Hollywood Comes to Pleasantville

The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) turned into a mini-Hollywood on Sunday.

It was a packed house as the audience was treated to an intimate and close-up VIP experience when actor-director and founder of the Sundance Institute [Sundance Film Festival] Robert Redford; filmmaker-producer-screenwriter-director Jonathan Demme; and Westchester actor Stanley Tucci stopped by the Jacob Burns Film Center.

Demme and Redford engaged in dialogue on stage about their iconic careers as part of JBFC's 10th Annual Silver Screen Circle celebration. The primary focus was on Redford; who was in the 'hot seat' being interviewed by Demme on stage. Film highlights from Redford's Sundance films were also shown to the audience.

Steve Apkon, the executive director of the JBFC said he was honored to have Redford at the center for the first time.

"It's been a real dream of our organization to have him here...he's been an enormous inspiration to me personally...and I look at everything that he's accomplished as extraordinary, so I'm thrilled that he's here and I can't think of anyone more fitting to kick off our 10th Anniversary than Mr. Robert Redford. He's really one of the cultural icons of our country and a real national treasure—and not just because of his acting and directing, but because of his commitment to the arts and everything that he's accomplished at the Sundance Institute over the last 30 years," Apkon told Patch.

Apkon also mentioned the other special guests that come to JBFC.

"We many have special guests that come throughout the year. the legendary director of wonderful films including, 'Dead Poets Society, 'Witness', Picnic at Hanging Rock' and his new film, ['The Way Back' ] was here yesterday and we had a Q&A with the audience. We also have actor Paul Giamatti  [of NBC's 30 Rock fame] coming [that afternoon] and now we're featuring Redford as a way to kick off our 10th year," Apkon said. "We've been very fortunate to have these types of events all throughout the year for the past decade."

He also discussed future events to commemorate JBFC's 10th Anniversary.

"We have so many events planned during the year...wonderful events for everybody to participate in...and we have many opportunities to celebrate the community that's really come together to make all of this possible—and this is about community; it's about every member and everybody that comes to participate in our film programs—both here at the film center and also at our Media Arts Lab."

Demme asked Redford about his Sundance Institute, his involvement with the environment and his commitment to the arts.

"When we started the project [Sundance] more than 10 years ago, only two people were willing to talk to us. If you want to learn something, find your teacher...it also makes me sad we don't support the arts on a federal level—art is a trivial pursuit giving voice to creative energies," Redford told Demme.

Redford seemed very relaxed during the event and had a great time with the audience. He was charismatic, energetic, and had a wry keen sense of humor.

"I was a lousy student as a kid..my teachers didn't interest me and I would always sketch drawings and would draw under the desk...and I knew I would get in trouble for it...but instead my teacher recognized it as a way to express myself...it was a story about chasing cowboys over a cliff. When the teacher saw it, she said I should draw a story for the class," Redford explained to the audience. "As an actor, I blocked all technical aspects out...I didn't know what they meant, but I knew what I wanted when I sketched things."

Demme also asked if he was a good kisser. Redford's response was, "Yes!" and that was just one of the remarks brought the house down with laughter.

Stanley Tucci was one of the attendees, and sat in the audience during the talk. Redford praised Tucci's accomplishments as an actor and his contributions to Sundance. Tucci has been featured in several films, including Julie and Julia with Meryl Streep and 'Burlesque' with Cher and Christina Aguilera.

"Stanley is a consummate actor who has been with Sundance a long time...but I would never hire him!" Redford joked. "I am dependent on my resources with my colleagues."

Afterward, Patch spoke to two members of the audience to get their reactions to Redford's presentation.

"I found it very interesting because I knew very little about the man personally; just his acting and directing career. I've been very interested in what they've been doing at Sundance as well as how it relates to the interaction at the Jacob Burns that they use as a model and his teaching as a mentor. I liked the easy-going casual presentation style; it made it very pleasant and it was very exciting for us locally," said Roberta Wiernik of Chappaqua.

Maureen Hanagan of Croton-on-Hudson was very surprised at how down-to-earth Redford was: "What I loved was his willingness to share the difficulties he's had in his career—we think of these people as having everything easy... and it isn't true and I think it's a real model for other people that sometimes [as Redford said] that it takes 'tenacity.'"