Arts and Entertainment

'On the Ice' gets Sundance treatment

on-the-ice-sundance-brianadams-photo
Brian Adams photo
Rep. Chris Tuck, Cara Marcous, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, and Trevor Groth at the Sundance Film Festival

PARK CITY, Utah -- More than 200 Hollywood artists and industry professionals -- including writers and executives from "Like Crazy, Bellflower," "Blue Valentine" and "The Kids Are Alright" -- attended a party Monday honoring the cast and crew of "On the Ice," a new feature film by Alaska Native filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean.

"It takes a village to raise an artist," said K'Dee Miller of Patina Pictures, who introduced the filmmaker and talked about the state tax incentive that is drawing filmmakers north to shoot movies in Alaska. "Sundance is the premiere marketing venue, and it's great the state sees the value of these events."

"On the Ice," which premiered Friday at the Sundance Film Festival, was shot on location in Barrow and included a cast culled from a long audition process conducted throughout the Arctic.

RELATED: Read what critics are saying about 'On the Ice'

Several members of the cast and crew and their families attended the party at the Spur Bar and Grill in Park City on Monday. MacLean said being welcomed and honored amongst family and friends was like "coming home." The project was a labor of love for MacLean, who wanted to look at how Alaska Native communities such as Barrow respond to tragedy.

"There's a real strength, a coming together, in a time of crisis", he said.

"On the Ice" was adapted from the 2008 award-winning short film "Sikumi," which means "on the ice" in the Inupiaq language. The coming-of-age tale centers on the bond between two teenage boys -- Qalli and Aivaaq -- who must deal with the consequences of a tragic accident. Josiah Patkotak, of Barrow (who plays Qalli), and Frank Qutuq Irelan, of Nome (who plays Aivaaq), brought their experiences to bear in the film by conveying what life is like in the "comfortable claustrophobia" of these isolated communities. Like brothers in the film, the pair also bonded off-screen on caribou and whale hunting trips before shooting began and remain close friends.

An epic musical score by iZler, a Czech-born, English-raised composer and instrumentalist, drew inspiration from traditional Alaska Native drumming and singing. The score served as a perfect complement to the snow-covered Arctic tundra cinematography by Lol Crawley.

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Teddy Kyle Smith, of Kiana, showed a remarkable range of expression, as Egasak, both the father of Qalli and a search and rescue captain. "When you look at our culture, we have to adapt to the environment. I think we're adapting to acting," Smith said.

Contact Tracey Foster at tracey(at)alaskadispatch.com.

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