Category Archives: Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival

Shorts Awards Announced at 2019 Sundance Film Festival

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Aziza Wins Grand Jury Prize

            (L-R) Aziza, Credit: Elsy Hajjar; Green, Credit: Marina Piedade; Dunya’s Day, Credit: Olivier Theurillat.

Park City, Utah — Winners of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival jury prizes in short filmmaking were announced today by Sundance Institute at a ceremony in Park City, Utah. The Short Film Grand Jury Prize, awarded to one film in the program of 73 shorts selected from 9,443 submissions, went to Aziza, directed by Soudade Kaadan and co-written by Kaadan and May Hayek. Full video of the ceremony is at youtube.com/sff. The Short Film program is presented by YouTube, as part of their ongoing support for emerging storytellers, unique voices and independent artists. 2019 marks the seventh year YouTube has been the official sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival Shorts program.

This year’s Short Film jurors are Sheila Vand, Young Jean Lee and Carter Smith.

Short Film awards winners in previous years include Matria by Álvaro Gago, And so we put goldfish in the pool. by Makato Nagahisa, Thunder Road by Jim Cummings, World of Tomorrow by Don Hertzfeldt, SMILF by Frankie Shaw, Of God and Dogs by Abounaddara Collective, Gregory Go Boom by Janicza Bravo, The Whistle by Grzegorz Zariczny, Whiplash by Damien Chazelle, FISHING WITHOUT NETS by Cutter Hodierne, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom by Lucy Walker and The Arm by Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos and Jessie Ennis

The short film program at the Festival is the centerpiece of Sundance Institute’s year-round efforts to support short filmmaking. Select Festival short films are presented as a traveling program in over 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada each year, one of the few theatrical releases of short films in North America. Short films and filmmakers also take part in regional Master Classes geared towards supporting emerging shorts-makers in cities around the country.

Of the seven short films selected for awards this year, four projects (57% percent) were directed by women, two were directed by people who identify as LGBTQ, and six (85.7%) were directed by people of color.

2019 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Awards: 

The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to: Aziza / Syria, Lebanon (Director: Soudade Kaadan, Screenwriters: Soudade Kaadan, May Hayek) — A dynamic take on the life of Syrian refugees, told through black comedy.

The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was presented to: Green / U.S.A. (Director: Suzanne Andrews Correa, Screenwriters: Suzanne Andrews Correa, Mustafa Kaymak) — Green, an undocumented Turkish pedicab driver, unwittingly draws police attention, endangering his brother, his community, and himself.

The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was presented to: Dunya’s Day / Saudi Arabia, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Raed Alsemari) — Abandoned by her domestic help, Dunya fights to throw the perfect graduation soirée.

The Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction was presented to: Ghosts of Sugar Land / U.S.A. (Director: Bassam Tariq) — In Sugar Land, Texas, a group of young Muslim-American men ponder the disappearance of their friend “Mark,” who is suspected of joining ISIS.

The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to: Reneepoptosis / U.S.A., Japan (Director and screenwriter: Renee Zhan) — Three Renees go on a quest to find God, who is also Renee. As they traverse the mountains and valleys of Renee, they discover all the great joys, sorrows, and mysteries of being Renee.

A Special Jury Award for Directing was presented to: FAST HORSE / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Alexandra Lazarowich) — The Blackfoot bareback horse-racing tradition returns in the astonishingly dangerous Indian Relay. Siksika horseman Allison Red Crow struggles with second-hand horses and a new jockey on his way to challenge the best riders in the Blackfoot Confederacy.

A Special Jury Award for Directing was presented to: The MINORS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Robert Machoian) — A slice of life about a grandpa and his grandsons, the future and the past.
The Sundance Film Festival®
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Eighth Grade, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2019 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire, YouTube; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, Amazon Studios, AT&T, DIRECTV, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom, Stella Artois; Sustaining Sponsors – Ancestry, Canada Goose, Canon, Dell, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, GEICO, High West Distillery, IMDbPro, Lyft, RIMOWA, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, VARIETY, The Wall Street Journal. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Look for the Official Partner seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Sorry to Bother You, Eighth Grade, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, RBG, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Top of the Lake, Winter’s Bone, Dear White People, Brooklyn, Little Miss Sunshine, 20 Feet From Stardom, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, I’m Poppy, America to Me, Leimert Park, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

(Source: Press release provided by Sundance Institute)

#Sundance, Documentary, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

Marianne, Marianne, Marianne!

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Marianne & Leonard – Words of Love, the latest work from Brit documentary filmmaker, Nick Broomfield, is a beautiful yet tragic love story between Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse Marianne Ihlen. Broomfield delivers a well-organized and polished film with traditional documentary filmmaking techniques of utilizing voice-over-narration, still photographs with effects, archival footage and present day interviews. Furthermore, Broomfield manages to interview very interesting characters to say the least, all of whom sing the praises of Marianne and share some insightful observations on the semi-reclusive Cohen, most often associated with his best-selling work, Hallelujah that contains most of Cohen’s common themes of religion, politics, isolation, sexuality and romantic relationships. What emerges from Broomfield’s efforts is a well-researched and documented look into the deeply persoanal and spiritual relationship of Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen.

Interestingly, Broomfield’s work Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014), introduced film goers to the Black Lives Matter Movement before it became a national movement. Broomfield was also the last person to speak to Ailenne Wuornos as he was making his Ailenne: The Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003), the central character in Monster. Charlize Theron portrayed Wuornos and received an Oscar for her performance. Other prominent and well-known works from Broomfield include Sarah Palin: You Betcha! (2011), Battle for Haditha (2007), Kurt and Courtney (1998) Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam (1995) and Soldier Girls (1981).

