“Love Me,” a new film directed by a Boyertown alumnus and his wife, has been selected for screening at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in January.
Directors Andy and Sam Zuchero are a filmmaking team from Topanga, Calif., with roots in the Boyertown area. Andy is a 2002 Boyertown Area Senior High alumnus and former Perkiomenville resident.
Making art together since their teens, “Love Me” is their first feature film, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. “Love Me” will be among 10 films screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category.
Honoring his Boyertown roots, Andy said that Scott Didyoung, Ronald Butt and Cynthia Mauger — three of the many inspirational Boyertown teachers who helped Andy find his voice as an artist and writer — should keep their eyes peeled for heartfelt thanks at the end of the film.
The husband and wife duo feel grateful and excited about their film being selected to be screened at this year’s Sundance Film Festival which will be held Jan. 18-28 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Previously, the short film “The Apocalypse” — a six-minute, color film written and directed by Andy – was selected for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
“We’re honored to be returning to Park City with our debut film,” said Andy in an emailed statement. “For the last 40 years, Sundance has pushed American cinema forward. It’s just nice to be a part of the giant legacy.”
“From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President, in the release. “It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program.”
Feature Film Prize
Their film “Love Me” also won the festival’s 2024 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, an annual award given to an artist with the most outstanding depiction of science and technology in a feature film.
“We want to tell a story nobody’s ever seen and move people while doing it!” said the directors in their statement. “Long after humanity’s extinct, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love.”
The film stars Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun.
“Both Academy Award nominees, Kristen and Steven’s accolades run longer than would be fit to print. They are singular and selfless artists who inspire us every day,” directors Andy and Sam Zuchero said in an emailed statement.
Stewart will receive the Visionary Award in recognition of her work as an artist and contributions to the field of independent film at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire on Jan. 18 at the DeJoria Center in Utah.
Throughout her career, she has had 10 films screened at the Festival, including “The Runaways,” “Adventureland” and “Lizzie.” She made her directorial debut with “Come Swim” at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. She returns to the Festival with “Love Me” and “Love Lies Bleeding.”
2024 Sundance Film Festival
“The Institute takes great pride in the role the Festival plays in advancing our mission to support artists creating audacious work,” Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO, said in the release. “This year is especially significant as we look back on our history of showcasing stories that surprise and delight, spark empathy and reflection, and honor our shared humanity. We’re all thrilled for this opportunity to celebrate the power of storytelling as we gather in January to introduce captivating works from acclaimed filmmakers and discover more new voices.”
In total, 82 feature-length films representing 24 countries, eight episodic titles, and a New Frontier interactive experience have been selected for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, an artist program of the nonprofit Sundance Institute.
These films were selected from a record number of 17,435 submissions from 153 countries or territories, including 4,410 feature-length films. Of these feature film submissions, 1,679 were from the U.S., and 2,741 were international. The eight episodic projects were selected from 573 submissions and there were 385 New Frontier submissions, according to the release.
“Sundance’s passion and power shine through its programming. Curation is Sundance’s secret sauce and we’re energized by the range of films, stories, and artists we’ve watched and selected from around the world,” Eugene Hernandez, director of Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming, said in the release. “This Festival has had a vital history of first impressions: introductions to new talent, new friends, new worlds — our commitment to our artists and our audiences is fundamental to our work. Our programming team, lead by Kim Yutani, has curated 11 days of exciting new voices and stories for the many audiences we serve whether they’re joining us in Utah or experiencing the Festival offerings from afar. Sundance 2024 will be a special year for discovery and community.”
The 2024 program consists of 40 of 101 (40%) feature film directors who are first-time feature filmmakers, and 11 of the feature films and projects announced were supported by Sundance Institute in development through direct granting or residency labs.
“While we don’t set out to program the Festival with a defined theme in mind, it became apparent this year that our slate’s biggest strength is how it showcases the vitality of independent storytelling,” said Yutani in the release. “Our program is tightly curated and covers a broad cross-section of form, perspective, and genre that we’re looking forward to sharing with audiences. These titles are inventive and they beautifully represent the kind of groundbreaking work we’ve sought to amplify at Sundance throughout our history.”
Proceeds earned through Festival ticket sales go to uplifting and developing emerging artists on a year-round basis through focused labs, direct grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.
For more information, visit the Sundance Film Festival website at festival.sundance.org and follow the Festival on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.
Source: Berkshire mont