Sundance Film Festival completed the second day of its online festival programming featuring conversations with John Boyega, Elizabeth Banks, Regina Hall, Sigourney Weaver, Abi Damaris Corbin, Phyllis Nagy, Connie Britton, Colin Farrell, Hayley Lu Richardson, Wuumi Mosaku, Zoe Renee, Mariama Diallo, Chlose Okuno, Kogonada, and more. Stay tuned. In the meantime check out “How To Fest With Tabitha Jackson.”
Sundance Festival Director Tabitha Jackson on “How To Fest,” a daily segment chockful of festing tips, filmmaker interviews, and some of the day’s recommended screenings. (Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute)
Making the festival easily accessible to everyone is a primary driver and here is a daily segment titled, “How To Fest With Tabitha Jackson,” chock full of wise words combined with a Shari Frilot and Phyllis Nagy filmmaker chat. In addition, suggestions for the day’s films and events with brief overviews are provided to ease the sense of inundation. Furthermore, it’s a fun piece! Go forth and discover…
Film and TV distributor FilmRise today announced it has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to SUPERGIRL. The film will screen at Slamdance 2017 today, Tuesday, January 24th. Directed by Jessie Auritt, “Supergirl” explores the extraordinary life of Naomi Kutin, an Orthodox Jewish pre-teen, who at the age of nine broke world records in powerlifting and became an international phenomenon. As she fights to hold on to her title, Kutin is navigating the perils of adolescence – from religious obligations to cyber-bullying and health issues, which could jeopardize her future in powerlifting. Can she still be “Supergirl” if she can no longer break world records? With a passionate family supporting her each step of the way, Naomi must learn to accept herself and discover she is as strong inside as she is outside.
The coming-of-age documentary made its world premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival, followed by screenings at the Cucalorus Film Festival, DOC NYC and Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival. In addition to Slamdance 2017, the film will also screen at the Palm Beach Jewish Film, and the Big Sky Documentary Festival.
“Supergirl” will make its broadcast debut on the upcoming season of PBS’s Independent Lens.
Jessie Auritt, Director of the coming-of-age documentary, SuperGirl. (Photo via twitter)
“We’re so excited to begin our partnership with FilmRise after a successful initial festival run,” said Jessie Auritt, the film’s director.
Noted Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise: “We are thrilled to help bring this unique coming-of-age story to a wider audience. Jessie Auritt has found a truly original subject in Naomi Kutin and has brought a distinct directorial vision to the project.”
Lois Vossen, Executive Producer of PBS Independent Lens (Photo via pbs.org)
“This feisty film brings together issues of female empowerment, religious beliefs and one very strong family’s commitment to each other and to greater tolerance,” said Lois Vossen, Executive Producer of Independent Lens. “We applaud Jessie for making such an entertaining film that shows how, despite our differences, we’re all more alike than we might think. We look forward to bringing the film to INDEPENDENT LENS on PBS.”
The deal was negotiated by Fisher and FilmRise’s VP of Acquisitions Max Einhorn with Daniel Hyman and Abby Davis of Preferred Content.
ABOUT FILMRISE
FilmRise is a film and TV distribution company founded by veteran producer/financiers Danny Fisher, Jack Fisher and Alan Klingenstein. With over 15,000 titles in a wide range of genres, the company’s film acquisitions and releases include HBO’s multiple Emmy®-winning “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”; “Janis: Little Girl Blue,” produced by Oscar®-winner Alex Gibney; the acclaimed true crime documentary “The Witness”; and most recently, the controversial drama “White Girl.” Television titles include hit series such as Showtime’s Emmy®-winning “Years of Living Dangerously,” the longest running true crime show on television “Forensic Files,” and iconic Robert Stack hosted series “Unsolved Mysteries.” FilmRise’s recent acquisitions are two-time Academy Award®-nominee Julie Delpy’s “Lolo”; “Five Nights in Maine,” starring Oscar®-winner Dianne Wiest, David Oyelowo, and Oscar®-nominee Rosie Perez; the buzzed-about horror-comedy “The Greasy Strangler”; the box office hit “Harry & Snowman”; and “Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago” in partnership with CNN Films. For more information, go to: http://www.FilmRise.com
The 2017 version of the Slamdance Film Festival is well under way with the first weekend under its belt. The festival opened Friday, January 20th and runs through January 26th in Park City, Utah.
Slamdance is a showcase for raw and innovative filmmaking self governed – by Filmmakers, for Filmmakers. The year-round organization serves new and emerging artists, filmmakers and storytellers.
