By Jessica Herndon
Thirty years ago, a small black-and-white indie film about a day in the lives of two convenience store clerks (Randal Graves, played by Jeff Anderson, and Dante Hicks, played by Brian O’Halloran) made its mark on movie history. Premiering at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, Kevin Smith’s Clerks defied the odds of traditional filmmaking, becoming a cultural touchstone — and a cult classic — that ushered in a new era of independent movies. With its shoestring budget of under $30,000 and witty, often vulgar dialogue, Clerks captured the authenticity of working-class life, appealing to a generation of moviegoers who saw themselves in its characters and vibed with their banter about life, love, and pop culture.
The film’s world premiere at the Fest was a pivotal moment for Smith. Not only did it catch the attention of Miramax Films, who acquired the movie, but it launched his career, making him a filmmaker to watch. The groundbreaking style of Clerks — minimalist in production but loaded with awesome dialogue and idiosyncratic characters — proved even the rawest film could captivate audiences and critics. But Clerks didn’t just put Smith’s unconventional storytelling approach on the map; it set him up to become a prominent voice in geek culture — a subculture with a deep enthusiasm for niche interests like video games, anime, and various forms of tech. By infusing references to media like Star Wars and comic books in Clerks and his following films, Smith made geeks feel seen.
To celebrate the cult classic’s 30th birthday, walk down memory lane as we look back at times Smith made appearances at the Festival, from the premiere of Clerks, to premieres of two of his other films at the Fest — Chasing Amy, which featured an appearance from characters Smith introduced in Clerks (Hey, Jay and Silent Bob!), and Yoga Hosers — to a chat at our Cinema Café, and that time he officiated a wedding in front of a packed theater.
To kick things off, we found a sweet clip of Smith introducing Clerks at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, where the film premiered.
Smith, Clerks producer Scott Mosier, and friend hang out at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.
Smith and Mosier (far right), take a breather with other 1994 Sundance Film Festival attendees.
Smith at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival Awards Night Ceremony, where he won the Filmmaker Trophy Dramatic award for Clerks.
The cast and crew of Chasing Amy, which premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Clockwise from right: Ethan Suplee, Mosier, Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, Smith, Ben Affleck, and Dwight Ewell.
Smith (center) joins filmmakers Boaz Yakin, Rose Troche, Gregg Araki, and moderator John Cooper for the Power of Story: The Class of ’94 discussion where the Sundance-supported filmmakers discussed dynamic work at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Smith officiates the wedding of Dylan and Nicole at the 20th anniversary screening of Clerks at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. (Check out the video of the wedding below!)
Lisa Kudrow and Smith pose for a photo ahead of Kevin Pollak’s Misery Loves Comedy, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.
Smith is joined by the cast and crew of Yoga Hosers at the film’s premiere during the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
With his eyes wide, Smith stops to be photographed with Yoga Hosers cast members, daughter Harley Quinn Smith (left) and Lily-Rose Depp (right), ahead of the film’s premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
Smith gives his daughter Harley Quinn (left) and actor Lily-Rose Depp (right), who star in his film Yoga Hosers, a big bear hug before the premiere of the film at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
Smith makes Will.i.am chuckle during the Times Talks discussion at our Cinema Café during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