Broomfield begins Marianne & Leonard – Words of Love to when and where the love of Leonard Cohen and Marianne Islen began – on the idyllic Greek island of Hydra in 1960 as part of a bohemian community of foreign artists, writers and musicians. The film follows their relationship from the early days on Hydra, a humble time of ‘free love’ and open marriage, to how their love evolved when Leonard became a successful musician. It was on Hydra in 1968 that director Nick Broomfield, then aged 20, first met Marianne Ihlen. Marianne introduced him to Leonard Cohen’s music and also encouraged Nick to make his first film and was an enormous influence on him.

Marianne and Leonard’s was a love story that would continue for the rest of their lives. Along the way, Broomfield brings to light the tragedy that befell those that could not survive the beauty of Hydra, the highs and lows of Cohen’s career, and the inspirational power that Marianne possessed. Marianne and Leonard died three months apart.

With Marianne & Leonard, Broomfield continues his already strong body of work with a more personal touch.

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Documentary Filmmaker, Nick Broomfield addresses the audience during a Q & A following the screening of his latest work, Leonard and Marianne: Words of Love at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 27th, 2019 inside the MARC Theatre in Park City, Utah. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

 

In the Q & A following the film’s screening, Broomfield credits Marianne’s nurturing soul and gentle encouragement as the catalyst behind his advent into documentary filmmaking. Seemingly, Leonard and Marianne touched something deeply personal inside Broomfield. Following the Q & A I personally thanked Mr. Broomfield for his work and quickly inquired what his next project would be. Broomfield cooly replied he was doing something even more personal – a project about his father. Stay tuned as Broomfield is at the top of his game and I personally look forward to seeing more from this highly original and very authentic filmmaker. Warmly recommended.

 

#Sundance, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

David Crosby: Remember My Name

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

David Crosby: Remember My Name, a revealing and deeply personal documentary produced by Cameron Crowe (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Say Anything…, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, and Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers Beach Party)
and from first-time documentarian A.J. Eaton, explores the life and creative renaissance of music icon David Crosby while giving Crosby a platform to make amends to all his legendary band mates from Roger McGuinn of the Byrds to Graham Nash of Crosby, Still and Nash. Both bands are in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Crosby claims he is entitled to a third induction with the Supergroup of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and who knows he may be right. He might even gain a forth induction for just the David Crosby Band.

Either way,  A.J. Eaton had his work cut out for him. Crosby is a highly intelligent, enigmatic character and has been a cultural force for over fifty years. Crosby faced uncertain future after the 2015 dissolution of Crosby, Stills and Nash following their uninspired and disastrous performance at the White House Christmas Tree lighting.

Racked with health issues and personal obstacles, Crosby has managed to forge a new path at the age of 76. Seeking out younger musicians and recording a pair of critically-praised new albums, Crosby has now set out to make a mark in a world now so different from the generation he came to define in the 60’s. With unflinching honesty, self-examination, regret, fear, exuberance and an unshakable belief in family and the transformative nature of music, Crosby shares his remarkable journey with humor and bite.

While known for his musical contributions, Crosby was also a leading humanist in the early days of the Los Angeles music scene even though Eaton mostly skips over this particular aspect of Crosby during this time. To his credit, Eaton reveals Crosby’s humanism with the incriminating photograph of National Guard weapons being fired at Kent State. Eaton does include some iconic footage from the Byrds and CSN. Notably, Crosby’s outspoken commentary at the Monterey Pop Festival. That’s what makes Crosby, well, Crosby. Interspersed with the archival footage from concerts and television shows are still photographs from Crosby’s early home life with some voice-over narration that captures endearing love for his mother and enduring love of women, especially his wife, Jan. And. there’s the music. Artfully selected compositions underscore the magic of David Crosby’s musicianship.

Interestingly, Eaton uses a non-linear approach with startling effect that provides a powerful clarity to Crosby’s psyche. The film starts with an extreme close-up of Crosby talking, the opening credit roll and the film takes off with David’s imitation of his first encounter with legendary jazz-man John Coltrane. From here, the film became an exciting roller coaster ride, as I didn’t know what was around the next corner. Utilizing band interviews from 2000, 2012, 2015 and a recent excursion through the Hollywood Hills and down the infamous Sunset Boulevard, I sat mesmerized when the ride came back into the station. This iconic figure had just, not only bared his ass, but had bared his soul – and what a sight it was to behold. Highly recommended!

 

 

#Sundance, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

Who is Roy Cohn?

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

 

Roy Cohn
Where’s My Roy Cohn?

 

Matt Tyrnauer (Valentino: The Last Emperor, Studio 54, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, Citizen Jane: Battle for the City) opened his latest work, Where’s my Roy Cohn? at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, Friday, January 25th, 2019. Where’s my Roy Cohn? is a documentary and premiered in the Sundance U.S. Documentary Competition. Utilizing traditional documentary techniques of voice-over narration, direct interviews, archival footage and photographic stills, Trynauer exposes Cohn’s malign influence and contextualizes him as a modern Machiavelli who influences our country today at the highest level.

Cohn first came into the public eye as an assistant to J. Edgar Hoover and handled the prosecution of Julius and Ethyl Rosenberg, a Jewish couple arrested, tried, convicted and executed for spying for Russia and securing Manhattan Project documents for the Russian government. Cohn, a twenty-three-year-old fast-rising attorney, claimed to have not only persuaded the presiding judge, Irving Kaufman, to impose the death penalty but also to have had Judge Irving assigned the case. Cohn’s reward for the Rosenberg execution was an appointment as special counsel to the 1950’s, US Senatorial demagogue, Joseph McCarthy.