Here are some opening weekend highlights:
Expressive Intelligence Studios does a special live commentary as a user plays their interactive game, BAD NEWS, presented in Digital Interactive Gaming Program, a unique immersive experience combining live theater and live coding. (Photo credit: Peter Lueders)Slamdance artist gather at G-Tech Happy Hour. (Photo credit: Ian Stroud)(L-R) DIRECTOR JHENG-NENG LI (AEROTROPOLIS), Clementine Leger (Festival Mgr.), Peter Baxter, Slamdance Co-Founder and President, actor Chia_lun Yang (AEROTROPOLIS). (Photo Credit: Eseel Borlasa)Filmmaker, Matteo Borgardt, director of YOU NEVER HAD IT: AN EVENING WITH BUKOWSKI (Photo credit: Ian Stroud)
This year we welcome Houston native and MFA student at Claremont University, Tommy C Burns to the already impressive list of artists who have contributed to Slamdance including Shepard Fairey, Kii Arens, David Flores and Rosie Lea.
Slamdance spoke with Tommy about his background, inspirations, and his creation of the 2017 Slamdance Film Festival key art, titled The Charmer. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? Where are you from?
Originally I’m from Texas, born in Houston. I graduated from high school in Midland-Odessa and I have a huge family in San Antonio. I moved to LA when I was 18 and California has always been kind of influential to me from an artistic perspective. When I was growing up, I admired a lot of graffiti coming out of LA. A lot of the youth skateboarding scene which is heavy with images for decks and tee shirts and stuff like that. Of course, the movies. That’s so powerful, and all the album covers that I would see growing up. I mean, I do know my art history a little bit, but I would say that as far as what is contemporary art to me, that is more influential to me then the modern art scene.
LA’s definitely a good place to find that kind of, subversive stuff. And that’s really “Slamdance” too…graffiti and album artwork and stuff like that. When did you start getting into art?
Some of my first memories are making art I guess. My grandmother was an artist, rest in peace. She just died actually this last year. I didn’t really have a lot of contact with her because she lived very far away and I didn’t really have as much communication on that side of the family, but it was always a memorable experience. I just think I’ve formed a lot of my best friendships around artistic sensibilities. I guess we kind of search each other out.
Yeah, you have a bond.
Yeah, especially in a city like Midland-Odessa where I graduated from high school, it’s not a very artist-friendly environment. I think it’s kind of changing a little bit more, but it’s definitely not something that was encouraged
Right. Did you find your crew of artists there? Did you have a community?
I did. We never expected to be able to do what we’re doing now. It’s real inspiring because I have a friend who owns a gallery, I have another friend who is a pretty well known tattoo artist in the area. Out here too, in California, I’ve gotten a chance to be introduced to so many different artists and meet a lot of my heroes growing up. Not just that, but I think I was really heavily influenced by a lot of chicano art and muralists. Even though I don’t think that’s necessarily what I do, I know that subliminally all those things kind of come into my conscious.
That was my next question. How does your cultural background influence your work? I do feel as well that even if it’s something you don’t actively think about, it’s inside you.
Definitely. And thankfully, through some of my trips painting in different cities, I’ve gotten to see just how there’s a common aesthetic throughout the whole southwest for that kind of movement. It’s meaningful to get to see those kind of common bonds of images. I think that all of those kinds of images are changing literally the way people look at themselves. Having a place like a film festival is the same thing. People get a chance to explore some of those kind of topics, and having the opportunity to paint and do something different, it’s been really helpful for me and my artistic development.
Something that we’ve come to learn at Slamdance is that it’s super hard for filmmakers to get a start, because it’s very competitive and it tends to be that you need a lot of money to do anything. I’m wondering with art and your experience, what are some roadblocks that you’ve faced?
It’s actually kind of ironic, because to tell you the truth I did some film school and I really love film and have tried to do film myself. I’ve always wanted to branch into film because it seemed more stable. I was thinking, if I get this technical skill of being an editor or cameraman, it’s gonna be more job security. Little did I know..
…there’s millions of people thinking the same thing
Yeah! Going back into art I felt like it was a chance for me to distinguish myself from others by doing something that was a little more personal. It’s easier to see the artist’s’ hand. My thing is basically to try and make things, no matter what, without needing permission or approval. It does suck to feel like you have to wait for a budget or a permit. That’s really my main thing with film. I shot so much without any paperwork and no permits. It’s like I have a form-o-phobia. Anyways, I guess that’s what I would say. People should just try and make things until hopefully people will see they’re passionate for what they do, and they can meet the right person who can help their ideas live in the real world, you know? Not just in their head.
So you’re currently a student at Claremont. How long have you been studying there?
I’m getting my Masters in Fine Arts. There’s not really a way to describe it because we can all do what we want. I really enjoy my professors, Amiko, and David Pagel as well have really helped me a lot. It’s been a great experience. Like I said, I haven’t really ever studied art formally. I had a class in high school, one class in college with David Amiko, which is why I chose to go back to school. He really encouraged me and helped me through the application process as far as giving me a lot of good advice on how to follow through.
