[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2008/images/01/12/art.palka.jpg caption=”Marianna Palka is an actress, writer and director.”]
The U.S. Drama category is one of the most prestigious at Sundance. At 26, Marianna Palka is the youngest filmmaker with “Good Dick,” a modern-day fairy tale of a boy who fails in love with a reclusive girl. Palka directed and wrote “Good Dick,” and she stars in the film alongside her longtime boyfriend, Jason Ritter.
Palka got to Sundance by way of Scotland. She grew up without a television, but that didn’t stifle her love for entertainment. She started acting with The Atlantic Theatre Company and made films as a teenager.
Palka already has been compared to the likes of Woody Allen, using her talents in front of and behind the camera.
Update: Watch the CNN.com Live interview
Young People Who Rock 
Whats been your hardest struggle to overcome as a filmmaker?
What was your inspiration for the film?
What inspires you?
If you could put Upside Down Cake or Scottish Eggs in a Film which would you do and why?
How did you meet your boyfriend, Jason Ritter, and was his quick wit an inspiration to you in either your writing or acting?
What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers with no existing connections to the film industry?
Are there specific challenges associates with being both in front of and behind the camera at the same time, and how do you deal with them? How do other actors react?
Does it strike you odd that so many young filmakers now, like the director of Juno, or either the children or somehow associated with people already in the industry? Is Hollywood slowly locking out the rest of us?
Are your movies true to your experience?
Is there a nagging consciousness that alters your everyday experience of things, with the inevitable knowledge that it would all end up as material for your movie?
Are your movies born out of a deep seated unhappiness (as happiness most of the times produces art that is trite)?
Hello Marriana!
I am currently pursuing a career in a field that does not have any job security typical of less rewarding M-F 9-5 jobs. I find that sometimes when I choose a medium-length goal (6mo. – 1 year), I find myself so fixated on the goal that I occasionally loose sight of whether or not I am enjoying the process of working toward that very goal, something that has led me at times to resent my pre-chosen goals. Has this every happened to you, and if so, have you learned ways to overcome this?
Yes congrats, but why do we treat actors and filmakers like they are somehow saving lives in this culture? Its getting trite and boring and I’d like to hear from those who are making some differences in the world in terms of peace relations, hunger, poverty, etc
Hey, i like ur work.. i really appreciate it but i just dont like the part in the end with her father …
But really congrats… its a great start… m expecting more from you. 🙂 Thumbs up !!
whats the difference if she’s not saving the world? she’s doing something great in an industry that treats looks first and talent last. she’s doing good especially for a female filmmaker. this blog showcases young people who rock not young people who are in medicine, science, or law!
What did Marianna Palka whisper into his ear in the last scene?????????? I need to know so I can get some sleep.