Category: News

We all know that the vast majority of folks make their film-viewing choices based on what they are hearing about a film — be it from friends, traditional media, the blogosphere, or social media. They’re not likely to go out of their way to proactively research a film, and if they haven’t heard anything about a film, they aren’t likely to see it. Whatever you want to call that.

London, 20 March 2012 — Sundance Institute and The O2 announced today the programme of Special Events and panels that will take place at the inaugural Sundance London film and music festival, from 26-29 April at The O2. These events and panels were programmed by Sundance Institute, which annually hosts the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah – the premier independent film festival in the United States.
Among the Special Events announced today are: ‘Rufus and Martha Wainwright sing Kate McGarrigle,’ an intimate performance by Rufus and Martha Wainwright following the world premiere of Sing Me The Songs That Say I Love You ~ A Concert for Kate McGarrigle, Lian Lunson’s film about the music of their mother, folk singer Kate McGarrigle; The debut theatrical screening of Coming Up For Air, a documentary about Placebo, which will be followed by an extended Q&A with the band and filmmaker Charlie Targett-Adams; Robert Redford will introduce a screening of Harmony, a documentary about the three decades of work by HRH The Prince of Wales to combat climate change and the global environmental crisis, which will be followed by an extended Q&A; the 25th anniversary screening of River’s Edge, which first premiered at the 1987 Sundance Film Festival; and multiple panels on the creative process of independent filmmaking, reflecting the year-round work of Sundance Institute.

Los Angeles, CA — The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | CNEX Workshop and Documentary Summit in Beijing end today, following four days (March 14-19) of programming designed to nurture documentary storytelling and encourage the diverse exchange of ideas. Ten Chinese documentary project teams from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan participated in the program, having been invited by DFP and CNEX staff.
The three-day Workshop began with a half-day orientation session and informal dinner hosted by CNEX.

Sundance Institute’s Film Forward project landed in Mumbai last week for an ongoing cultural dialogue between countries, sparked by the power of film to stimulate conversations that might not ever take place on their own.Filmmaker and Sundance alum Linda Goldstein Knowlton traveled to India with her personal documentary, Somewhere Between, a film that intertwines the stories of four teenage girls living in different parts of the U.S.

Ryan Gielen of marketing service company Believe helps explain how to best work the platform visited by 85% of Americans and hence enjoying an Alexa ranking of 3.How is YouTube best used for marketing indie films?The best use of YouTube is for audience building before, during and after the filming process.The perfect version of this would be a filmmaker who spends the year leading up to her shoot vlogging about the fundraising process, casting, producing, and any fears, hopes and challenges they’re facing.

London, 15 March 2012 — Sundance Institute and The O2 announced today the programme of eight short films that will screen at the inaugural Sundance London festival, taking place at The O2 from 26-29 April. These films screened in January at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah – the premier independent film festival in the United States. All eight short films will screen together in one Short Film Programme.

The Green Wave is a significant movie because it can be seen from different perspectives. It is a documentary that reflects a very important historical event in Iran. After 1979 revolution, the Green Movement is the biggest socio-political movement in Iran.

Mumbai, India — Mumbai Mantra, the media and entertainment division of the Mahindra Group, is collaborating with Sundance Institute for various initiatives. The inaugural Mumbai Mantra | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab 2012 has selected eight feature film projects of Indian screenwriters – chosen through an evaluation process of submissions from around the world, including the United States and France.
These Screenwriting Fellows will have the opportunity to work intensely on their feature film scripts with the support of Creative Advisors (established Screenwriters and Directors) in an environment that encourages innovation and creative risk-taking.

Mumbai, India — Sundance Institute announced today that FILM FORWARD: Advancing Cultural Dialogue, a program that promotes cultural dialogue through independent documentary and narrative film, is travelling from March 15 to 22, 2012 to five locations in India: Mumbai, New Delhi, Aligarh, Gurgaon and Noida. Mumbai Mantra Media Ltd and the American Center in New Delhi, in collaboration with Taj Enlighten Film Society and Whistling Woods International, will present the FILM FORWARD program which includes 10 films, filmmaker appearances and workshops at multiple venues in the five cities.  All FILM FORWARD screenings are free of charge for University students and the general public.

The Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Rocco Landesman, was in Arizona last week as part of his Art Works tour. During the visit, he made a stop in Tucson to participate in the week-long Film Forward program and take in a screening of Andrew Okpeaha MacLean’s On the Ice. Landesman was appointed Chairman of the NEA in 2009 and is responsible for leading the public agency in its efforts “to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities.

Los Angeles, CA — Keri Putnam, Executive Director of the non-profit Sundance Institute, announced today that the Institute is launching an exclusive and free app for Ultrabooks® and other mobile devices featuring Sundance Institute “Now Playing” film news, behind-the-scenes content, and film trailers showcased on the Intel AppUpSM center now. The app will help support and market films as they become available to the public, including through the self-distribution component of Artist Services.Artist Services provides opportunities for creative self-distribution, marketing and financing solutions for filmmakers supported by the Institute, while allowing them to maintain ownership of their rights.

Last week, we showed On the Ice in Arizona as a part of Sundance Institute’s Film Forward program. I was there for three screenings. The first one took place in Sells, a small town on the Tohono O’odham reservation about an hour outside of Tucson.