How do you feel about being the festival artist for Slamdance?
In a way, I feel like it is a complicated relationship that artists have with commerce. Yet at the same time, it’s one of the most exciting relationships an artist can have. That’s what we aspire to, is to be seen and to be heard and be relevant. I feel like a film festival is the ultimate example of that. You’re having all these teams of people trying to come together to express these abstract ideas. As an artist, I do that by myself at a studio. I was talking to somebody about “art by committee.” It’s kind of a painful process in a way. I guess you can almost say it’s like group therapy. It’s kind of painful because there’s uncomfortable moments about certain things because people don’t agree or see eye to eye on everything, but there’s a lot of growth that’s happening. People have wide and varied interests and belief systems, I think an independent film festival is kind of the epitome of that.
Yeah, and your artwork is representing that this year. It’s pretty awesome.
Yeah it’s exciting!
We’re so stoked with how the artwork turned out and feel as though it totally represents us as a festival and what we’ve been doing for over 20 years. In your words, what is the message behind this piece and how does it fit in with our festival?
First off, I think it was fun for me to paint. It was to me an image that I want to look at. It’s interesting and could be looked at as somewhat erotic. I look at it like, yeah it’s sexy, but everyone has different ideas of what sexy is. I completely understand if not everyone thinks it’s sexy. The main form is representing a strong woman, and at the same time, kind of wrestling with those societal pressures of what she should be doing or how she should be acting. With all the stuff that’s happening with the election, I know that a strong woman is still very intimidating for a lot of people. I know that not everybody is going to look at that image and see just a strong woman. I think like I said about sexuality, it’s always going to be like a hand grenade, no matter what it’s gonna be explosive. But that’s also what’s interesting about those kinds of images to me. I tried to do it tastefully from my perspective or my point of origin.
I really appreciate the opportunity and I think I chose to try to use it to represent the festival because what I admire about filmmakers is that they’re wrestling with their own personal demons or ideas. Like the way she’s holding the snake. It’s unclear– is it friendly? Is it dangerous? Is she playing with it or is she restraining it? There’s a lot of uncertainty and I think that’s the fun part of film and having other people look at your film and those kinds of interactions. Those kinds of interactions are really precarious.
Here’s a fun one, what’s your favorite movie
Oh man, it’s really hard
It’s my least favorite question
For real I’ve seen hundreds of movies. I’m a huge Criterion Collection fan. I’ve seen a lot of them. I love japanese films. I’d say one of my favorite films that is one of the most personal to me is 400 blows. That’s his first film! It’s incredible, it’s insane. I’m a huge Kurosawa fan, that’s probably my favorite director as well as Kubrick. I’m a huge Walter Hill fan and I like a lot of various strange things like Ralph Bakshi. I like Brian de Palma’s films, and the film Black Moon by Louis Malle, that one is a big inspiration to me actually. It’s hard for me to narrow stuff down, and there’s so many incredible filmmakers, it’s insane. I mean, how to even keep up with all the new talent because even now it’s even more crazy and it’s harder to know who’s who because there’s so many more people that are creating!
Slamdance Opening Night Film: World Premiere Of What Lies Upstream. Oscar Qualifying Shorts Program Features 24 World Premieres
(LOS ANGELES, CA – December 6, 2016) – (LOS ANGELES, CA) – Slamdance today announced its Special Screenings, Beyond, and Shorts programs for their 23nd Film Festival. It is a bold selection of films from visionary filmmakers from across the globe. This year the festival will host 35 World, 9 North American and 10 US premieres within these programs.
“This year Slamdance’s Special Screenings selections are hard-hitting, revelatory films that deserve exposure in Park City,” says Paul Rachman, Special Screening Programmer. “Averting trends and remaining premiere agnostic this program reflects the gut instinct Slamdance programmers rely on in their singular choices.
Last year the festival presented EMBERS, a sci-fi indie directed by Claire Carre. Carre was recently nominated by the 32nd Film Independent Spirit Awards for the Kiehl’s Someone To Watch Award.
“The support of Slamdance has had a powerful impact on my first feature from selecting the film as the festival’s Closing Night film, through releasing it theatrically with Slamdance Presents,” shares Carre. “It’s challenging making a low budget indie movie on your own, and it’s easy to get lost. Slamdance has championed EMBERS in monumental ways.”
This year, several Slamdance Alumni return with highly anticipated presentations in the Beyond Program. These selections are made be emerging narrative and documentary filmmakers working beyond their first features.
“The films in the Beyond section exhibit bold directorial vision and singular characters that introduce audiences to exciting and uncharted new worlds,” says Beyond programmer Josh Mandel. “These emerging filmmakers are beacons of light in a sea of darkness that will continue to forge new paths in the years to come.”