Tyrnauer provides compelling evidence Cohn was responsible for much of McCarthy’s demagoguery and rise to power. Soon, however, Cohn would cause his own and McCarthy’s fall from grace. During the Army-McCarthy hearings, direct questioning revealed Cohn had a “special relationship” with G. David Schine and pressured the U.S. Army to give Schine preferential treatment. Cohn would resign after he was humiliated and pummeled with homophobic comments during the televised hearings. Cohn claimed everybody wanted him to stay on. According to those who worked with Cohn, this was not the case.

From here, Cohn would go onto be the personification of the dark arts of 20th-century American politics. Cohn became a mover and shaker of dubious means. He fluffed his persona despite inflicting financial losses on his clients and family. Trynauer shockingly unearths the origins of the seditious right wing’s ascent, revealing how Cohn, a deeply troubled master manipulator, has shaped our current political world. Cohn persistently defended himself by attacking his adversaries. Moreover, Cohn utilized the press to generate sensational public sympathy for his plight.

Cohn had refined his strategy well over the years as the primary press leaker during his McCarthy days gaining the friendship of the formidable press magnate, Walter Winchell, and a cadre of ambitious reporters. How Cohn had been able to pressure the judiciary was less clear. To me, his political clout emanated from his wide social circle of wealthy, influential friends. Cohn was known for throwing lavish parties and hobnobbed with almost every imaginable socialite of the day including then artist, Andy Warhol, and re-emerged as a New York power broker, mafia consigliere, white-collar criminal, and, eventually, the mentor of Donald J. Trump.

Following Cohn’s lead, Trump began his flamboyant rise first on Cohn’s shoulders and then his back. Eventually, Trump became the master of personal attacks, hyperbole, sensationalism, and utilizing the press to get out in front of the story. The similarities are uncanny and for me to say the likeness of these character trajectories are disturbing would be an understatement. One of the most powerful and politically revealing films of the festival.

Highly recommended and coming to a screen near you as Director/Writer Matt Trynauer announced during the Q & A that he received a text message informing him, Where’s My Roy Cohn? had been bought by Sony Classic Pictures.

trynauer_wheres my roy cohn
Director Matt Trynauer answers questions during a Q & A after screening his Where’s My Roy Cohn?  at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival following his announcement that Sony Classic Pictures purchased the rights to his film, January 27th, 2019, at the Rose Wagner Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

*As of December 6, 2020, Where’s My Roy Cohn is available streaming.

 

#Sundance, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

The Infiltrators take on Broward Transitional Center!

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

The Infiltrators, screening in the Next category of films presented by Adobe at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, based on true events inside an Obama-era immigration detention system is a flaccid hybrid of scripted narrative and documentary form directed by Alex Rivera and Christina Ibarra. Rivera and Ibarra follow the plight of Claudio Rojas, a detainee arrested by ICE officials outside his Florida home. Next films are defined as “Pure bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling….Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises…a greater next wave in American cinema.

The film opens with some negative CGI imagery setting the tone of for what I anticipated would be an expose’. After the introduction, The Infiltrators goes into unchartered territory with an overwhelming amount of re-enactments utilizing sparse amounts of traditional documentary techniques of voice-over narration, archival news footage and direct interviews.

After Rojas, played convincingly by Manuel Uriza, is transferred to the Broward Transitional Center, a detention facility used as a holding space for imminent deportations, his family contacts the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA), a group of activist Dreamers known for stopping deportations. Believing that no one is free as long as one is in detention, NIYA enlists Marco Saavedra, portrayed by Maynor Alvarado, to self-deport with the hopes of gaining access to the detention center and impeding Rojas’s deportation. Once inside, the character of Marco begins subverting the deportation process with one impeded deportation of Ismael, represented by actor Oscar Perez, and comes to realize this complex, for-profit institution housing hundreds of multinational immigrants, is in essence, a minimum security prison.

In what starts out as a believable situation, the film diverts into moments of questionable authenticity. A few minuscule interviews with the real characters help a little, but to put unspeaking, laughing, real-life character, Samuel Soto, in front of the camera as he is about to be deported mocks a judicial systems based in lawful codes and brings to mind colorful comedy of Hispanics taken by ICE officials from their homes while eating dinner calling back over their shoulder, “Keep my plate warm, I’ll be right back.” In addition, the real subjects have such a small amount of screen time, I was left with a feeling that something was amiss. And it was never more evident than when Rojas arrived at an ICE office for his annual review after “a year of close observation.”

Ibarra (in her Sundance debut) and Rivera (SLEEP DEALER, 2008 Sundance Film Festival) are husband and wife and it’s pretty obvious their work is a passionate affair. The Infiltrators has it’s moments with stunning drone shots of the Broward Transitional Center, in elevating the status of their Dreamer activists, and paying homage to The Last Castle, starring Sundance Institute Founder, Robert Redford. Yet, in the end, the plight of the undocumented goes on unfinished and The Infiltrators doesn’t delve into the millions of dollars detention facilities generate with any substance or depth. It does show power when an inspired group of like-minded individuals  come together with a plan – not withstanding a dubious amount of “creative non-fiction” reenactment (scripted narrative). Warmly recommended.

#Sundance, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

Writer/Director Bart Freundlich Talks His Vision and Casting For ‘After the Wedding’

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

I dropped in at the Grand Theatre in Salt Lake City, Friday night, January 25, 2019, for a Q & A with Writer/Director Bart Freundlich after a 9:15 P.M. screening of his latest work, After the Wedding, starring Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup and Michelle Williams.

