Cable comes to Sundance; TV is buying some of the indie festival's most adventuresome films

PARK CITY, Utah - The most talked-about movies at this year's Sundance Film Festival included a comedy about a teen-age boy infatuated with a much older woman, a wrenching documentary about a Vietnamese woman's reunion with her long-separated daughter and a look at crime and responsibility in urban Chicago. Diverse as they were, these films had one notable thing in common: They were all made for American television. In fact, at the pre-eminent festival for independent cinema, more than a dozen entries - including the film chosen for the opening night gala, "The Laramie Project" - were made possible by HBO, Showtime, PBS and other TV networks. Many others will rely on television to reach a wider audience. The hard truth is that many films that played here this week will never play widely, if at all, in movie theaters. Cineplexes have shied away from alternative fare in recent years, even as some traditional art houses go out of business. In that sense, TV has been a godsend to indies. Every self-respecting movie director clings to seeing their work on the big screen but a deal is a deal, and increasingly TV is the only bidder who comes to the table. "Independent movies are being made (but) they're not being seen, and that is something we can help with," said Colin Callender, president of HBO Films, which gave three movies their premiere at Sundance. Take last year's Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner in drama, "The Believer." This portrait of a ruthless white supremacist never found a distributor, so Showtime picked it up. "The Believer" will air in March. Another acclaimed film from last year's festival was Allison Anders' "Things Behind the Sun," a searing account of the psychological after-effects of rape. Anders actually had an offer for theatrical distribution but, as she told an interviewer last year, "I wanted to make sure that people would see the movie." Again, Showtime came to the rescue. "Allison Anders will get more people seeing her film on Showtime than she will putting it into theaters," said Matt Riklin, the network's executive in charge of distribution. "Filmmakers who have a message, who want their film out there - and it isn't a $75 million special-effects film - they want their film seen. They want maximum exposure." Originals Many of the movies being made by the cable networks cater to non-mainstream tastes. They have provocative themes and feature name directors and stars. These films are then aggressively marketed to the indie crowd at filmfests like Sundance. Take this year's "Our America," a drama directed by Ernest Dickerson and based on the true story of two urban children who speak out against violence in their community. The movie got a big rave earlier this week from critic Roger Ebert; Showtime, which produced "Our America," will air it in June. "Tadpole," in which a teen boy tries to seduce his stepmother, played to packed houses all week. It's one of 10 films being shot with digital hand-held cameras for InDigEnt, a division of the Independent Film Channel (which can be seen locally only on satellite dish). What's really eye-catching about "Tadpole" is its financial sheet: It cost a mere $150,000 to make. Everyone involved - from star Sigourney Weaver down to the boom operator - agreed to work for scale in exchange for a chunk of the movie. That chunk turned to gold Tuesday, when Miramax Films bought the film for $5 million. Director Gary Winick, who is producing all 10 digital films for IFC, was thrilled but insisted he didn't make "Tadpole" with commercial success in mind. "These films are about taking chances," Winick said. "We're making student films at a professional level." "Real Women Have Curves," a coming-of-age movie set in a working-class Latino neighborhood, is from HBO Films, which also produced "Hysterical Blindness" and "The Laramie Project." "Hysterical Blindness" is loaded with indie cachet: It stars Uma Thurman, Gena Rowlands and Juliette Lewis and is directed by critics favorite Mira Nair ("Monsoon Wedding"). "Part of the problem if you're an American independent is there is no institutional structure to support you," Callender said. British and European TV networks keep important film directors on their payrolls. Callender believes HBO Films performs a similar function with talented U.S. directors. What's up? Docs HBO also is a leader in the Sundance category that television now dominates: documentary film. More than half of the entries this year were funded by HBO or the Independent Television Service, a major supplier of programming to PBS. Last week Robert Redford, co-founder of Sundance Institute and its cable TV network, Sundance Channel, announced a spinoff channel that will be devoted to documentary films. During my short time at Sundance, which closes today, I saw three outstanding documentaries. My favorite was "Blue Vinyl," a "toxic comedy" about vinyl siding, of all things. Co-directors Judith Helfand and Daniel B. Gold have set a new standard in activist filmmaking - hilarious, outrageous and energizing - with their convincing brief against the vinyl industry. It airs May 5 on HBO. "Senorita Extraviada," a disturbing investigation into the killings of more than 200 young women in Juarez, Mexico, and "Daughter From Danang," the Vietnamese reunion story, were produced by Independent Television Service for PBS. "Senorita" will air this summer on the "P.O.V." series, and "Daughter" airs in 2003 on "American Experience." To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com. @ART CAPTION:Sigourney Weaver stars in the film "Tadpole," which played to packed houses at the Sundance Film Festival. >>> @ART CREDIT:TERESA DILLON @ART CAPTION:The Egyptian Theatre, on Main Street in Park City, Utah, is the site of the Sundance Film Festival. @ART CREDIT:Knight Ridder Tribune @ART:Photos (2, color)