Letter from the Editor

In lieu of my usual editor’s letter, I decided to turn the tables on our Creative Director, Jeff Vespa. He prefers to stay behind the camera, but this year — which happens to be Verge’s fourth time at the film festival — I put him in the hot seat. And hit him with the same questions I’ve asked the seven Sundance sensations featured inside the pages of our annual preview issue. We hope you enjoy it. — James Patrick Herman, Editorial Director

Where are you from? 

Jeff Vespa: Baltimore. I grew up eating hard-shell crabs and I still love them. But now I just get them shipped to Los Angeles.

How long have you been going to Park City?  

JV: My first year at Sundance was 1995, so you do the math. That was the year The Brothers McMullen won the Grand Jury Prize and it also happened to be the debut of the alternative film festival, Slamdance.

How does it feel to be the official photographer of Sundance? 

JV: The reality is that there are many people involved in the festival, and I am just a small part of it. But I have been the official photographer since 2003, so I am grateful to have occupied that role for over a decade. I have helped to discover numerous emerging actors over the years, and honestly, that was the inspiration for starting Verge.

Describe your ideal Sundance selfie. 

JV: I take so many photos of other people that I rarely take any of myself. However, anytime Jena Malone is at the festival, she always takes one of us together because she is a photographer, too. She is coming this year, so that will be my official Sundance selfie.

What do you think of Robert Redford? 

JV: The amazing thing about Sundance is that he founded it to support independent filmmakers. But what he may not realize is that the festival has supported so many other careers as well. For instance, I would not be where I am today without Sundance.

What’s the buzz about this issue of Verge? 

JV: This is our fourth year celebrating the freshest faces of the festival. When we first started, I never imagined that one of the actors featured in Verge’s Sundance preview issue would go on to land the lead in the biggest movie of all-time, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. We featured John Boyega only two years ago. So I would say the buzz is that if you want to see the next big stars before they’re famous, then you should read this magazine! Now I am going a bit overboard, but seriously, there is a lot of talent in these pages. And I feel confident they all have long careers ahead of them.

Francesca Eastwood

Outlaws and Angels

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Where are you from?  

Los Angeles. I try not to say “like” when I talk, but it’s a struggle. Also, I have horrible road rage. But as I get older, I am more zen about it.

Are you a Sundance virgin?

I have never been to Sundance before.

So how does it feel to be a Sundance sensation?

Absolutely nerve-wracking. When I shot this movie, it was such an intense experience that I forgot it was something that was going to be seen. I really bared my soul.

What’s the buzz about your movie?

It is rare that an indie movie gets to do this but we shot on film — 35 mm. It’s a western but it just so happens to be set in that time period. It’s not at all a typical western, which is almost always a male-driven genre. There is a feminist quality to it.

Describe your character in one sentence.

I had an opportunity to play a feminist hero. She is a young girl in an awful situation. And over the course of a night and a day, she discovers her power and independence. She stands up for herself and she fights for herself and she grows up.

Do you relate to your character?

The script hit close to home. I feel like this character is a part of me. She is kind of the odd duck, and she doesn’t feel like she’s found where she belongs. I feel that way quite often. In no way do I feel like I belong, and I have always felt that way. But I enjoy the ride of trying to figure it out.

What was your first acting experience?

I played my dad’s daughter in a movie called True Crime. I was about eight and I got to choose my character’s name. I was obsessed with Kate Winslet, so my character’s name was Kate. I remember at one point, I thought my stand-in had taken my part, and I started crying. We started filming right after that because in one scene I was supposed to be crying.

Did you ever have a normal job?

I worked as a sales associate at Marc by Marc Jacobs and I was in love with my coworker. That didn’t last.

Describe the Sundance selfie of your dreams.

I am excited to be reunited with the cast so that we can take a selfie in the snow.

What is your favorite Robert Redford film?

 Indecent Proposal. I love his character because he is such a likable bad guy.

Instagram : @FrancescaEastwood

Stylist   Avo Yermagyan   Makeup   Gina Ribisi    Hair   Sara Tintari

Look 1: Valentina Kova dress, Alejandra G. shoes, Charles Albert rings

Look 2: Plein Sud top, Ann Demeulemeester pants, Alepel shoes, Charles Albert ring

Andre Hyland

The 4th

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Where are you from?

I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. I lived there until I was 24, then I moved to Los Angeles. I am still very much a proud Cincinnatian.

Are you a Sundance virgin? 

No, this is my second time. I had a short film there in 2014 called Funnel. This is my first feature, so I am a feature virgin. 

How does it feel to be a Sundance sensation?

I don’t know if I am a sensation, but it feels awesome. There are so few things left in the entertainment world that have credibility and good taste. Anything that has the Sundance stamp of approval — there is a certain quality about it that you can’t deny. So it feels really cool to be selected by that level of quality.

What’s the buzz about your movie?

That it is actually a smart comedy. Of course, I am biased — I made it. But a lot of indie comedies try to disguise cheap quirkiness as good comedy and this is not that. It is a dialogue-driven, grounded film and it is fairly true to life. It’s like I made a highlight reel of modern archetypes you might meet in this day and age — a compilation of all the mundane, stupid hurdles you have to overcome in daily life.

What was your first acting experience?

My older brother and I were home schooled from fourth grade to seventh grade and we started making videos. But as far as professional acting experience? My mom produced this recycling video when I was eleven and I was in that. I don’t think I even got paid.

Did you ever have a normal job?

I worked at two different pizza places in Cincinnati. I got fired from both. I also worked at American Apparel in LA for like a year. I got fired from there, too. I dressed up as an ice cream cone and walked around a mall for Häagen-Dazs. That was only for one day, though.

