Greenlandic director Torben Bech and actor Lars Rosing talk about reactions to their film “Nuummioq,” Greenland’s first international feature film. The film tells the story of a man, Malik (Rosing), after he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and the final boat ride he takes with his best friend into the fjords of Greenland. Bech and Rosing reflect on how their film is going up against an American public that knows very little about Greenland or its people and the effect this has had on the film’s reception. Each shares the strange questions they have heard after film screenings, such as whether it is true Greenlanders hardly speak to each other. Rosing talks about his surprise at how people received Greenland humor. Bech elaborates on how Greenland, itself, is a character in the film and on his use of non-professional actors and the effect that had on writing the script.

First-time director Philip Seymour Hoffman is joined by his cast members to discuss adapting the Broadway play “Jack Goes Boating” to the big screen. Set against the backdrop of working-class New York City, “Jack Goes Boating” centers around two love stories and stars Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega. Hoffman talks about the excitement of being at the Sundance Film Festival for the first time as a director, how the experience of this movie was different than his previous work, and what he learned about the filmmaking process from it. Ortiz, who acted in the Broadway incarnation of “Jack Goes Boating,” explains what changed in making the story come alive on film. Rubin-Vega, also reprising her role as Lucy from the stage version, reveals the struggles of translating a character from one storytelling medium to another. Ryan provides some insight into the story’s awkwardness and tension and how this translates for audiences.

Adrian Grenier talks about making his film “Teenage Paparazzo” with Alex Baldwin and Matt Damon, and what he learned entering the paparazzi world. In his second full-length documentary, Grenier (HBO’s “Entourage”) turns the tables on juvenile paparazzi – focusing on one foul-mouthed 13-year-old paparazzo named Austin Visschedyk – in order to give the world a different view of the paparazzi and how they fuel our culture’s obsession with the glitz and glamour of fame. Grenier discusses the medium of documentary in filmmaking. He explains his interest in presenting the human side of both the celebrities and the paparazzi. He opens up about what it feels like to be on the other side of the lens looking at the celebrities and the difficulties he faced getting some of the famous names in the film to talk to him about their experiences with the paparazzi. Grenier also talks about how storytelling is different as an actor and as a director.

The director and her subject talk about the microcredit economic model that Nobel Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus, Ph.D., created in Bangladesh. They discuss how the documentary covers Dr. Yunus’ revolutionary model for moving people out of poverty through the use of microloans. Dr. Yunus contemplates the model’s success in Bangladesh and discusses why it work in the United States.  He explains why he believes that if you give poor women money in the right situation – one where they have peer support – they will not only help themselves, but bring their community up with them. 
Ferraro tells about first hearing of Dr. Yunus and his work, and he reflects on how his life has changed since receiving the Nobel Prize.  Dr. Yunus discusses the situation common to impoverished people all over the globe.  He also talks about how the current financial crisis has impacted his credit model and the response of the people he has helped.

Actors James Frecheville, Jacki Weaver and Sullivan Stapleton talk about portraying dark and evil characters in the Australian film “Animal Kingdom.” The movie is a feature-film debut for Frecheville, who plays the troubled, young Joshua “J” Cody who is trying to escape the criminal spiral of his family life in Melbourne, Australia. Frecheville was only 17 when he shot “Animal Kingdom” and discusses how the film has been key in starting his young career. Weaver, a veteran of the Australian film industry, sheds light on playing J’s twisted mother and how her character is the root of her son’s problems. She jokes about the difference between her onscreen persona and the mother she is in real life. The three laugh about the “testosterone city,” as Weaver described it, that was life on set for “Animal Kingdom.” The three actors also discuss the state of the film industry for Australian actors and whether or not they feel it is open to them.

Director David Michôd and actors Joel Edgerton and Ben Mendelsohn share what it was like collaborating on the Australian crime drama “Animal Kingdom.” Set in the underbelly of Melbourne, “Animal Kingdom” tells a story of a young boy from a broken family and the cop who tries to save him from a life of crime. Michôd, Edgerton and Mendelsohn each describe their interpretation of the film’s title and the broader relevance of the story. The film is a debut for director Michôd, who voices his appreciation for shooting in a country whose government is very supportive of cinema. He describes his experience at Sundance and the comfort of being at a festival that treats filmmakers like artists. The three discuss the possibility of a “renaissance” in Australian cinema, which saw several big releases last year. Edgerton expresses himself on the subject of Australians watching Australian movies rather than just Hollywood imports.

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.