--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With 'Half Nelson,' we went to Sundance…" description: "\"With 'Half Nelson,' we went to Sundance and then we just bam, bam, bam, festival, festival, festival, festival and then we released in August.\" — Anna ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/anna-boden-12590_august_with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and_661114.jpg" --- # With 'Half Nelson,' we went to Sundance and then we just… ![“With 'Half Nelson,' we went to Sundance and then we just bam, bam, bam, festival, festival, festival, festival and then we released in August.” quote by Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/anna-boden-12590_august_with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and_661114.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/anna-boden-12590_august_with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and_661114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/anna-boden-12590_august_with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and_661114.jpg) > “With 'Half Nelson,' we went to Sundance and then we just bam, bam, bam, festival, festival, festival, festival and then we released in August.” [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes rapid success and intense festival exposure after a film's debut, emphasizing momentum and industry buzz. **In simple terms:** Fast success after a film debut Key Takeaway Leverage early buzz for distribution Themes film industry success festival circuit Mood excited optimistic Type motivational industry insight When to use this quote - film release - festival promotion - distribution deals Key Concepts Momentum visibility networking Questions to Reflect On - How can you sustain momentum after early success? - What steps ensure long‑term impact? A Different Perspective Momentum can be fleeting without strategic planning ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/august/) [Festival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/festival/) ## Related quotes > [Sundance is just a great place for your work to be seen. Not much more to say about it than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wain/sundance-is-just-a-great-place-for-your-work-to-be-seen-not-much-more/) [David Wain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wain/) > [With 'Half Nelson' we had a little bit more leeway to let the political be more present, because he was a social-studies teacher and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/with-half-nelson-we-had-a-little-bit-more-leeway-to-let-the-political/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [I don't think I knew that much about camera placement and working with actors when we did 'Half Nelson.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/i-don-t-think-i-knew-that-much-about-camera-placement-and-working/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [You show a movie to your friends when you're working on it, but you don't have any real objectivity. You just don't know. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-baena/you-show-a-movie-to-your-friends-when-you-re-working-on-it-but-you/) [Jeff Baena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-baena/) > [On 'Half Nelson,' I was credited as the director, we both co-wrote it and Anna was the producer. We didn't know too many directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-fleck/on-half-nelson-i-was-credited-as-the-director-we-both-co-wrote-it-and/) [Ryan Fleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-fleck/) > [When I went to Sundance back in 1998, indie film was all the rage, and Miramax was throwing down five or six million dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-anderson/when-i-went-to-sundance-back-in-1998-indie-film-was-all-the-rage-and/) [Brad Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-anderson/) > [I had to live on $17,000 a year until I was 33, because I was a failed artist until I was 29, when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-duplass/i-had-to-live-on-17-000-a-year-until-i-was-33-because-i-was-a-failed/) [Jay Duplass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-duplass/) > [I went to Sundance Labs, and I definitely watched my male peers from there have very different meetings than I was having, very different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marielle-heller/i-went-to-sundance-labs-and-i-definitely-watched-my-male-peers-from/) [Marielle Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marielle-heller/) > [I did watching my films with an audience at the beginning when we went to Sundance and we screened The Savages there. I watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-jenkins/i-did-watching-my-films-with-an-audience-at-the-beginning-when-we/) [Tamara Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-jenkins/) > [The first time I ever intersected with the quote unquote industry or Hollywood or being given a paid job as a director all came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-shelton/the-first-time-i-ever-intersected-with-the-quote-unquote-industry-or/) [Lynn Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-shelton/) > [I'm so critical of myself. I'm actually really, really proud of the film. It's really cool to see a movie at Sundance because everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanni-ribisi/i-m-so-critical-of-myself-i-m-actually-really-really-proud-of-the/) [Giovanni Ribisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovanni-ribisi/) > [It didn't get into Sundance although I showed a rough cut which is a mistake to all filmmakers out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donal-logue/it-didn-t-get-into-sundance-although-i-showed-a-rough-cut-which-is-a/) [Donal Logue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donal-logue/) > [I've been to Sundance before, but I'd never seen a lot of screenings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-ve-been-to-sundance-before-but-i-d-never-seen-a-lot-of-screenings/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [Slamdance actually is indie and rebellious. Sundance obviously felt threatened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yony-leyser/slamdance-actually-is-indie-and-rebellious-sundance-obviously-felt/) [Yony Leyser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yony-leyser/) > [ \[Hunt for the Wilderpeople\] people seem to be just finding it hilarious in Sundance. I would think that judging on the feedback I get;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-neill/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople-people-seem-to-be-just-finding-it-hilarious/) [Sam Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-neill/) ## More by Anna Boden > [Especially as an independent director, when you're writing something on spec and you're trying to get it sold, you create this entire world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/especially-as-an-independent-director-when-you-re-writing-something/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [I think the most valuable thing that we've done at festivals is meet other filmmakers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/i-think-the-most-valuable-thing-that-we-ve-done-at-festivals-is-meet/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [I'm a very superstitious person. I come from a long line of superstitious people, so it's not going anywhere. For instance, we have this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/i-m-a-very-superstitious-person-i-come-from-a-long-line-of/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [We can always connect with all of our characters on a human level, but a lot of them took a lot of observation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/we-can-always-connect-with-all-of-our-characters-on-a-human-level-but/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [You want the character to keep being able to grow through the process of writing, through the process of filming, and editing, you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/you-want-the-character-to-keep-being-able-to-grow-through-the-process/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [When we approach characters, we don't have their full story in mind right off the