Bel Powley

The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

What’s the most British thing about you?  Probably just my accent because I hate drinking tea. I think it’s disgusting. That’s very un-British, isn’t it? I don’t like the monarchy, either. I’m not into Princess Kate.

What have you heard about the Sundance experience?  I’ve heard that there’s skiing. I don’t intend to do that. I’ve heard there are lot of films to see. I do intend to do that. And I’ll go to some parties and dinners and try my hardest not to be starstruck all the time.

What are you going to pack for Park City?  I borrowed a warm coat from a friend because I don’t own any ski clothes. I’m a very casual dresser, so just jeans and jumpers, two hats and two scarves. I don’t have any snow boots yet, but I will be purchasing some.

Describe the character you play in one sentence?  On the surface, Minnie is a teenage girl living in San Francisco in the seventies. The plot is that Minnie enters into an affair with her mum’s boyfriend. I don’t think that female sexuality —  and losing your virginity in that way  —  is discussed enough with women, but there are so many movies about teenage boys trying to get laid.

What’s the buzz about The Diary of a Teenage Girl?  What’s really special is that this subject has not been addressed properly before: A teenage girl discovering her sexuality. There’s one line in the movie where my character says: “I think about fucking all the time. Does everyone think about fucking as much as I do?” I don’t think anyone has ever heard a fifteen-year-old girl say that in real life or in a movie. But everyone has thought that before, so I’m glad that it is being addressed. And I think it’s important that everyone sees it and understands that.

How does it feel to be a Sundance sensation?  It’s just funny because no one has seen my film yet. What if everyone hates it? I’m flattered, but I want to remain a humble, normal person.

What do you think of Robert Redford?  He’s a legend. He created one of the most amazing film festivals in the world. A different breed of film comes from Sundance — they’re more interesting and edgy and daring than the movies that premiere at Cannes, for instance.

 Keir Gilchrist

It Follows + The Stanford Prison Experiment

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Where are you from? I was born in London, but I usually say I’m from Toronto because I grew up there from age nine onwards. Those were my most formative years. But I was moving constantly as a kid and lived in a lot of different places — Brooklyn, Boston — and attended eleven different schools before I was in sixth grade. So I learned how to adapt to new environments and change my accent because I hated sounding different from other people.

What’s the most Canadian thing about you?  I’m overly polite and apologize way too much.

Are you a Sundance virgin? Yes, I have never been. Now I have two films there. It’s super-weird because I’ve always been in movies that did not get into the festival.

What are you going to pack?  You’ve got to have a scarf, warm socks and a toque — that’s what we call a beanie in Canada.

Let’s talk about The Stanford Prison Experiment first — what’s the buzz?  It’s based on a real experiment they did in 1971. They took college students and made some prisoners and others guards and put them all inside a fake prison. They wanted to study how different people in different roles would change and react. It was supposed to be for two weeks but it only took five days to get completely out of control and abusive. We watched real footage of these kids going crazy. There were guys who got hog-tied and left in closets all night long. The prisoners were begging to be let out and screaming and crying. But the experiment changed the way people thought about the prison guard/prisoner relationship and what being in prison does to you. And what being a guard in prison does to you. Even wearing a uniform and

mirrored sunglasses and carrying a nightstick on set changed my perspective. I could feel that authority.

What did that experiment ultimately prove?  That the prison system doesn’t work.

Tell me about your character.  I play one of the guards. My character begins trying to be everyone’s buddy but he turns into a nasty individual by the end. Even he is surprised by what he becomes.

And what about your other movie, It Follows?  It’s a super-creepy horror film about a shape-shifting being that is basically like a sexually transmitted disease that chases you until you pass it on. It will never stop following you. There are a lot of weird metaphors about teen sex in it. People are saying that we’ve created a new monster.

How would you describe your character in one sentence?  Hopelessly in love and determined to be a hero.

How does it feel to be a Sundance sensation?  I have a hard time getting my head around the fact that anyone cares about me.

Are you a fan of Robert Redford?  It’s hard not to be. You have to like something that he has acted in or directed. But I don’t really follow his career.

Chloe Rose

Hellions

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Where are you from?  Toronto.

What’s one true stereotype about people from Canada?  I am guilty of saying “aboot.” I have to be very vigilant about that when I go on auditions.

