Director Davis Guggenheim talks about his latest documentary, “Waiting for Superman,” which takes a creative look at problems in the education system. The film follows five kids and their parents, examining how the system inhibits rather than encourages academic progress. An earlier documentary short about teachers, called “Teach,” was the first film Guggenheim took to Sundance. Guggenheim describes what has changed in his life to make him revisit the school system and how he wanted to tell the story of a much-discussed problem by using humor and suspense to engage audiences about the issue in a way they have never seen before. He explains why he chose the five students featured in the documentary and his sense of responsibility to accurately share their stories while also tackling the nuances of a complicated education structure. Guggenheim also recounts the moment he learned “Waiting for Superman” had been picked up for distribution by Paramount and his faith in the distributors’ desire to genuinely impact the issues in the film.

Tyler Labine, Eli Craig and Alan Tudyk discuss how their film compares to others of its genre. Labine jokes about needing to get drunk before seeing it for the first time with an audience.  They riff on its spoof of traditional horror movies and how it’s a “nerd’s delight,” and banter about the idiosyncracies of the hillbilly characters.  “Tucker & Dale vs Evil” follows two hillbillies as they take a holiday weekend at their cabin in the woods, where they encounter a group of college kids also out for a long weekend. Madness ensues after the hillbillies rescue one of the kids — a pretty blonde — from the lake and her friends assume she’s been kidnapped. Craig discusses paying homage to the horror films he grew up with and how he felt about blending humor with the violence of the movie. Labine and Tudyk talk a little about their characters and “hillbilly culture,” pushing the envelope with the film’s humor, and how (nay, whether) overalls would fit into their wardrobe.

Writer/director Eric Mendelsohn and actors Kathryn Erbe and Danai Gurira chat about what drew them toward the story in the film “3 Backyards.” Mendelsohn and Erbe also shed light on what the atmosphere on set was like for this small production and the unusual challenge of editing in a house and not in a traditional editing facility. Coming from television’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” Erbe differentiates her experience on “3 Backyards” and explains how it was a welcomed change of pace. The three muse about whether or not art is a form of therapy for them and how this notion gets turned on its head in their film. Gurira describes what it was about her character that drew her to the script. On the other hand, Mendelsohn explains what it is like to release control of his script to his actors and trust other people with the characters he birthed.

Actors Edie Falco and Embeth Davidtz reflect on empathizing and discovering their characters in Eric Mendelsohn’s most recent film, “3 Backyards.” Falco describes herself as Mendelsohn’s secret biggest fan and discusses how her admiration for the director and his work influenced her experience on the film. Davidtz explains her surprise at the film becoming so much more than she expected it to be, contrasting the finished product with what she prepared for. She goes into detail about flushing out her character, The Actress, and how embodying her character’s frigidness pained her. Both actors question whether it is creating art or watching and experience art that is most therapeutic in their lives. In regard to the this year’s experience at the Sundance Film Festival, Davidtz compares it to her first visit several years ago while Falco contemplates the idea of filmmakers who work for the sake of the work congregating at a festival.

Director Michael Mohan and the cast of “One Too Many Mornings” chat about their creative, low-budget techniques and the decision to distribute online.  This film, shot over two years for only $50,000, follows Peter (Deptula), heartbroken over his ex-girlfriend (Kapousis), as he seeks refuge with his friend Fischer (Hale), who lives for free in a church.  Mohan explains the motivation to shoot the film in black and white and the freedom this process offered. Kapousis sheds light on the collaboration process for the members of this group, all of whom were friends prior to the making of “One Too Many Mornings.” The group talks about what led to the unconventional decision to sell DVDs of the film online and make it available on video-sharing website YouTube before seeking theatrical distribution. Hale expands on this idea of using the Internet to sell independent cinema with discussion of the film team’s blog and its use to share the filmmaking experience with fans.

Jonathan (Yony) Leyser discusses the making of his documentary, “William S. Burroughs: A Man Within,” about the life of the legendary Beat novelist. Director Leyser talks about drawing inspiration from his interview subjects, who include filmmaker John Waters and singer Patti Smith, and how the vision for this documentary changed over time because of their input and shared admiration for a writer who inspired their own careers. He outlines how his objective changed from making “a William S. Burroughs documentary” to making “the William S. Burroughs documentary.”  Leyser recounts his first introduction to Burroughs’ novel, “Naked Lunch,” in high school and the amazement he felt over the rebellious literary style Burroughs employed. Leyser compares and contrasts this element of Burroughs’ nature with the so-called Sundance rebellion, which he is not entirely sure exists. “William S. Burroughs: A Man Within” is a directorial debut for Leyser and the only posthumous documentary about the writer.

Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington discuss connecting with soldiers in Afghanistan and being emotionally embedded for their documentary “Restrepo.” The filmmakers talk about how the documentary, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Award, was shot over a year spent with the Second Platoon in the strategically crucial and incredibly dangerous Korengal Valley. Hetherington and Junger, both journalists, are by no means unfamiliar with danger and have spent decades between them covering war zones across the globe. The duo explain that, for the making of “Restrepo,” they needed to delve deep and become part of the platoon, functioning like soldiers to bond with their subjects in a way neither had ever done before. They feel the result is an honest film about soldiers at war that deliberately avoids any political undertones. Junger mentions he was particularly pleased that the families of the soldiers were touched to see a documentary that helped them understand what their loved ones have been through in very real way. “Restrepo” screened on opening night at the 2010 Sundance Film festival.