Freundlich adapted Susanne Bier’s Academy Award-nominated Danish film of the same title by cleverly changing the characters’ genders to render an elevated melodrama about strong women, fate and motherhood. Stay tuned!

Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies!

 

 

Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE’S AN ARTIST AT THE TABLE

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Last night, the Sundance Institute’s  An Artist at the Table benefit officially kicked off the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. The evening began at the Eccles Theater for the premiere of After the Wedding, directed and written by Bart Freundlich, based on the Academy Award-nominated film by Susanne Bier, and starring Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Billy Crudup, and Abby Quinn.

Following the screening, the festivities continued at the Utah Film Studios, celebrating the event’s 10th anniversary with a cocktail reception and seated dinner; the dinner featured a multi-course gourmet meal and a celebrated Sundance Institute artist at each table.

screen shot 2019-01-26 at 12.34.56 am
Photo credit: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Chair of the Sundance Institute Board of Trustees, Pat Mitchell, welcomed guests to the Utah Film Studios. In her opening remarks, Mitchell stated, “This year’s festival theme, RISK INDEPENDENCE says it boldly—reflecting the values that are the touchstone of all our work—and they are the values that define the life and career of our founder, Robert Redford.  Forty years ago, he created the Institute, providing a place for other artists to take risks, to fail and find their way again. As a superb storyteller himself, he is the inspiration for generations of artists who want their work to make a difference in the world as he has done through his films, his commitment to preserving and protecting the natural resources and through the Sundance Institute.”

 

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Photo courtesy of © 2019 Sundance Institute | Photo by Duston Todd

Executive Director of Sundance Institute, Keri Putnam, followed stating, “We believe in the value of this Festival as a true public square for art and ideas. We see the importance especially in having artists and audiences present with one another. Building a community and a cultural conversation across borders and boundaries. That is foundation of Sundance. That is what Robert Redford risked in creating the Institute.”

In addition to Mitchell and Putnam, attendees included Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper, An Artist at the Table Host Committee members Ava DuVernay, Shari Levitin, Pat Mitchell (Sundance Institute Board of Trustees Chair), Amy Redford, Jared Ruga, Jim and Susan Swartz, and speeches by Glenn Close, Awkwafina, Boots Riley, and Ava DuVernay.

Sundance Institute artists and supporters in attendance included Malin Akerman, Desiree Akhavan, Karim Amer, Ritesh Batra, Annette Bening, Joe Berlinger, Jongnic Bontemps, Scott Z. Burns, Ty Burrell, Jackie Chan, Damien Chazelle, John Chester, Glenn Close,  David Crosby, Anna Druhich, Ava DuVernay, A.J. Eaton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jacob Estes, Yance Ford, Nisha Ganatra, Rashaad Ernesto Green, Jon Hamm, Alma Har’el, Lena Herzog, Jared & Jerusha Hess, Cristina Ibarra & Alex Rivera, Kirsten Johnson, Mindy Kaling, Ross Kauffman, Jennifer Kent, Lisa Kron, Dennis Lim, Bing Liu,  Billy Luther, Tracy McKnight, Phyllis Nagy, Morgan Neville, Jehane Noujaim, Jacqueline Olive, Julius Onah, Jeff Orlowski, Haley Joel Osment, David Oyelowo, Nonny de la Pena, Tayarisha Poe, Storm Reid, Tony Revolori, Boots Riley, Alex Rivera, Luke Rothschild, Angela Sarafyan, James Schamus, Taylor Sheridan, Carlos Simon, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jen Tullock, Matt Tyrnauer, Hannah Pearl Utt, Sheila Vand, Roger Ross Williams, and Awkwafina.

(Source: Press release from Sundance media relations)

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Apollo 11: Todd Miller’s ‘Dunkirk in Space’

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Off to an early start with an 8:30 A.M. screening of Todd Douglas Miller’s (Dinosaur 13) Apollo 11, a Neon Production and CNN Film, this morning at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival’s MARC Theatre. And, I wasn’t disappointed. Miller and his team gained access to the National Archives and Records Administration as well as the NASA archives for their project and I was happy to see another space film after covering Rory Kennedy’s Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey To Tomorrow this past summer at AFI DOCS in Washington D.C.

Crafted from a newly discovered trove of 65mm footage, and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Miller takes us straight to the heart of NASA’s most celebrated mission with masterful editing and grand storytelling – the one that first put men on the moon, and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into household names.

apollo 11 buzz aldrin 1969 courtesy of neon cnn films
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin shortly before going into orbit on the Apollo 11 Space Mission. (Photo courtesy of Neon)

Immersed in the perspectives of the astronauts, the team in Mission Control, and the millions of spectators on the ground, Apollo 11 provided the audience with a look from inside the Apollo 11 spacecraft, the jocular banter of the astronauts as well as the adoring crowds and the tense atmospherics inside Mission Control. Miller delivers a vivid experience of those momentous days and hours in 1969 when humankind took a giant leap into the future fulfilling President Kennedy’s May, 1961 mission of sending a man to the moon utilizing still black and white, and color photographs, newsreel voice-overs and the stunning cinematography treasures captured during the 1969 mission.

With never seen-before footage and a run time of ninety minutes, the film covers nine days in an efficient manner. Miller, a self-described space geek, weaves a warm, emotionally fulfilling narrative with a strong sound design from Eric Milano and riveting music from Matt Morton highlighted with moments from the preparation, liftoff, landing, return and recovery of the famed mission.