Films in this program are eligible for the Audience Award. Additionally, the filmmakers are eligible for the Spirit of Slamdance Awards, which is voted upon by their festival filmmakers peers.
“Our slate of short films this year is one of the most daring we have been privileged to showcase,” says Narrative Shorts programmer Taylor O. Miller. Fellow programmer Breven Angaelica adds, “We continue this year with short films that fit into their own category, or none at all, and bring a rawness and and originality to the future of filmmaking that we are humbled to recognize and share.”
The 2017 OscarⓇ Qualifying Shorts competition showcases 51 US and 20 International productions in the Narrative, Documentary, Animation, Anarchy and Experimental sections. All Slamdance films are programmed entirely by the Slamdance filmmaking community from blind submissions.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS PROGRAM
After Adderall
(USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Stephen Elliott
In 2010 James Franco optioned the rights to my memoir, The Adderall Diaries. In 2015 The Adderall Diaries starring James Franco and Ed Harris premiered at the TriBeca Film Festival. This is a movie about James Franco making a movie about me. Cast: Stephen Elliott, Mickaela Tombrock, Bill Heck, Michael C. Hall, Ned Van Zandt, James Urbaniak, Lili Taylor, Jerry Stahl
A Narrative Film*
(USA)
Director: Michael Edwards
The most narrative narrative never narrated. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end…. It is at once both a three-act assault on the conceit of the traditional narrative, and also perhaps, a futile attempt to escape the narrative impulse of cinema.
What Lies Upstream (USA) World Premiere
Director: Cullen Hoback
In this detective story, filmmaker Cullen Hoback investigates the largest chemical drinking water contamination in a generation. But something is rotten in state and federal regulatory agencies, and through years of persistent journalism, we learn the shocking truth about what’s really happening with drinking water in America. Cast: Dr. Marc Edwards, Dr. Rahul Gupta, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Cullen Hoback, Randy Huffman, Dr. David Lewis, Maya Nye, Dr. Andrew Whelton
You Never Had It: An Evening with Bukowski
(Italy/Mexico/USA) US Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Matteo Borgardt
A night of drinking and talking about sex, literature, childhood and humanity with the irreverent writer poet Charles Bukowski in his California house in 1981. A story of tapes lost, found and brought back to life. Cast: Charles Bukowski, Linda Lee Beighle, Silvia Bizio
*Animated Short Preceding You Never Had It: An Evening with Bukowski
BEYOND PROGRAM
Automatic at Sea
(USA/ Denmark) North American Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Matthew Lessner
Eve, a young Swedish traveler, finds herself stranded on a private island with Peter, a wealthy heir whom she hardly knows. While waiting for other guests to arrive, Eve becomes trapped in an unstable reality punctuated by feverish visions, dimensional shifting and secret soft drinks. How can she escape if she’s not even sure she’s there? Cast: David Henry Gerson, Livia Hiselius, Breeda Wool
The Erlprince
(Poland) North American Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Kuba Czekaj
It’s the end of the world for a teenage genius, the feverish approach of the apocalypse – adulthood. Cast: Staszek Cywka, Agnieszka Podsiadlik, Sebastian Łach,
Future ‘38
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Jamie Greenberg
1938 screwball comedy set in the far-off future year of 2018 Cast: Betty Gilpin, Nick Westrate, Robert John Burke, Ethan Phillips, Sean Young, Tom Riis Farrell, Sophie von Haselberg, Tabitha Holbert
Neighborhood Food Drive
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Jerzy Rose; Screenwriter(s): Halle Butler, Mike Lopez, Jerzy Rose
A group of awful idiots fail at throwing a party over and over. Cast: Lyra Hill, Bruce Bundy, Ruby McCollister, Ted Tremper, Marcos Barnes, Jared Larson
Suck It Up
(Canada) World Premiere
Director: Jordan Canning; Screenwriter: Julia Hoff
Faye lost the love of her life, Ronnie lost her brother. These two best friends take off on a debaucherous journey into the mountains to cope with the loss of the man they both loved. Cast: Erin Carter, Grace Glowicki, Daniel Beirne, Toby Marks, Nancy Kerr, Michael Rowe
NARRATIVE SHORTS PROGRAM
August
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Caitlyn Greene
Deep in Louisiana’s swampland, a woman wakes from a fever dream where it has been August for 16 years. Cast: Kaelyn Charbonnet, Reginald Robinson, Sanita C. Irvin (Voice)
Birds with Human Heads
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Max Wilde
Basking in the wildlife of a handmade universe, a girl receives her first stick and poke tattoo from her best friend. Cast: Emma Factor, Emma Kikue Munson
Brad Cuts Loose
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Christopher Good
An uptight office drone seemingly discovers the perfect vehicle for letting off steam when an advertisement for a business catering to his innermost desires pops up one morning on his computer. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Tipper Newton, John Ennis, Wilson Vance
Business