bat. Through the writing process we raise questions about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/when-we-approach-characters-we-don-t-have-their-full-story-in-mind/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [I feel like directorial teams aren't quite as uncommon in documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/i-feel-like-directorial-teams-aren-t-quite-as-uncommon-in-documentary/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [There are studios out there and we have met them who take the movie away from the filmmaker and don't want them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/there-are-studios-out-there-and-we-have-met-them-who-take-the-movie/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [I think I was 10 when I saw my first R-rated movie, 'Stand by Me,' in the theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/i-think-i-was-10-when-i-saw-my-first-r-rated-movie-stand-by-me-in-the/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [We have nothing against working with actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/we-have-nothing-against-working-with-actors/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [We like to create an atmosphere where people can try whatever they want and experiment. But ultimately people tend to fall on the script…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/we-like-to-create-an-atmosphere-where-people-can-try-whatever-they/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [We weren't big 'Notebook' fans or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/we-weren-t-big-notebook-fans-or-anything/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [It's nice to work with the same people. You don't have to be polite. You know each other's likes and dislikes, and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/it-s-nice-to-work-with-the-same-people-you-don-t-have-to-be-polite/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [The first time Brie Larson was really on our radar as somebody who we wanted to work with was 'Short Term 12.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/the-first-time-brie-larson-was-really-on-our-radar-as-somebody-who-we/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [We don't think there are simple answers about that why someone is the way they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/we-don-t-think-there-are-simple-answers-about-that-why-someone-is-the/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) [Explore all 54 Anna Boden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) ## More August quotes > [On the McLaughlin Report, August 26, 1990: 'There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the middle East, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-the-mclaughlin-report-august-26-1990-there-are-only-two-groups/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Meanwhile after failing the bar twice, I knew some people in New York and moved here in August '71.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-quine/meanwhile-after-failing-the-bar-twice-i-knew-some-people-in-new-york/) [Robert Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-quine/) > [I had the advantage, that I know Swedish. So I had the Swedish book and I had a lot of English translations, and German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-ullmann/i-had-the-advantage-that-i-know-swedish-so-i-had-the-swedish-book-and/) [Liv Ullmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-ullmann/) > [I love the little garden in the back of my family's brownstone in Brooklyn. Digging out there in the dirt is a joy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-love-the-little-garden-in-the-back-of-my-family-s-brownstone-in/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [I can see that I imagine all kinds of rejection that never happens. I can see that I beg and plead for love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/i-can-see-that-i-imagine-all-kinds-of-rejection-that-never-happens-i/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [August depresses me a little. I don't even feel like eating. And when I don't eat, that's a sure sign of stagnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-scott/august-depresses-me-a-little-i-don-t-even-feel-like-eating-and-when-i/) [Willard Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-scott/) > [August, the summer's last messenger of misery, is a hollow actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/august-the-summer-s-last-messenger-of-misery-is-a-hollow-actor/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [ It \[August 10th 1792\] was the bloodiest day of the Revolution so far, but also one of the most decisive. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-doyle/it-august-10th-1792-was-the-bloodiest-day-of-the-revolution-so-far/) William Doyle > [How sociable the garden was. We ate and talked in given light. The children put their toys to grass All the warm wakeful August…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-gunn/how-sociable-the-garden-was-we-ate-and-talked-in-given-light-the/) [Thom Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-gunn/) > [It's August, which means Congress is on recess and Mitch McConnell has shimmied back into the ocean to seek a mate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-august-which-means-congress-is-on-recess-and-mitch-mcconnell-has/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I studied acting in NYU's graduate program, in which we covered everything from Ibsen and Chekov to August Wilson and David Mamet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-holland/i-studied-acting-in-nyu-s-graduate-program-in-which-we-covered/) [Andre Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-holland/) > [There could be oil coming up until August.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-browner/there-could-be-oil-coming-up-until-august/) [Carol Browner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-browner/) > [The 6th of August in the morning we saw an opening in the land and we ran into it, and anchored in 7 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-dampier/the-6th-of-august-in-the-morning-we-saw-an-opening-in-the-land-and-we/) [William Dampier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-dampier/) > [August creates as she slumbers, replete and satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/august-creates-as-she-slumbers-replete-and-satisfied/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [I left for Petersburg in August, 1871 and stayed there until 1879.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-spitteler/i-left-for-petersburg-in-august-1871-and-stayed-there-until-1879/) Carl Spitteler [Browse all 448 August quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/august/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With 'Half Nelson,' we went to Sundance and then we just bam, bam, bam, festival, festival, festival, festival and then we released in August.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anna Boden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and-then-we-just-bam-bam-bam/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "August" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and-then-we-just-bam-bam-bam/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/anna-boden-12590_august_with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and_661114.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/anna-boden-12590_august_with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and_661114.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/anna-boden-12590_august_with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and_661114.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With 'Half Nelson,' we went to Sundance and then we just bam, bam, bam, festival, festival, festival…” — Anna Boden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anna Boden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "With 'Half Nelson,' we went to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and-then-we-just-bam-bam-bam/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/with-half-nelson-we-went-to-sundance-and-then-we-just-bam-bam-bam/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```