Category: News

Welcome to “Short Order,” a new bi-weekly feature, where we’ll serve up recomendations for the most interesting and innovative short films available on the web every other week. Many of our selections will be timed to a news or cultural event. But we are most interested in providing an entertaining and edifying cinematic diversion on alternate Friday afternoons, often delivered with a dose of context about the filmmaker and information about what’s going on in the short filmmaking community.

Los Angeles, CA — Filmmaker Benh Zeitlin and philanthropist George Gund will be the first-ever recipients of the Sundance Institute Vanguard Awards, presented by Tiffany & Co. The awards will be given at the second annual ‘Celebrate Sundance Institute’ benefit, June 6 in Los Angeles.
The Vanguard Awards were founded last year to mark the 30th anniversary of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program  and its founding director, Michelle Satter.

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute and Cinereach today announced the 15 projects that will receive a combined $200,000 in grants this year as part of the Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute. In addition to grant awards, selected artists receive creative support at a Sundance Institute Lab, the Sundance Institute Creative Producing Summit or the Sundance Film Festival. Each project was identified by the Institute’s Documentary Film Program or Feature Film Program.

“This is the sound of the world changing,” observed a grinning Cara Mertes, Director of Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program and Fund, as she took the stage amid deafening applause. The audience in front of her had gathered for the first ever Stories of Change Impact Lab, where teams of innovators and artists had spent the better part of the past week huddled together at the intersection of documentary storytelling, new media and social justice. 
To say the crowd was diverse would be a wild understatement.

Daniel Junge is a filmmaker whose work includes the Oscar-winner “Saving Face,” Oscar-nominee “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner,” Emmy-nominated “They Killed Sister Dorothy,” Toronto-premiere (and Sundance Documentary Fund recipient) “Iron Ladies of Liberia,” and Tribeca award-winner “Chiefs.” He is currently using Kickstarter to raise funds for his new film “Fight Church.” Click here to help the film reach its goal.

Destin Daniel Cretton is the writer and director of “I Am Not a Hipster,” which premiered in the NEXT category at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. He is using Kickstarter to help raise funds for the film’s release. Click here to help the film reach its goal.

It’s hard to truly comprehend how much the short film world has taken us by storm. “Viral video” is a dictionary term and news item. You can get a college degree by making shorts.

The first thing that struck me about Morocco and Moroccan people generally – something subtle and simple yet indicative of something great and meaningful – when you greet a Moroccan he or she will raise their hand to their heart – an unconscious gesture that speaks volumes about the warmth and sincere value of human connection that permeates this rich land in North Western Africa. 
As-Salāmu `Alaykum. `Alaykum As-Salāmu.

Graduation season: A time of great optimism, renewal, and blissful naiveté. There is a sweet oblivion that comes with being a recent grad, before dreams have turned to fantasies and a glaring cynicism permeates every aspect of life. Ok, maybe post-grad life isn’t that bad.

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced three new members of the Institute’s Board of Trustees: Sean Bailey, Anand Mahindra and Jacki Zehner.
Under the guidance of President & Founder Robert Redford and in close collaboration with Executive Director Keri Putnam, the 23-person Board is responsible for the governance of Sundance Institute and works to actively advance creative and financial support for artists developing original stories for the screen and stage. Wally Weisman continues as Chairman of the Board.

FILM FORWARD returned to Morocco for a second year and had another successful collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, Rabat.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sundance Institute and Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, today released a new report based on findings from the most recent National Arts Policy Roundtable.