What have you heard about Sundance?  That it’s very hard to get into the parties.

What was your first acting experience?  Degrassi: The Next Generation. I was on that show right after Drake. We’re basically like going out now…he just doesn’t know it yet. Anyway, Degrassi was like the best acting school. Plenty of my castmates hadn’t worked [professionally] before, so they taught us. I played a girl named Katie, who was an uptight soccer star/straight-A student-turned-goth after her boyfriend broke up with her. I like playing punky, jaded, misunderstood girls.

What are you going to pack for Park City?  A winter coat and Sorels boots. I’m not an Uggs person.

What’s the buzz about Hellions?  It’s a beautiful, poignant, experimental horror movie with a kick-ass female lead.

Describe your character in one sentence?  Dora is one of those girls that other girls are a little scared of.

How does it feel to be a Sundance sensation?  It feels pretty fabulous, to be honest.

What do you think of Robert Redford?  He’s an incredible actor. I can’t think of one of his films off the top of my head, but thank you, Robert, for making this awesome film festival.

Shameik Moore

Dope

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

Where are you from?  Georgia.

What’s the most Georgian thing about you?  My swagger — how I carry myself. I move like a rock star.

Are you a Sundance virgin? I am. And the first experience of something great is always amazing. Remember the first time you savored your favorite dish?

What have you heard about the Sundance?  I’ve heard that it gets pretty wild. So I need to stay away from anyone who is turnt up — and stay focused.

What was your first acting experience?  I was twelve when I booked a toy commercial that aired on The Cartoon Network. I watched it when my mom was cooking breakfast and all my friends on the school bus saw me on TV, too.

What are you going to pack for Park City?  My mom tells me I need a big coat. Long johns, for sure. And the flyest clothes I can get.

Describe the character you play in one sentence?  Malcolm is struggling with his

surroundings as he’s in the process of finding himself. But he always finds himself caught between a bad decision and a worse decision.

What’s the buzz about your film?  Dope is gonna kill Sundance — that’s the buzz. Fear, happiness, love, anger, excitement — the film plays with all of your emotions. It will impact people who watch it and leave an impression. It’s one of those movies.

How does it feel to be a Sundance sensation? I like the way that phrase sounds — to know that Shameik is already a sensation. I haven’t even seen the movie yet.

What do you think of Robert Redford?  The name sounds familiar. He sounds important.

Olivia Cooke

Me & Earl & The Dying Girl

Interview by James Patrick Herman  Photographs by Jeff Vespa

What’s one true stereotype about people from Manchester?  People expect me to be rougher, which probably I am. And I’m not very artistic aside from the acting. We’re all warm and friendly, though: You’ve got a problem? Have a cup of tea. You’re feeling sick? Have a cup of tea. You’re sad? Have a cup of tea. Oh, you’re happy? Let’s have a cup of tea. You know?

What’s the buzz about Me & Earl & The Dying Girl?  It’s not a cancer movie, but there is cancer in it. Everyone’s saying: Is it like The Fault in Our Stars? But it’s completely different. My film isn’t a love story; it’s about friendship. And it feels a lot more raw. When I revealed my bald head at

Comic-Con last year, that got a lot of people talking. They were like, “Is she sick? Oh, no, she did it for a movie. What movie?” So that was the shocking aspect of my moon of a head.

Describe your character in one sentence. Rachel has this passion that was ignited because of the cancer, maybe because she hasn’t gotten an awful lot of time left.

What have you heard about the Sundance experience? Mad partying. I’ve just turned 21, so it’s perfect for me. I don’t really drink just because I haven’t been able to for so long.

A word of advice: Don’t start at Sundance.  Right? I’ll be laying around and never get a job again. Already if I have one drink, I’m on the floor. So I’ll just have a sip. With other film festivals, there is an air of glamour, but Sundance feels like everyone is getting down and dirty in the snow.

What are you going to pack?  I don’t want to wear a big coat because I don’t even own one. Probably a lot of skinny black jeans. I’ll try to look like a girl at least one night.

What do you think of Robert Redford?  I don’t really know much about him. That’s bad, isn’t it? I know that my mum asked me if he’ll be there. I was like: I don’t know, but if he is, then I’ll text you.

What’s next for you?  There is a rom-com in my future. And I’m not dying in this one.