But, he could not have managed it without the expert skills of Stephen Slater, a specialist in the NASA film archive, and nominee for the Arthur C Clarke Award for Achievement in Space Media,  who had the dubious distinction of syncing the audio for all the soundless archival footage (as none of the footage had any sound!), and Ben Feist, a software engineer at NASA, and the Apollo program historian behind the interactive website Apollo17.org, a web experience that recreates the last mission to the Moon in real time, who created algorithms to streamline the massive audio files. Lastly, all the 16mm and 35mm archival footage was scanned and converted into a large screen format, 4K, utilizing a one-of-a-kind, prototype scanner.

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Director Todd Douglas Miller addresses the audience following his 2019 Sundance Film Festival Apollo 11 screening at the MARC Theatre in Park City, Utah, on January 25th. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

In the Q & A following the screening, Miller  playfully referred to Apollo 11 as the ‘Dunkirk in space’ and provided insightful background on how these stored film reels came into being as the failed attempt of MGM and NASA to produce a film together. Miller confessed to always wanting to make a big screen film. Apollo 11 is in the U.S. Documentary Competition and seems to be one of the crowd favorites so far.

This is a must-see film. Hopefully, it’s sooner than later as rumors of a highly anticipated announcement of its distribution in IMAX format is imminent here at Sundance.

Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies!

#Sundance, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

2019 Sundance Film Festival Day One Press Conference

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Ladies and gentlemen the show will begin momentarily…..

robert redford
Robert Redford, President and Founder of the Sundance Institute, announces he’s ready to move on and will be relinquishing his duties to spend his time with the films. Redford’s announcement came today at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City, Utah, on January 24th, 2019, Day One of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

 

The 2019 Sundance Film Festival with its Risk & Independence theme is underway. With a full house for the Day One Press Conference at the Park City, Utah, Egyptian Theatre this afternoon the President and Founder of Sundance Institute, Robert Redford, strolled out onto the stage and announced he’s moving on. He wholeheartedly thanked the volunteers who stand out in the cold year after year welcoming festival goers.  Redford softened the blow of his departure by informing the attendees he feels the festival is in a good place and he intends on spending his time with the films from here on with full confidence in the leadership hierarchy in place. Redford exited the platform upstage giving way to the Sundance Institute’s Executive Director, Keri Putnam.

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Keri Putnam, Executive Director of the Sundance Institute, delivers a powerful message on the institute’s current state of affairs, on January 24, 2019, Day One of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City, Utah. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

Putnam assured the press Mr. Redford’s vision is thriving while gently reminding journalists the festival is a non-profit and a powerful supporter of artists amplifying their work and helping to launch their respective careers. Putnam compared the festival to a public square where artists can share a creatively connected community unencumbered from state messaging – something sorely missing in today’s surging nationalist movements. Without further adieu Putnam introduced the programming panel.

Each programmer shared their individual mission within the Sundance Institute of traveling around the world making connections while seeking diversity in the global community of artists and filmmakers. And, according to the panel, it’s not just about the art, it’s also about the deeper implications behind the underrepresented voices. It’s about the intersection of art, culture and community and the overt attempts to devalue media representations that are not aligned with mainstream, conglomerate-controlled (and state-controlled) media. The result is shallow and sensationalist pieces that debase human kind and its diversity. Intermittently, questions previously submitted by journalists were thoroughly discussed.

The 2019 Sundance Film Festival had a record number of submissions, 14,259 to be exact, and began tracking the demographic information of its filmmakers. Dr. Stacy Smith of the University of Southern California, Annenberg Media Center, will present the findings and their implications at the Filmmaker Lodge tomorrow, January 25, 2019. Stay tuned!

Until then, I’ll see you at the movies!

HollywoodGlee Inside Festival Headquarters
HollywoodGlee inside the Sundance Film Festival Headquarters at the Park City Marriott on January 23, 2019, in Park City, Utah, the day before the opening of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

*Featured photo from left to right: John Cooper, Director, Sundance Film Festival; Kim Yutani, Director of Programming; John Nein, Senior Programmer; Shari Frilot, Chief Curator, New Frontier and Senior Programmer; David Courier, Senior Programmer; and, Caroline Libresco, Senior Programmer, and Director, Catalyst and Women at Sundance. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

 

 

 

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Offscreen at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival: Panels and Events

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Onstage: Jackie Chan, Lena Waithe, Jane Campion, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Boots Riley, Hannah Pearl Utt, Desiree Akhavan, Tommy Orange, Among Many Others

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute will convene dozens of offscreen events, including inclusive and intersectional conversations on the next wave of storytelling, radical data transparency, the future of democracy at its intersection with the arts, behind-the-scenes panels on the art of filmmaking and musical performances that range from intimate to raucous at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival taking place in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance, Utah, January 24 through February 3, 2019.

The first 2019 installment of the longstanding Power of Story series, Power of Story: Makers of the New Narrative Revolution will convene Terence Nance (As Told To G/D Thyself, Random Acts of Flyness), Reggie Watts (Runnin’), John Gaeta (Senior Vice President of Creative Strategy, Magic Leap), Stephanie Dinkins (Not The Only One), and Sarah Ellis (The Seven Ages of Man, director of digital development, Royal Shakespeare Company) and moderator Julia Kaganskiy to explore a range of inspirations, the changing nature of artistic discovery, the necessity of invention, and how culture stands to be dramatically reshaped by revolutionary, new narrative experiences. Power of Story is presented by Dropbox.

The conversation continues with Power of Story: Pushing Boundaries, which will gather filmmakers Rick Alverson (The Mountain), Mads Brügger (Cold Case Hammarskjöld), Kitty Green (Casting JonBenet), Penny Lane (Hail Satan?), and Asad J. Malik (A Jester’s Tale) and moderator John Horn (The Frame) for a conversation about how their work pushes boundaries conceptually, formally, and morally.