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Kati Skelton
A terrified young man gets tangled up in a surreal and demoralizing “business opportunity.” Cast: Branson Reese, Peter Reznikoff, Dagmar Stansova, Matt Dennie
The Cure
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Mike Olenick
A mom cries, photos fly, cats spy, and bodies collide in this sci-fi soap opera that unravels the secret dreams of people who are desperately searching for ways to cure their fears of loneliness. Cast: David Rysdahl, Jennifer Estlin, Justin Rose, Kait Staley, Mrva Russell
A Doll’s Hug (Taiwan/USA) World Premiere
Director: Rob Chihwen Lo; Screenwriter(s): Rob Chihwen LO (Story), Cheng-Han WU (Screenplay)
A Taiwanese boy learns to fight back from the threatening violence in his Barbie doll world. Cast: Pin-Chieh Su, Jackson Lou, Mengxi Hus, Fabio Grangeon, Ivon Huang
Dr. Meertz (USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Steve Collins
A renegade psychotherapist has a brief window of time to cure a patient with ungodly dreams. Cast: John Merriman, Byron Brown, Paul Gordon
E
(Canada) US Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Raphaël Ouellet
5 women : 5 tales of ordinary oppression. Cast: Victoria Barkoff, Sandrine Bisson, Debbie Lynch-White, Sarah Pellerin, Alexa-Jeanne Dubé
Ford Clitaurus (USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: MP Cunningham
An aspiring artist struggles to find his voice, his sexual identity, and the meaning of creativity. Cast: Bryce Van Leuven, Taylor Young, MP Cunningham
Get Out Fast (USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Haley Elizabeth Anderson
Alex’s best friend, Coyote Boy, is missing and he doesn’t know why. Cast: Hale Lytle, Tre Marquis Frazier, Warren Dedrick, Tori Wolsefer
I’m in Here
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Willy Berliner
When a man finds a family of strangers in his house who claim to have bought the place, he agrees to let them stay until they can get to the bottom of the mix-up. They never leave. Cast: Dave Hanson, Jim Santangeli, Jillian Lebling, Kathy Searle
The Investment
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Steve Collins
A mysterious salesman offers an inadvisable investment opportunity to a lonely woman in need of a friend. Cast: Courtney Davis, Paul Gordon
Last Night
(USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Kent Juliff
On the final night of their DIY stand up tour around Texas, five comics grow closer as friends. Cast: Kent Juliff, Elizabeth Spears, Joe Tullar, Martin Urbano
Losing It
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Henry Jinings
High schooler Marshall hopes to seal the deal on prom night, but his date, Sarah, might not be as into it as he had hoped. Cast: Bryce Earhart, Rachelle Henry, Eric Newsome, Anne Ruttencutter, Nic Chase, Mason Knight, Alice Tokaryev
Neon Lights (USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Bradley Bixler
After a seemingly ordinary transaction goes wrong, a young stripper encounters a violent customer on her way home to her father’s birthday. Cast: Adriana Llabrés, Parker Torres, Michael Barbour, Giovanny Cruz-Marín
No Other Way To Say It (USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Tim Mason
A voice over actor tries to deliver the right performance while receiving confusing text messages and confusing direction. Cast: Beth Melewski, Sue Salvi, Megan Kellie
Nonna (Canada) US Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Pascal Plante
Just another visit at granny’s… Cast: Micheline Chamberland, Catherine Beauchemin
Oh What a Wonderful Feeling (Canada)
Director and Screenwriter: François Jaros
Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires. Nor any truck. Cast: Karelle Tremblay, Frédérike Bédard, Catherine Hughes, Patrice Beauchesne
One-Minded
(France/USA/South Korea)
Director(s) and Screenwriter(s): Forest Ian Etsler, Sébastien Simon
“One-minded” tells the story of one fan’s transformation from dog to God. Cast: Moon Choi, Yaerin Erin Joo, Ryu Jun-yeol, Kwak Jin-moo
The Package (USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Benjamin Whatley
An experimental narrative which follows the journey of a product from the factory line to a consumer and beyond. Cast: Michael Rudolf
Paco
(USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Catalina Jordan Alvarez
He wants you to bounce on his lap. Cast: Brian Jordan Alvarez, Rosalyn Williams, Daniel Fishkin, Parker Dilworth
Pedazos (USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Alejandro Peña
After a garish and violent ceremony, two lovers are thrown into a mysterious cave inhabited by flying creatures. Cast: Henry MacLean, Will Stryker
Redmond Hand, Private Dick (USA) World Premiere
Director: Todd Selby; Screenwriter: Jason Kreher
On her quest to find a beautiful woman’s missing cactus, LA’s most notorious detective gets caught up in some crazy shit and then dies. Cast: Felicia Pearson, Miranda Parham, Katya Zamolodchikova, Jay London
Sadhu in Bombay (India) North American Premiere
Director: Kabir Mehta
Sadhu In Bombay is a documentary portrait of a man, with ascetic origins, who has been radically transformed by city life . The film explores the grey zones between truth, fiction and the construction of reality; while vividly addressing contemporary life in India.