Describe your ideal Sundance selfie.

A photo that somebody else takes of me. I don’t like selfies. My Instagram rule is that I can only post one photo of me out of every five photos.

What’s more important to you: Staying warm or looking stylish?

A combination of both.  I don’t want to roll up looking like the Michelin Man covered in an enormous snow jumper. I don’t dress up often, but I also don’t dress down.

What do you think of Robert Redford?

He’s cool, man. I got to meet him the last time at a brunch for directors. He seemed like a nice dude — I mean, as far as my two minutes talking with him. He is a movie icon; he didn’t need to start a film festival. He could just be chilling.

Twitter: @AndreHyland   Instagram: @TheAndreHyland

Fashion Credits:

Stylist   Avo Yermagyan   Makeup   Gina Ribisi    Hair   Jayson Medina 

Look 1: Acne suit, Richard Chai shirt

Look 2: Sergio Devilla suit and shirt, Bespoken tie, Ermenegildo Zegna shoe

Dylan Gelula

First Girl I Loved

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Where are you from?

Philadelphia.

Are you a Sundance virgin?

To be sincere: I am. And I so don’t even know what to expect that I feel good about it. I can’t be stressed out because I don’t know what to be stressed out about.

How does it feel to be a Sundance sensation?

It just means that I am another step closer to everybody figuring out the ruse that I’ve pulled: That I am talented and you should hire me. People keep doing it and saying things like I’m a Sundance sensation. But I am a giant fraud.

What’s the buzz about your movie?

It’s about a girl who is self-assured and confident in her sexuality but less so in other people’s ability to handle it, so she hasn’t come out. And she finally falls in love for real.

Tell me about your character.

She is really smart and cool — the kind of teenager who is going to have the most awesome adult life and just the shittiest adolescence. Which is the best kind of person. You know when people are ahead of their high-school selves? That is how I would describe her.

Are you suggesting that there is a converse relationship between loneliness in adolescence and popularity in adulthood?

Look, all of my friends had no friends in high school. That is how you develop your personality. What if I was socially successful as a kid? I don’t think I would have read as many books. Instead of hanging out with people at lunch, I read books. And now I am a well-read adult.

What was your first acting experience?

The first time I remember wanting to not only be an actor but also to have the most lines of anybody was in my kindergarten play. It was called Buffalo Woman. I remember crying to my mom because I wasn’t Buffalo Woman. And she was like: “You’re the narrator. You have more lines.” And I was like: But it’s called Buffalo Woman!

Did you ever have a normal job?

Yes, I worked as a hostess at a restaurant. And got fired from that. Basically, if somebody asked me for something, I was least likely to give it to them. But if they didn’t ask me for anything, I would give them the nice table.

What will you pack for Park City?

Probably a bathing suit and some shorts.

How do you plan to spend your free time at the festival: Screenings, skiing or soirées? And by “soirées,” we mean hot tub parties.

Is that a thing? I was joking about the bathing suit, but if there really are hot tub parties, then maybe I will bring one.

What do you think of Robert Redford?

People are always asking me: “What do you think of Robert Redford?” The fact that he has carved out this gigantic showcase for independent film is so crucial to our industry that all I can do is make a joke about it.

Instagram + Twitter : @DylanGelula

Fashion Credits:

Stylist   Avo Yermagyan   Makeup   Gina Ribisi    Hair   Jayson Medina 

Look 1: Sando dress, Alejandra G. shoes

Look 2: Fendi dress

Markees Christmas

Morris From America

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Where are you from?

Los Angeles. I am only sixteen, so I live with my mom. You can never be bored in L.A. There are malls, movie theaters, parks. I walk everywhere.

Is this your first time at Sundance? 

This is my first movie. And this will be my first time seeing snow. It’s going to be my third time getting on a plane.

How does it feel to be a Sundance sensation?

My first time hearing about it was when the director was like: “What if the movie goes to Sundance? This could be big.” I was like: What’s Sundance? I don’t know what is going to go down there. But I am proud of the work. I worked to the limit of every day and I feel like I have achieved something to a certain level.

What’s the buzz about your movie?

It’s about a 13-year-old boy from Virginia. He has lived in America most of his life. But now he has to move in with his father, who lives in Germany. Being black and living in Germany — of course he is going to have problems. He tries to act cool but he has a hard time making friends. And then he falls in love with Katrin. She toys with him.

Describe your character in one sentence?

Morris is shy but he wants to be famous. Same thing with me.

What was your first acting experience?

In the sixth grade, I did A Raisin in the Sun. I played Walter. At first I auditioned for Travis, Walter’s son, but they thought I was too good and wanted me to play Walter. I was forced to do it.

What have you heard about the Sundance experience?

I hear if people like your movie, then sometimes it can go to the actual theaters. That is just a dream of mine. I don’t know if that is going to happen. I have been told to expect big things. But to be sure, I have no expectations. I am not the bragging or boasting type. The thing I am most excited about is seeing snow.

Describe the Sundance selfie of your dreams.

I have never seen snow before and it looks so fun. When I get there, I might just drop to the ground and make a snow angel or pick up a snowball. I want to take a photo from the top of the mountain. If you search for “Park City” on Google, it looks so nice in the picture.

What do you think of Robert Redford?

Was he in Captain America: The Winter Soldier?

Fashion Credits:

Stylist   Avo Yermagyan   Makeup   Gina Ribisi    Hair   Jayson Medina 

Look 1: Givenchy jacket, Sandro t-shirt

Look 2: Sandro jacket and denim, Loewe sweater

Look 3: Ted Baker t-shirt, Sandro denim, Diesel shoes