As the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Kerry Washington’s accomplished the the indie cred-burnishing feat of having two buzzy films here. The first is Tanya Hamilton’s Night Catches Us, where Washington reunites with her She Hate Me costar Anthony Mackie in the story of two ex-Black Panthers, and the second is Rodrigo Garcia’s female triptych Mother and Child, which made its well-received debut in Toronto last fall and costars Annette Bening and Naomi Watts.
Before either of us left for Sundance, I spoke to Washington about her festival entries, the limits of control, and the challenges of her current Broadway stint in David Mamet’s Race.
Back in 2001, you had Lift at Sundance, and it helped jump-start your career. What do you remember about that experience?
What do I remember about that? [Laughs] I can’t believe it was that long ago. It was really exciting for me. The first film I ever did went to Sundance, Our Song, but I wasn’t able to go because I was shooting Save the Last Dance. Sundance is cool, though. Everybody talks about how much the festival has evolved and changed over the years, so I’m kind of excited to go back and see what it’s become.
Read the full interview here.