Student Union (Hungary) North American Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: György Mór Kárpáti
The return journey on a train from a freshman summer camp, where 18-year-old Dóra has just been sexually abused. Cast: Katica Nagy, Krisztián Rózsa
Voyage of Galactic Space Dangler
(USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Evan Mann
A space man meets a cave man. Cast: Andrew Finzel, Nolan Brown, Rick Romero, Valerie Simon
We Together
(USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Henry Kaplan
A zombie is awakened. Cast: Martel Rudd, Kristopher McAfee
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM
Clean Hands
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Lauren DeFilippo
On a Sunday morning the congregation of the Daytona Beach Drive-In Christian Church tunes in. Cast: Robert Kemp-Baird
Clip-135-02-05
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Sasha Gransjean
Animals are used to express the dislocation, helplessness, and anger, while nature illustrates the lack of control that we have on events that come to pass. Cast: Sasha Gransjean
Commodity City
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Jessica Kingdon
An observation of the daily lives of vendors who work in China’s Yiwu Markets, the largest consumer market in the world. The film explores moments of tension between the fake and the real, between what is for sale and the humans who sell them.
The Dundee Project
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Mark Borchardt
In his long-awaited follow-up to 1997’s ‘Coven,’ filmmaker Mark Borchardt steps behind the camera again with ‘The Dundee Project,’ a documentary chronicling a small town UFO festival in Wisconsin. Cast: Mark Borchardt, UFO Bob, Mike, Sheldon
Dust & Dirt (USA) World Premiere
Director: Chris Stanford
Mason Massey dreams of one day making it to the top level of racing but with a lack of big money sponsorship he knows that it is going to be a long, hard road. Cast: Mason Massey
Eveready
(Uganda/USA) World Premiere
Director: Paul Szynol
Uganda’s most surprising boxer steps into the ring one more time.
Irregulars (Italy)
Director: Fabio Palmieri
Against a tellingly hypnotic factory backdrop, a refugee encapsulates the global immigration crisis in his own wrenching words. Cast: Cyrille Kabore
It Is What It Is
(USA) US Premiere
Director: Cyrus Yoshi Tabar
As filmmaker Cyrus Yoshi Tabar digs deep into his family history for answers to questions that have shaped his life, he finds that there are some things that might be better off left in the past. Cast: Cyrus Yoshi Tabar, Afsaneh Sade, Roxane Maiko Pate
Moriom
(Switzerland)
Director(s): Francesca Scalisi, Mark Olexa
Moriom, a beautiful but strange young woman, says her parents must be punished for holding her prisoner and torturing her. They have a different story.
The Real Wi-Fi of Baltimore (USA) World Premiere
Director: Julia Kim Smith
Featuring the genre-busting talent of James Nasty and TT the Artist, The Real Wi-Fi Of Baltimore offers a punny and nuanced view of Baltimore neighborhoods in a short film edited from iPhone screenshots of Wi-Fi network names. Cast: James Nasty, TT the Artist
Richard Twice
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Matthew Salton
Richard Atkins, the singer and songwriter of the early 70’s California psychedelic folk duo ‘Richard Twice’, was on his way to stardom and a huge success with his first debut album when he mysteriously walked away from it all. Cast: Richard Atkins
Searching for Wives
(Singapore) North American Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Zuki Juno Tobgye
A foreign worker from South India, whose customs says he is not allowed to marry at an even age, comes to Singapore in search of a job and a chance to find a wife before he turns 32. Cast: Shanmugavel Pathakarnan, Sheeja Sajeev Lal, K. Sajeev Lal, Ramalingam Muthu
Sweet Pie
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Pierce Cravens
Sweet Pie, also known as Paul Winer, revives his career as the baron of bare-assed boogie-woogie and blues at the Public Theater in NYC. Cast: Sweet Pie aka Paul Winer, Joanne Winer, Will Perone
This is Yates
(USA)
Director: Josh Yates
A reflexive analog-elegy that hates itself.
Troll: A Southern Tale (USA)
Director: Marinah Janello
An eccentric artist navigates self-expression through his experiences living and growing up in the South. Cast: Tony Arnold
ANIMATION SHORTS PROGRAM
Auto
(USA) US Premiere
Director: Conner Griffith
Cars dance on highways, crowds of people wash across sidewalk shores.
