Chapter 22: The Film Festival
With Professor Anderson's praise still lingering in the air, everyone in the office broke into cheerful laughter. Even Professor Anderson himself smiled warmly—he was genuinely happy for one of his own.
"So, any plans for Christmas now that the film is finished? Heading back to the farm?"
Wayne thought for a moment at the professor's question and replied,
"Yeah, I'll be heading back for Christmas. My mom's already called me several times. I kept telling her I was busy with work. If I don't go back soon, I swear she'll drive to L.A. and smash every copy of my film reels."
Everyone chuckled at his teasing remark about his mom. In this country, family was always the first and deepest-rooted faith.
Jimmy suddenly looked at Wayne. Once he caught his attention, he said,
"Congratulations. Honestly, I thought this would be another one of those bloody, plotless messes. But don't worry—I'll reach out to some film companies once I'm back and try to help with distribution. But don't get your hopes up too high. Even with a few contacts, there's no guarantee many people will actually watch it."
"No worries, Jimmy. Just do your best. I've already set my expectations."
Wayne wasn't asking for much—bringing Jimmy here was more about boosting his own confidence, to help him push harder to connect with potential buyers. Without a bit of luck and external effort, it was unlikely many would come on their own.
"Alright, as long as you're mentally prepared. January's just around the corner, and the Sundance Film Festival isn't far off either. You'd better have a baseline figure in mind in case a company makes an offer—so you're not caught off guard."
Jimmy's advice was careful and sincere. He was concerned Wayne might overvalue his film. Jimmy knew exactly how cutthroat the distribution business was. Companies at the top of the chain thrived by bleeding producers dry.
But Wayne didn't take the warning too seriously. His own expectations were far lower than anyone imagined. If no one offered a decent price, he was willing to sell it at a loss just to get it into theaters. This first film wasn't about making money—it was about making a name for himself and proving he could do it.
With the campus screening behind him, Wayne was finally free from his "workaholic" persona. Before Christmas, he and Naomi had a few passionate days in bed, followed by some much-needed rest in their apartment, and then he hit the road—back to the farm.
---
January 17, 1991
Wayne and Luke arrived in Park City, Utah, each carrying copies of the film reels. The Sundance Film Festival—one of the biggest stages for independent filmmakers—was set to begin the next day, January 18.
The Sundance Film Festival, originally known as the "Sundance Institute Film Festival," had grown in influence in recent years. It existed to promote low-budget, independently produced films—showcasing work that was fundamentally different from mainstream Hollywood productions. Organized by the Sundance Institute, founded by Robert Redford and his peers in 1981, the festival was born from a desire to support new screenwriters and directors, and to give their narrative and documentary films a shot at the global stage.
For independent filmmakers like Wayne, it had become the best platform to showcase their work.
At 2 p.m., Wayne and Luke rushed from the airport to the hotel. They barely dropped off their luggage before heading to their rented screening room.
Thanks to Professor Anderson's connections, Wayne had managed to secure both an invitation and a screening venue. Though his film wasn't part of the official competition, the fact that he'd landed a spot in a decent hall was already an achievement.
The mid-sized screening room was in a great central location and came with nine days of use. The cost wasn't cheap—$2,000 per day—but it was well worth it.
Once the staff handed over the keys, Wayne did a full inspection to ensure nothing would go wrong during the screening. Fifty seats, a modest screen, and a projector that Luke double-checked—everything looked solid.
They set up a hastily made poster featuring a terrified Naomi with a masked killer looming behind her. The only tagline read:
> "When a birthday becomes a bloodbath... how do you escape?"
It was a crude design, but Wayne didn't care. The poster was just to inform walk-ins what kind of film was playing—any real buyers wouldn't give it a glance anyway.
With the display set up, they returned to the hotel to rest and prepare for the big day.
---
The next morning at 9 a.m., Wayne opened the doors to the screening room. Luke was already prepping the projector. Curious tourists trickled by, stopping to chat after glancing at the poster, but few actually went inside to wait for the screening.
Wayne didn't mind. He wasn't waiting for random passersby—he was waiting for Jimmy, who had called earlier to say he'd be bringing some guests before 10 a.m. and warned Wayne not to screw up the screening.
Anxious, Wayne kept checking his watch until Jimmy finally showed up—with James from Touchstone Pictures and Albert from New Line Cinema in tow.
"Wayne, this is James and Albert. Is the film ready?"
