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00:00I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but Raman, thank you so much.
00:03And thank you everybody who made that person look younger than I am.
00:07I appreciate it.
00:10Wow, so yeah, to celebrate my first Sundance in this way is quite something.
00:15I've had a film here before, but I've never been here in person.
00:18It is a very particular and peculiar year in light of the wildfires.
00:23And I just echo what Raman says.
00:25It's an industry town, not one industry.
00:28It does music, it does art, it does a hell of a lot of culture,
00:31and good beyond our film industry and television industry.
00:34But the amount of damage that's been done to people's lives, livelihoods,
00:38and souls and spirit and willpower is quite unique and phenomenal.
00:44And we do all have to stand tall as an industry and try and help those in need at this point.
00:48So please do.
00:50You can get my picture up at some point, put those more important QR codes back up.
00:54But thank you for paying attention to that tonight.
00:57I'm here to talk about a film, The Thing with Feathers.
01:00It started, actually, as an incredible book.
01:06It still is an incredible book called Grief is a Thing with Feathers by Max Porter.
01:10I'm going to sing about that because he is the tallest man in the room,
01:12one of the most handsome as well, Max Porter, a phenomenal novelist.
01:17And both Dylan and I were absolutely smitten with this grand piece of work,
01:22which is quite a unique way of looking at a very universal experience that is grief.
01:28The book itself was a prize and critic lauded masterpiece,
01:34and Dylan turned in an incredibly beautiful deft script that I just fell in love with.
01:40I met Dylan only a few times before I knew he'd be a friend and a co-conspirator,
01:46something that Sonny March and the rest of us were absolutely willing to go the distance with.
01:51And it seems very strange to be talking to you now ahead of the premiere of it,
01:54having this time last year been in some weird studio in West London with a guy in an animatronics crow suit
02:00with two amazing non-acting twins who very occasionally did not want to act quite frequently.
02:08Actually, it was the miracle of one of the many miracles of Dylan's work to harness them,
02:12held them, give them a safe space and make them feel comfortable enough to give the incredible work that we did capture.
02:18And to be here now just ahead of seeing it with all of you in this most prestigious and inspiring mountain of movies venue.
02:25It's amazing. So just a few thank yous.
02:29My brilliant team at Sonny March headed by Adam and Leah.
02:32Leah Clark is here tonight, but also to Catherine, Laurie and Claire and our entire family of creative souls.
02:37You've turned a production company into a home for storytellers.
02:40We often support work and voices and artists who are at the beginning of their careers.
02:44Dylan is at the beginning of his fictional full narrative career.
02:49It's his first time writing a script and directing a full feature.
02:53And there are many other besides in our stable, which we're very honoured to provide some kind of sustenance and beginning to.
02:59When we started this journey, people thought we were mad to think we could build something meaningful in this industry.
03:04And perhaps we are, but it's precisely the kind of madness I think we're all in this room to kind of curate and enjoy and struggle for and stand for.
03:12To my incredible team, John Grant, who's here tonight, Billy Lazarus and Tara Jones of UTA.
03:18You do a lot. You hold me together and you make an impossible sense out of a mad schedule and a crazy world.
03:24You keep me afloat and your patience and dedication to me. Thank you.
03:27I have a home team who aren't here but need mentioning.
03:30Sophie and my boys who are an inspiration, the solace and a refuge and my everything.
03:37It means I can go out into the world and do mad, crazy things and come back and hopefully be less mad and crazy at home.
03:44And to every person in this journey who's in this room who's contributed to it, thank you.
03:50And to Variety who really do support independent filmmaking and with such passion.
03:57And this extraordinary festival that continues to champion bold, innovative and novel storytelling.
04:04I think that's enough for me. But thank you. You're a beacon to our industry.
04:07It's really, really great honor to be here tonight. Have a great evening. Thank you.