MOVIE NEWS – “Thank you for lighting a fire under my *ss,” Kristen Stewart told at tonight’s opening night gala at Sundance.

“Sundance is the f*cking sh*t,” she added, taking the stage to accept the Visionary Award from 3 Films star Jesse Eisenberg. He was honored for his work as an uncompromising artist in indie film, who also has a long association with the Park City festival.

Stewart will be doing double duty here at the festival, starring in Sam and Andy Zuchero’s Love Me and A24’s Rose Glass-directed genre film Love Lies Bleeding.

Eisenberg talked about being impressed by the emotion she brought to a short driving scene in which she had a line, and she was the whole face on the set of Greg Mottola’s Adventureland. Eisenberg and Stewart also appeared in Woody Allen’s Cafe Society and the action film American Ultra. Or as Eisenberg called it, “two talkies and an action movie”.

“You’re so committed that you want to make sure that everything is going to work out in the end,” Eisenberg said.

Taking to the microphone, Stewart said, “Twenty years ago. I could barely speak English when I was approached. I got my first pair of ugg boots. It was a place full of ‘yeses’ in a world full of ‘noes,'” he said, praising Sundance.

Praising Sundance’s ehtos even more, Stewart added: “It’s cliché to talk about how hard it is to make a film, but everyone here feels it. Not everyone in the world feels that.”

Speaking about how great art comes to the festival, Stewart exclaimed, “It’s because someone crazy pushed it! It has to happen! And I’m not taking no for an answer!”

It was a patriotic, indie proclamation that drew a big round of applause from the benefactors and industry guests in the room.

Tonight’s honorees included Pat Mitchell, who received the Vanguard Award for Philanthropy, presented by Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first female President and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Oscar-winner Jodie Foster presented the Acura Vanguard Award – Nonfiction to documentary filmmaker Maite Alberdi (Eternal Memory), who was in attendance. Alberdi was honoured for her work in nonfiction film that emphasises the art of storytelling and creative independence.

Christine Vachon, producer of Past Lives, also awarded the Acura Vanguard Award to writer and director Celine Song (Past Lives) – Fiction.

Source: Deadline