Seeing the guests' rather cool demeanor, Wayne greeted them quickly, then rushed to the back to help Luke start the film. There was no room for error this time.
James and Albert entered the room and silently took separate seats near the center. Once they were settled, Wayne walked up to the front to confirm everything was ready.
"Jimmy," Wayne whispered, "just these two companies? No one else?"
"I only managed to get reps from these two mid-tier distributors. They came mostly because of our CAA connections. That's probably it for now—tell Luke to start."
Wayne nodded and signaled Luke to begin the screening.
He wasn't too disappointed—after all, the film would be showing for nine days. There was still time. As long as he kept showing up and showing his work, an opportunity would eventually come.
As the lights in the screening room gradually dimmed and the film was about to begin, Wayne noticed two more people quietly slipping into the back row. He didn't pay much attention—probably just a couple of curious festival-goers, he assumed.
The screening lasted a little over ninety minutes, and during that time, James's attitude underwent a noticeable shift. Originally, he'd only planned to sit through the film out of courtesy to CAA, but to his surprise, the movie caught his interest right from the start.
From the moment the female lead was killed for the first time, James took out a notepad and pencil, jotting down observations as he watched. Standing at the back of the theater, Wayne noticed his reaction. Interestingly, one of the two latecomers was also taking notes, while Albert from New Line looked visibly impatient—he left before the movie even ended.
Wayne's focus wasn't on the screen at all. He kept a close eye on the audience. Besides seven or eight curious tourists, James was clearly the most engaged viewer.
When the movie ended, the audience offered polite applause before gradually filing out. James, accompanied by Jimmy, approached Wayne.
"Director Garfield," James said, "I have to say, your film exceeded my expectations. I'll report back to the company—and if it's alright with you, I'd like to watch it again this afternoon."
"Of course. You're welcome any time."
James smiled, shook Wayne's hand, and left with Jimmy. Once they were gone, Wayne realized one person was still seated—a white man in his thirties, the same one who had also been taking notes.
"Hello, Director Garfield. Do you have a moment to chat? I'm Tom Hughes, a screener from Castle Rock Entertainment. You can just call me Tom."
"Sure. Let's step outside."
Pleasantly surprised by this unexpected encounter, Wayne led Tom out of the theater to a nearby outdoor café.
"Director Garfield," Tom began, "before I came here, Mr. Jennings personally recommended your film to me. He asked me to give it a careful watch."
That explained it. So it was Jennings who had sent him.
"Just call me Wayne. I really need to thank Mr. Jennings when I get back. So, what did you think? Is Castle Rock interested in the film?"
Tom paused to gather his thoughts, then replied,
"The film has a very clear hook. Personally, I think it has potential. I'll be submitting my notes to the company, but as you know, how things turn out is hard to predict."
Wayne wasn't disappointed. He had a pleasant chat with Tom before heading back to the screening room. There had only been one screening that morning, and he knew the real test would come in the afternoon.
---
"Luke, calm down. Sit and eat something," Wayne said, watching Luke pace back and forth, clearly on edge.
"Wayne, what do you think? Will that guy James actually buy our film?"
Luke finally sat beside him, eyes drifting to the street, where passersby occasionally commented on the film they'd just watched—mostly negative feedback, from what they could hear.
"We've done everything we can. Don't stress. I believe someone will buy it."
Wayne wasn't as nervous as Luke. He had confidence in the quality of their film. Earlier, he had visited a few other screening rooms and checked out some of the low-budget indie films being shown—and honestly, none of them held his attention.
Most were plagued by shaky camerawork and endless drawn-out shots, with storytelling so muddled it felt like the directors were trying too hard to be "artistic."
That gave Wayne a big boost of confidence. At the very least, his film was watchable—something he couldn't say about many others on display at Sundance.
At 2 p.m., Wayne greeted James and four new guests with a professional smile. After a round of polite introductions, Luke started the screening once more.
This time was slightly better than the morning showing—over a dozen people attended. Wayne kept his focus on James and his group, occasionally spotting them whispering and exchanging opinions during the film.
When it ended, James approached Wayne, asked for his phone number, and then left with his team.
---
"What do you think, Jimmy? Will Touchstone take interest in the film?"
Wayne asked in a low voice as he walked with Jimmy.
Jimmy recalled the expressions of the group and replied,
"There's a strong chance. I think they'll reach out. For now, your job is to keep screening the film and wait for more buyers to come."