The Festival’s opening weekend offscreen programming brings democracy into focus: on Saturday, Sundance Institute and For Freedoms co-present a Town Hall on art and democracy, featuring artist-activist Patrisse Cullors, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, playwright Lisa Kron, photographer Susan Meiselas, choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili. On Sunday, veteran investigative journalist Lowell Bergman, political and cultural analyst Farai Chideya, Open Society Foundations President Patrick Gaspard, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim (The Great Hack), and writer Tim Wu explore the intersection of democracy and journalism.

Elsewhere in the program, filmmakers Garrett Bradley, Sky Hopinka, Amelia Winger-Bearskin and RaMell Ross join novelist Tommy Orange (There There) to discuss work made in the context of centuries of erasure and misrepresentation. Alma Ha’rel (Honey Boy) will convene with the legendary Benedetta Barzini (The Disappearance of My Mother) to talk ethical and aesthetic challenges of biography; Kyra Sedgwick and Sacha Jenkins are among the makers talking about creating indie episodic work.

Other noteworthy conversations at the Festival include the Cinema Café daily series of informal chats, which this year will include conversations between Jackie Chan,Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jane Campion, Boots Riley, Hannah Pearl Utt, Ashton Sanders, Desiree Akhavan, Tessa Thompson, among others. Several Cinema Café events are presented by The New York Times TimesTalks, noted below; more Cinema Café conversations will appear on sundance.org/program shortly.

The Celebration of Music in Film concert features iconic performances inspired by the Sundance Film Festival’s most powerful films. Past celebrations have honored legends such as Joan Jett, Common, Erykah Badu, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Michel Gondry, Darlene Love, and more. This year—which marks the 20th anniversary of the concert series—we celebrate Blinded by the Light, a film that bridges different cultures and corners of the world through the music of Bruce Springsteen. Join us for an evening dedicated to the power of music and film with performances by Feist, The Head and the Heart, Patty Griffin, Rotana Tarabzouni, and composer Kris Bowers in a special duet with Frally Hynes. Celebration of Music in Film is programmed annually by the Sundance Institute Film Music Program.

Other live music at the Festival includes performances at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café (free and open to all Festival credential holders 21 and older) by Grammy winners Claudia Brant, Everlast, Flor de Toloache, Patty Griffin and Lee Ann Womack. The annual BMI Snowball (open to all Festival credential holders) will feature Neyla Pekarek (formerly of The Lumineers), Hailey Knox  and Tamar-kali. This year’s panelists for BMI’s composer/director roundtable “Music & Film: The Creative Process,” includes Sundance Institute Film Music Program Director Peter Golub; composer Mandy Hoffman and director Minhal Baig (Hala); composer Jon Ekstrand and director May el-Toukhy (Queen of Hearts); composer Blake Neely and director Ryan White (Ask Dr. Ruth); composer Heather McIntosh and director Martha Stephens (To the Stars); and composer Will Bates (The Inventor) and (The Sound of Silence).

For dates, times, locations and ticket information for these and other offscreen events, including panels and live music hosted by our sponsors, visit sundance.org/festival.

Day One Press Conference 
Thursday, January 24, 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT / 3 p.m. ET
Join Sundance Institute Founder and President Robert Redford, Executive Director Keri Putnam, Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming Kim Yutani and Festival Senior Programmers David Courier, Shari Frilot, Caroline Libresco and John Nein. Doors open to accredited press at 11 a.m. Watch the livestream beginning at 1 p.m. MT at sundance.org and youtube.com/sff.

POWER OF STORY
Power of Story looks to deepen public engagement with storytelling, explore cinema culture, and celebrate artists whose work propels the form. Presented by Dropbox.

Power of Story: Makers of the New Narrative Revolution
Saturday, January 26, 2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St.
#PowerOfStory

Bolstered by the breathtaking palate of emerging media, visionary artists are deviating from norms and reinventing storytelling as we know it. Terence Nance (As Told To G/D Thyself, Random Acts of Flyness), Reggie Watts (Runnin’), John Gaeta (senior vice president of creative strategy, Magic Leap), Stephanie Dinkins (Not the Only One), and Sarah Ellis (The Seven Ages of Man; director of digital development, Royal Shakespeare Company) look at the tantalizing futurescape of story.

Power of Story: Pushing Boundaries
Thursday, January 31, 2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St.
#PowerOfStory

Maintaining the freedom to shatter prevailing orthodoxies, reframe moral perspectives, and push the boundaries of accepted norms, artists don’t lead us to safety but away from it, out of our comfort zones. With Rick Alverson (The Mountain), Mads Brügger (Cold Case Hammarskjöld), Kitty Green (Casting JonBenet), Penny Lane (Hail Satan?), and Asad J. Malik (A Jester’s Tale).

CINEMA CAFÉ
Cinema Café revives the culture of conversation, offering audiences the opportunity to engage with an array of filmmakers and artists in an informal dialogue, complete with coffee and treats. Open to credential holders. Select Cinema Café conversations will be livestreamed.

Friday, January 25–Saturday, February 2, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#CinemaCafe

Jackie Chan 
TimesTalks moderated by Kyle Buchanan
Friday, January 25, 11:30 a.m-12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., second floor
#CinemaCafe
#TimesTalks

Ashton Sanders and KiKi Layne
TimesTalks Moderated by Kyle Buchanan
Saturday, January 26, 11:30 a.m-12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., second floor
#CinemaCafe
#TimesTalks

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Boots Riley
TimesTalks moderated by Kyle Buchanan
Sunday, January 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., second floor
#CinemaCafe
#TimesTalks

Jenny Slate and Ed Helms
TimesTalks Moderated by Kyle Buchanan
Monday, January 28, 11:30 a.m-12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., second floor
#CinemaCafe
#TimesTalks

Jen Tullock & Hannah Pearl Utt and Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe
Thursday, January 31, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., second floor
#CinemaCafe

Tessa Thompson and Jane Campion
Friday, February 1, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., second floor
#CinemaCafe

Desiree Akhavan and Nisha Ganatra
Saturday, February 2, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St., second floor
#CinemaCafe

NEW FRONTIER PANELS
Explore the technology and innovation pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Open to the public.

