Despite her past acceptance into the festival, Talenti was by no means certain that her latest work would be chosen.

"I've submitted other works since 'Partita' and had numerous rejections," she said. "I just applied to the festival and I was surprised to be accepted.

"I don't think it's likely to win because it's too unusual and the winner (of the category) is usually live-action narration," she said. "I'm confident, but my film is competing with 90 others."

Talenti's substantial work in film has taken her across the country. She received her master's degree from the University of Southern California and went on to work on short films in the Los Angeles area. She then taught film at the University of Texas-Austin before coming to UNC.

Despite her background, Talenti's influences are diverse, ranging from Buster Keaton to Duke Ellington to Leo Tolstoy to Johann Sebastian Bach.

"I have respect for other filmmakers, but I'm not quite sure that they have as much influence on what I do as someone like Buster Keaton, whom I love," she said.

Talenti has finished work on her latest project, "Poetry In Motion," and "The Planets" may soon see screen time beyond Sundance. She is in talks with two distributors with whom she will negotiate further at the festival.

Inspired by her vision, Talenti advises budding artists to stay true to their aspirations.

"Follow your heart," she said. "It's another cliche, I know, but I believe in it."

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.