PN 33: Inside Sundance with Josh Braun

The Sundance Film Festival remains a hot spot for launching documentary films. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers got an early look at several films premiering at the festival. In Part One of the podcast, he previews prominent trends from the U.S. Documentary Competition represented by the films “Trophy", "The Force" and "Strong Island"; and notable themes in the World Documentary Competition with films such as "Tokyo Idols", "The Worker’s Cup" and "In Loco Parentis". In Part Two, Powers interviews the sales agent Josh Braun who runs Submarine Entertainment with his twin brother Dan. In his role as producer’s rep, Josh has played an instrumental role in negotiating the distribution deals of past Sundance hits such as "Man on Wire", "Searching for Sugar Man", and “20 Feet from Stardom” that all went on to win Oscars. He shares the stories behind those deals.Josh took a circuitous route to his job. He talks about his early career playing music with his brother Dan in New York bands such as Circus Mort, the Del Byzanteens (with lead singer Jim Jarmusch), and Deep Six. He also discusses how he recorded a demo with Madonna in the early 1980s and what led him to into the documentary world.At this year’s Sundance, Submarine brings a full slate of documentaries including “Whose Streets”, “Chasing Coral”, “Nobody Speaks”, and “Dina”. Josh also offers his insights into the current documentary marketplace. 2017 Sundance films discussed in Part 1:In Loco ParentisMachinesStrong Island The ForceThe Worker’s CupTokyo IdolsTrophy