AI: I Love You
#NewFrontier
Sunday, January 27, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
The Box at The Ray, 1768 Park Ave.
Artificial intelligence in our day-to-day lives is shifting. Once typified by science-fiction writers, practical AI is now ever present in the searches we perform and the products we consume. Now AI gets much more personal, processing our words, tone, expression, senses, and gestures. Join Eleanor Whitley (Sweet Dreams); Stephanie Dinkins (Not the Only One); John Monos (head of human-centered AI at Magic Leap); and Google Empathy Lab’s Danielle Krettek to explore how we might ensure that AI technologies lift us up and move us forward.

The Second Coming of AR
#NewFrontier
Monday, January 28, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
The Box at The Ray, 1768 Park Ave.
Enthusiasm for augmented reality and mixed reality has been at a fever pitch this year. ARKit and ARCore have caused an explosion of developer activity, and many believe that the potential reach of AR is an order of magnitude greater than VR. Join Peter Flaherty (THE DIAL); Ted Schilowitz (Paramount Pictures Futurist in Residence); Alice Wroe (Magic Leap’s Mica); and Artie’s founder and CEO, Ryan Horrigan, in a discussion about the present of AR and what important technologies are on the horizon that may trigger the next wave.

The Biodigital Continuum: Rebounding Digital Democracy
#NewFrontier
Tuesday, January 29, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
The Box at The Ray, 1768 Park Ave.
Plugged into our phones 24/7 is not a good look for any of us. But becoming technological teetotalers is not a practical option, as digital platforms continuously aid and abet our thoughts, needs, and even our identities. Join economist Douglas Rushkoff (Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus, Team Human), filmmaker/author Tiffany Shlain (Connected; founder, the Webby Awards), and filmmaker Jehane Noujaim (The Great Hack, The Square) in a high-tech fireside chat as they explore the relationship between digital platforms, democracy, and what it means to be a member of the human species.

Artistic Practice on the Bleeding Edge of Tech
#NewFrontier
Thursday, January 31, 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
The Box at The Ray, 1768 Park Ave.
Among the most exciting things about New Frontier artists are the formal innovations and groundbreaking technologies they create in pursuit of artistic expression. Join Nonny de la Peña (REACH), Victor Morales (Esperpento), and Melissa Painter (Embody) as they discuss their artistic process; the rewards, potential, and challenges of storytelling using bleeding-edge technologies; and what brings them to the necessity of invention.

FESTIVAL PANELS
Join artists, writers, thinkers, and movers and shakers to explore culture, society and what is preoccupying us  – as illuminated by this year’s Festival lineup. Open to Festival credential holders.

Making the (In)visible: Radical Transparency in the Data-Driven Age
Friday, January 25, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFInclusionData
Join Franklin Leonard (The Black List), Stacy Smith (USC), actor and writer Lena Waithe, Nina Jacobson (Crazy Rich Asians), and Sundance Institute’s Karim Ahmad for a discussion of the latest research by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative—what it reveals about race and gender at the Sundance Institute and what it reveals about the field—and a discussion of the new models to advance equitable representation in film.

Can Art Save Democracy?
Saturday, January 26, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFForFreedoms
In 2018, For Freedoms launched the 50 State Initiative to catalyze civic engagement and public discourse through the arts. In this town hall, join Eric Gottesman and Tanya Selvaratnam of For Freedoms, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, performer and choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili, Magnum photographer Susan Meiselas, artist/co-founder of Black Lives Matter Patrisse Cullors, and playwright and performer Lisa Kron (Fun Home) as they provide  some soul-searching provocations around art and democracy.

Democracy Hacked?
Sunday, January 27, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFDemocracyHacked
Is it possible to foster and protect democracy against the unprecedented triple threat of rampant inequality, the corrosion of public discourse, and the polarizing forces of the internet? With reporter and political and cultural analyst Farai Chideya, veteran investigative reporter Lowell Bergman, director Jehane Noujaim (The Great Hack), author Tim Wu (The Attention Merchants), and Patrick Gaspard (president, Open Society Foundations).

Reseeing the Present, Rewriting the Past
Monday, January 28, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFPastRewrite
For two particular U.S. populations, Native Americans and African Americans, the history of mainstream cinema has been one of erasure and misrepresentation. But cinema is being challenged through radically reimagined aesthetics and upended storyforms. With Tommy Orange (There There), RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening), Sky Hopinka (Fainting Spells), Garrett Bradley (America), Amelia Winger-Bearskin (artist/technologist), and Crystal Echo Hawk (Echo Hawk Consulting).

The New Storytellers
Tuesday, January 29, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFNewStorytellers
With scientists and storytellers finding imaginative new ways to render science narratives in popular media, have we entered a great new era of public understanding of science? With Sev Ohanian (writer/producer of Searching), Heather Berlin (neuroscientist, professor, and host of Science Goes to the Movies), Kerry Bishe (Halt and Catch Fire), Paula Apsell (executive producer of NOVA), and Janna Levin (astrophysicist and writer). Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Adventures in Indie Episodic
Wednesday, January 30, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFIndieEpisodic
As the episodic landscape continues to evolve, artists are pushing the boundaries of the form and creating groundbreaking work populated by unforgettable characters. Join Kyra Sedgwick (Girls Weekend), Deniese Davis (Issa Rae Productions), Sacha Jenkins (Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men), and Stephanie Laing (Bootstrapped) with moderator Michelle Satter (Sundance Institute) for a conversation about what it takes to reimagine the paradigm of episodic storytelling.

