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CNN Live Today

Interview With Actors Amy Redford, Tif Luckenbill

Aired January 21, 2003 - 11:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Sundance is really all about young filmmakers, young actors, young actresses, all trying to get their film noticed, and I'm here with two aspiring actors -- actresses -- one actress, one actor. Tif Luckenbill, Amy Redford. Tif, this is your first time at the Sundance Film Festival. What's it like?
TIF LUCKENBILL, ACTOR: It's extraordinary. I mean it is -- the process, the film that we did was just such a nice tight group working together, and then just to see it moving -- moving forward is nice.

COOPER: Now, the film is "Cry Funny Happy," that is what it is called, and it is really -- it's an ensemble, but it is really kind of unique. It is actually shot on digital film, and there really wasn't a script, Amy.

AMY REDFORD, ACTOR: No, there wasn't a script. There's a framework that was very specific, and we had to work within that framework, and then the dialogue itself wasn't scripted, but the characters, and you know the sort of events in each scene were carefully mapped out, and then we could sort of play within that, and we would have like three cameras going at one time during all of our improvs, so...

COOPER: And your father is Robert Redford, who started this festival. What is it like -- you've probably been here for years as a kid growing up coming to this. What's it like to be here as an actress?

REDFORD: Well, I came here when they first started the festival and it was one movie in the Egyptian down the street, with like eight freaks and me, sort of watching this blurry black and white film, and I actually -- you know it's very exciting to be here with a project that I'm involved in, and doing something like that, you know. It's also confusing because it's gotten so big, that I think people are trying to find their way back to the sort of core of how it started.

COOPER: Has it gotten too big? I mean, Jennifer Lopez was here over the weekend. You see people driving around in Hummers and Hollywood people on their cell phones.

REDFORD: Well, you know, you can't really help that because the whole reason why it got big was because the product was good. People are hungry to see movies that they didn't have access to otherwise. So, all of this stuff -- these actors are coming here because they want to be a part of something that's authentic. They want to be with peers that are trying to stretch the boundaries of Hollywood and projects. And so, for that reason, it's exciting. They could stay in L.A. They don't have to be freezing out here.

COOPER: Not only is this festival about just sort of appreciating independent films and spotlighting them, it is really about -- there's a business behind it. It is trying to get these films picked up, trying to find a distributor. I know you would like to find a distributor for your film. How do you go about it? How do you try to get someone interested in your movie?

REDFORD: You show it to them. I mean, that's all you can do. I think the product speaks for itself. I mean, there's a certain amount of making sure that the word's out there, and us sort of running around the streets talking about our movie. But there's only so much you can do. People liked your film, or they don't like the film. And I think, for us in particular, it's such a specific and unique structure that we just get people to come and watch it, and the response has been good.

COOPER: It is often very much people literally running around on the street. I mean, you walk down the streets here and people are handing you flyers saying, Please come to my movie, I'm giving free food out, free popcorn.

REDFORD: Well, just -- having access to a market like this is incredible. You would never have this any other way. It's such an isolated spot, it is like the distilled version of Hollywood, and yet, it's on the side, it's a more subversive thing. So -- I mean, I love these people running around, and slow dance, and no dance and...

COOPER: A lot of different film festivals here.

REDFORD: Yes, which is great. A guy handed me a CD last night of his film and that's -- the spirit of it is exciting.

COOPER: That's great. Well, Amy Redford, Tif Luckenbill, appreciate it. Good luck on your movie, "Cry Funny Happy." Hope it gets picked up. Hope you become big stars.

REDFORD: Thank you.

LUCKENBILL: Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 21, 2003 - 11:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Sundance is really all about young filmmakers, young actors, young actresses, all trying to get their film noticed, and I'm here with two aspiring actors -- actresses -- one actress, one actor. Tif Luckenbill, Amy Redford. Tif, this is your first time at the Sundance Film Festival. What's it like?
TIF LUCKENBILL, ACTOR: It's extraordinary. I mean it is -- the process, the film that we did was just such a nice tight group working together, and then just to see it moving -- moving forward is nice.

COOPER: Now, the film is "Cry Funny Happy," that is what it is called, and it is really -- it's an ensemble, but it is really kind of unique. It is actually shot on digital film, and there really wasn't a script, Amy.

AMY REDFORD, ACTOR: No, there wasn't a script. There's a framework that was very specific, and we had to work within that framework, and then the dialogue itself wasn't scripted, but the characters, and you know the sort of events in each scene were carefully mapped out, and then we could sort of play within that, and we would have like three cameras going at one time during all of our improvs, so...

COOPER: And your father is Robert Redford, who started this festival. What is it like -- you've probably been here for years as a kid growing up coming to this. What's it like to be here as an actress?

REDFORD: Well, I came here when they first started the festival and it was one movie in the Egyptian down the street, with like eight freaks and me, sort of watching this blurry black and white film, and I actually -- you know it's very exciting to be here with a project that I'm involved in, and doing something like that, you know. It's also confusing because it's gotten so big, that I think people are trying to find their way back to the sort of core of how it started.

COOPER: Has it gotten too big? I mean, Jennifer Lopez was here over the weekend. You see people driving around in Hummers and Hollywood people on their cell phones.

REDFORD: Well, you know, you can't really help that because the whole reason why it got big was because the product was good. People are hungry to see movies that they didn't have access to otherwise. So, all of this stuff -- these actors are coming here because they want to be a part of something that's authentic. They want to be with peers that are trying to stretch the boundaries of Hollywood and projects. And so, for that reason, it's exciting. They could stay in L.A. They don't have to be freezing out here.

COOPER: Not only is this festival about just sort of appreciating independent films and spotlighting them, it is really about -- there's a business behind it. It is trying to get these films picked up, trying to find a distributor. I know you would like to find a distributor for your film. How do you go about it? How do you try to get someone interested in your movie?

REDFORD: You show it to them. I mean, that's all you can do. I think the product speaks for itself. I mean, there's a certain amount of making sure that the word's out there, and us sort of running around the streets talking about our movie. But there's only so much you can do. People liked your film, or they don't like the film. And I think, for us in particular, it's such a specific and unique structure that we just get people to come and watch it, and the response has been good.

COOPER: It is often very much people literally running around on the street. I mean, you walk down the streets here and people are handing you flyers saying, Please come to my movie, I'm giving free food out, free popcorn.

REDFORD: Well, just -- having access to a market like this is incredible. You would never have this any other way. It's such an isolated spot, it is like the distilled version of Hollywood, and yet, it's on the side, it's a more subversive thing. So -- I mean, I love these people running around, and slow dance, and no dance and...

COOPER: A lot of different film festivals here.

REDFORD: Yes, which is great. A guy handed me a CD last night of his film and that's -- the spirit of it is exciting.

COOPER: That's great. Well, Amy Redford, Tif Luckenbill, appreciate it. Good luck on your movie, "Cry Funny Happy." Hope it gets picked up. Hope you become big stars.

REDFORD: Thank you.

LUCKENBILL: Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com