Batfish Soup
(USA)
Director: Amanda Bonaiuto
Wacky relatives give way to mounting tensions with broken dolls, boiling stew and a bang.
Chella Drive
(USA) Us Premiere
Director: Adele Han Li
A disembodied memory of adolescence in a Southern Californian suburb. The stuck-stillness of endless summer is disrupted only by a passing El Niño.
Hold Me (Ca Caw Ca Caw)
(USA)
Renee Zhan
Flap flapflapflapflap flap. A large bird and a small boy cohabit in an unhappy relationship, trapped by four walls and a mutual codependency. The fragile balance of their existence is cracked by an un-eggs-pected arrival.
Insect Bite
(USA)
Director: Grace Nayoon Rhee
A tiny bug tries to figure out what it wants to become.
It Is My Fault
(China) North American Premiere
Director: Liu Sha
This work utilizes the own approach of the digital medium itself to deconstruct, to form the subliminal synesthesia visually and to create a fictional experience for the mind.
Monkey
(China) US Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Shen Jie
One of the three monkeys died.
My Father’s Room (South Korea) North American Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Nari Jang
Sometimes, family members can be worse than strangers.
The Noise of Licking
(Hungary)
Director and Screenwriter: Nadja Andrasev; Short story by: Ádám Bodor
A woman is being watched every day by the neighbor’s cat, as she takes care of her exotic plants. Their perverted ritual comes to an end when the cat disappears. Next spring a peculiar man pays her a visit.
Plena Stellarum
(USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Matthew Wade
Neon ghosts dreaming in dead landscapes.
Q
(USA) US Premiere
Director: James Bascara
A bashful encounter.
Remember
(Japan)
Director and Screenwriter: Shunsaku Hayashi
“Leaving home, ‘I’ got a phone call. As ‘I’ answered it, the house exploded. ‘I’ went to work and continued as normal”…
Serpentine (USA) North American Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Bronwyn Maloney
A young woman’s reflective fantasy arouses a surreal exploration of sensuality, self-esteem, and deeply rooted fears.
EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS PROGRAM
Blua
(Colombia) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Carolina Charry Quintero
What do we see when we really look at an animal? Certainly, not just what meets the eye. Cast: Margarita Quintero, Chuja Seo, Rafa Rojas, José Adam Arriola
Experiments in Non-Cinema (USA) World Premiere
Director(s) and Screenwriter(s): Spencer Holden, Noah Engel
Making cinematic experiences without a camera apparatus. Non-Cinema Cast: Spencer Holden, Noah Engel
Girl Becomes Snow (USA) World Premiere
Director(s) and Screenwriter(s): Ryan Betschart, Tyler Betschart
An investigation into death induced dream ephemera or; a body (mind) dissolves into video signal memories. Cast: Karissa Hahn
Press Play (USA) World Premiere
Director: Kym McDaniel
Discernment becomes crucial as a little girl negotiates an adult world where different forms of entrapment threaten reality.
The Trembling Giant (United Kingdom)
Director: Patrick Tarrant
The bark of the quaking aspen is thought to provide the cure for any fear who cause can’t be named.
Unknown Hours (USA) North American Premiere
Director: Calum Walter
An observer journeys down a main street in Chicago towards a neighborhood known for its nightlife.
UpCycles
(USA)
Director: Ariana Gerstein
Cycling from original footage shot on super 8mm, up to 16mm, 35mm, down again to 16, optically printed, hand processed, and then optically printed again using a digital still camera to end on digital video.
ANARCHY SHORTS PROGRAM
Ape Sodom
(Canada)
Director and Screenwriter: Maxwell McCabe-Lokos
Three degenerates navigate the descending hierarchy of post-consumerist enlightenment. Cast: Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, Mihaly Szabados, Perrie Olthuis, David Cronenberg
Hell Follows
(USA/Japan) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Brian Harrison
Betrayed by his clan and murdered for his past evil deeds, a sadistic killer’s soul possesses his identical twin’s body and sets out onto the road of vengeance for one final crusade of extermination… Everywhere he goes… HELL FOLLOWS. Cast: Takuya Iba, Shu Sakimoto, Masahiro Takahashi, Sohanny Rose
Horseshoe Theory
(USA) World Premiere
Director: Jonathan Daniel Brown; Screenwriter(s): Jonathan Daniel Brown, Travis Harrington
A weapons deal between a white supremacist and a member of the Islamic State blossoms into more. Cast: Jackson Rathbone, Amir Malaklou, Lily Harrington, Travis Harrington
In a World of Bad Breath
(USA) World Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Christopher Graybill
Watch general confusion amongst an ancient presence. Cast: Oates Wu, Asher Knowles
Lighter Click (USA) World Premiere
Director: Robbie Ward
An odyssey through a mysterious psychedelic landscape full of monsters and secrets both beautiful and dark.