Imagining the Independent Internet
Thursday, January 31, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFIndieInternet
What is the future of online community, and what can new technologies—and yes, the blockchain—offer artists seeking autonomy, privacy, ownership, and independence? Join Sundance Institute’s Tara Hein-Phillips; former head of YouTube’s top creator partnerships Benjamin Grubbs (CEO of Next 10 Ventures); artist/technologist Amelia Winger-Bearskin  and writer Logan Hill to find out.

Leaps of Faith
Friday, February 1, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFLeapsOfFaith
From snake-wielding Appalachian Pentecostals to real-life revolutionary Satanists, this year’s Festival is filled with fiction and nonfiction films inhabiting religious worlds to tell the stories of our times. Join critic and journalist Alissa Wilkinson (Vox), directors Brittany Poulton and Dan Madison Savage (Them That Follow), director Paul Harrill (Light From Light), and Jex Blackmore (featured in the documentary Hail Satan?) to explore why so many artists are taking these narrative leaps of faith.

Life Stories
Saturday, February 2, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#SFFLifeStories
What are the challenges of creatively portraying the real lives of others in film. When are such biographical portraits acts of trespass, and when are they acts of transformative truth telling—and can they be both? Join Alma Har’el (Honey Boy), Benedetta Barzini (The Disappearance of My Mother), and others.

Film Church
Sunday, February 3, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Filmmaker Lodge, 550 Main St. (2nd floor)
#FilmChurch
What could be more divine than 10 days of film watching? Finish off your Sundance Film Festival experience by sharing a near-spiritual moment with Festival director John Cooper and director of programming Kim Yutani, who will offer nondenominational talks of the Festival that was with a variety of special guests.

MUSIC

Sundance ASCAP Music Café
Performances daily 2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. (Doors open 1:30 p.m.)
751 Main St.
Open to Festival credential holders 21 and older 
Whether it’s enhancing drama, building atmosphere, or underscoring an unforgettable moment, music is essential to the movies. The Sundance ASCAP Music Café honors the love affair between music and film with eight days of performances from artists and songwriters you already love and some you need to know. Stop by to discover some great tunes and find a collaborator for your next project. Courtesy of your friends at ASCAP, home to more than 690,000 of the world’s greatest creators and a proud partner of the Sundance Film Festival for 21 years. Featured performers this year include Stephen Bishop, Creamer, Dounia, Everlast, Flor De Toloache, Patty Griffin, Herizen, iDKHOW (I Dont Know How But They Found Me), Leland, Patrick Martin, Shim Moore, Milck, Judith Owen, Park88, J.P. Saxe, and Warbly Jets, plus a special ACM and Bluebird Cafe Songwriters Series performance lineup with Lee Ann Womack, Deana Carter, Carlton Anderson, and Jacob Davis. Artists will be featured January 25 through February 1 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day. For the full lineup, check out ascap.com and the Festival mobile app.

Celebration of Music and Film 
Saturday, January 26, 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. The Shop, 1167 Woodside Ave.
Open to Festival credential holders as space allows 
The Celebration of Music in Film concert—which marks the 20th anniversary of the concert series—celebrates Blinded by the Light, a film that bridges different cultures and corners of the world through the music of Bruce Springsteen. Join us for an evening dedicated to the power of music and film with performances by Feist, The Head and the Heart, Patty Griffin, Rotana Tarabzouni, Frally Hynes and composer Kris Bowers. Celebration of Music in Film is programmed annually by the Sundance Institute Film Music Program and has hosted iconic performances inspired by the Sundance Film Festival’s most powerful films with performances by  Lou Reed, Joan Jett, Patti Smith, Common, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Andra Day, Lyle Lovett, Chuck D, Aloe Blacc and more.

BMI Snowball
Tuesday, January 29, 8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. (Doors open 7:30 p.m.)
The Shop, 1167 Woodside Ave.
Open to Festival credential holders as space allows 
BMI invites you to the 17th annual Snowball Music Showcase. This showcase is an intimate night of music featuring a phenomenal mixture of emerging and iconic artists. Memorable past performances have included Rita Wilson, Christina Perri, Donovan, Rodriguez, Death Cab for Cutie, Devo, Allen Stone, KT Tunstall, Robert Randolph, Dawes, Terence Blanchard, Keb’ Mo’, Minnie Driver, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Percy Sledge and Spooner Oldham. Check sundance.org for this year’s lineup details.

For a full list of Partner Panels, featuring the latest and greatest from our partner community, please visit sundance.org/festival. Partner Panels are open to all Festival credential holders and the general public as space allows.

 

The Sundance Film Festival®
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Eighth Grade, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2019 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire, YouTube; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, Amazon Studios, AT&T, DIRECTV, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom, Stella Artois; Sustaining Sponsors – Ancestry, Canada Goose, Canon, Dell, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, GEICO, High West Distillery, IMDbPro, Lyft, RIMOWA, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, VARIETY, The Wall Street Journal. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Look for the Official Partner seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Eighth Grade, Blindspotting, The Tale, Get Out, The Big Sick, Strong Island, Blackfish, Top of the Lake, Winter’s Bone, The Wolfpack, Dear White People, Trapped, Brooklyn, Little Miss Sunshine, 20 Feet From Stardom, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home.

(Source: Press release provided by Sundance Media Relations)