Silverhead
(USA) US Premiere
Director and Screenwriter: Lewis Vaughn
A deranged, 300 lb. masked ax murderer terrorizes the streets of Chicago as a calculated hunter tracks him. Cast: Christopher Porter, Corbin Manning, Clayvon Reeves, Jason Grey, Jarren Davis, Rodney Andrews, Ashley Pough
TheBox
(USA) US Premiere
Director(s): Jack Turpin, Davy Walker
An expressionistic journey through the gilt-pop-entrapment in which we find ourselves.
Vitamins for Life (USA)
Director: Grier Dill; Screenwriter: T. R. Darling
An educational film about some lesser known vitamins. Cast: Tessa Greenberg
What a Beautiful World This Will Be (USA)
Director and Screenwriter: Tyler Walker
While a mysterious disease called “the Blank” ravages New York City, a young drunk must find his missing friend. Cast: Jordan Michael Blake, Luke Marinkovich, Kara Dudley, Amanda Evans
ABOUT SLAMDANCE
Slamdance is a community, a year-round experience, and a statement. Established in 1995 by a wild bunch of filmmakers who were tired of relying on a large, oblique system to showcase their work, Slamdance has proven, year after year, that when it comes to recognizing talent and launching careers, independent and grassroots communities can do it themselves.
Slamdance alums are responsible for the programming and organization of the festival. With a variety of backgrounds, interests, and talents, but with no individual filmmaker’s vote meaning more than any others, Slamdance’s programming and organizing committees have been able to stay close to the heart of low budget and do-it-yourself filmmaking. In this way, Slamdance continues to grow and exemplify its mantra: By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers.
The 2017 Slamdance Film Festival will run January 20-26 in Park City, Utah.
Notable Slamdance alumni who first gained notice at the festival include: Christopher Nolan (Interstellar), Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), Marc Forster (World War Z), Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), Lena Dunham (Girls), Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Anthony & Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin), Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses), Lynn Shelton (Humpday) and Matt Johnson (Operation Avalanche). Box Office Mojo reports alumni who first showed their work at Slamdance have earned over $11.5 billion at the Box Office to date.
In addition to the Festival, Slamdance serves emerging artists and a growing audience with several year-round activities. These include the popular Slamdance Screenplay Competition, the traveling On The Road screening events, the Anarchy Workshop for student filmmakers, and The ArcLight Presents Slamdance Cinema Club – a monthly cinema club partnership with ArcLight Cinemas based at the ArcLight Hollywood and ArcLight Chicago, with two screenings and filmmaker Q&A’s each month: www.arclightcinemas.com/en/news/arclight-presents-slamdance-cinema-club
Slamdance Presents is a new distribution arm established to access broader distribution of independent films. The goal is to build the popularity of independent films and support filmmakers on a commercial level through theatrical releases. In August 2016, Slamdance Presents launched the week long release of Claire Carré’s feature sci-fi film, Embers, at ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood. Steve Yu’s The Resurrection of Jake The Snake was the first film to be released by the company. The documentary reached number one on iTunes in December, 2015.
In November 2015, Slamdance announced DIG (Digital, Interactive & Gaming), a new digital, interactive and gaming showcase dedicated to emerging independent artists working in hybrid, immersive and developing forms of digital media art. Ten works were featured in the inaugural DIG show that opened in Los Angeles at Big Pictures Los Angeles on December 4, running through December 13, 2015. The show was also featured at the 2016 Slamdance Film Festival.
DIG will open December 2-10, 2016 in Los Angeles and form part of the 2017 Film Festival.
2017 Slamdance Film Festival Sponsors include Blackmagic Design, Distribber, CreativeFuture, Directors Guild of America, Fusion, Different By Design, Pierce Law Group LLP, Writers Guild Of America West, Salt Lake City’s Slug Magazine, Beehive Distilling, and BlueStar Café. Slamdance is proud to partner with sponsors who support emerging artists and filmmakers. Additional information about Slamdance is available at http://www.slamdance.com
rights to SUPERGIRL. The film will screen at Slamdance 2017 today, Tuesday, January 24th. Directed by Jessie Auritt, “Supergirl” explores the extraordinary life of Naomi Kutin, an Orthodox Jewish pre-teen, who at the age of nine broke world records in powerlifting and became an international phenomenon. As she fights to hold on to her title, Kutin is navigating the perils of adolescence – from religious obligations to cyber-bullying and health issues, which could jeopardize her future in powerlifting. Can she still be “Supergirl” if she can no longer break world records? With a passionate family supporting her each step of the way, Naomi must learn to accept herself and discover she is as strong inside as she is outside.
LA’s definitely a good place to find that kind of, subversive stuff. And that’s really “Slamdance” too…graffiti and album artwork and stuff like that. When did you start getting into art?
