Category: News

From making my first film, The Cove, to winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary, the past year has been a dream. I often joke that film is a “weapon of mass construction,” and in order to construct a film and have it seen, a filmmaker needs many allies. For The Cove, Sundance has been the best ally possible.

Los Angeles, CA – Sundance Institute will host a free screening of director Jon Else’s documentary film Sing Faster: The Stagehands’ Ring Cycle this Saturday, April 17 at 7 pm at the Hammer Museum (10899 Wilshire Blvd at Westwood in Los Angeles) as part of the LA Opera’s historic Ring Festival LA, taking place from April 15 through June 30, 2010.  As one of the Ring Festival LA cultural partners, Sundance Institute will be hosting the screening of this acclaimed documentary followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Jon Else. 
Sundance Institute presents Sing Faster: The Stagehands’ Ring CycleSaturday, April 17 at 7:00pmHammer Museum, Billy Wilder Theater (10899 Wilshire Blvd); Los Angeles, CA 90024; 310.

Los Angeles, CA – Sundance Institute announced today the acting company for its Theatre Lab at MASS MoCA. This program will run March 28 – April 11, 2010 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass. Under the artistic direction of Philip Himberg, Producing Artist Director of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, the Lab will provide fellows with guidance in the development of new work for the stage.

NEW YORK CITY — Sundance Institute announced today the projects chosen to participate in the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab in East Africa. The Lab will take place July 9-29, 2010 on the island of Manda off the coast of Kenya. Under the supervision of Philip Himberg, Producing Artistic Director of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, the Lab will provide these projects with guidance in their creative development toward final production.

An intimate group collected—from Board of Trustees members Lyn Lear, Christine Lahti, and Sally Field to Sundance-supported artists such as John Wells, Kirby Dick, Nicole Holofcener, and Josh Radnor—for cocktails and a screening of the 2010 Grand Jury Prize–winning documentary Restrepo by co-directors Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington.Bouquets of spring flowers, an elevated DJ booth, and the pop of lights reflected from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the party scene provided a yin-yang balance to the provocative film screening and Q&A with Sebastian Junger and Festival director John Cooper. The evening was the perfect reminder of why we love the Festival: Cinema that changes the way we view the world and a warm gathering of friends to continue the conversation afterward.

Just as I was ready to put away my puffy jacket from January’s Festival, the Native Program was invited by the Host Four Nations to present a film program at the Aboriginal Pavilion at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. It was such an amazing honor that we eagerly re-packed our winter gear and began making preparations for February in Vancouver. The Aboriginal Pavilion’s space was designed to present music, song, dance, and other art forms for those attending the Olympics as a way to celebrate Canada’s Aboriginal heritage.

PARK CITY, UT — On Thursday, April 1, Sundance Institute Film Series will present an Animation Spotlight, free screenings of 18 short films that create imaginary worlds and tell rich stories using pen, clay, photography, and 3D-imaging. Spanning the range of animation, the screenings will feature the pioneering stop-animation work of Corky Quakenbush, Yi Zhou’s ethereal multi-media work, and the literary animation of Carson Mell. Sundance Film Festival programmers Todd Luoto and Kim Yutani will join all three directors for a discussion following the screenings.

Two films taking home golden statues last night first saw their premieres at the ’09 Festival. Louis Psihoyos’ The Cove took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary as Lee Daniels’ Precious nabbed the Best Supporting Actress for Mo’Nique and Best Adapted Screenplay for Geoffrey Fletcher.
The Cove is a harrowing look at a secret cove in Taiji, Japan that is the largest supplier of dolphins to the world.

On a rooftop in downtown L.A. last night, Lee Daniel’s Precious and nine other films supported in various ways by Sundance Institute’s programs were honored with Independent Spirit Awards.

It is every filmmaker’s dream to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and my experience this year was so unexpected and so extraordinary that I wanted to say a direct thank you to everyone who made it possible. My film, the documentary A Small Act, tells the story of Chris Mburu, a Kenyan man whose early education was sponsored by a woman from Sweden whom he had never met. By donating roughly $15 a month to an education fund, her small contribution paid off: Chris made it all the way to Harvard Law School and then started his own scholarship program, which now sponsors new generations of Kenyan students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to go to school.

LOS ANGELES—Robert Redford, Founder and President of Sundance Institute, and Wally Weisman, Chairman of the Board, today announced the appointment of Keri Putnam as the Institute’s new Executive Director. “In the spirit of moving forward with new ideas and a fresh approach in the environment that surrounds us, Keri’s appointment reflects the new direction in which Sundance Institute is headed,” Redford said.Putnam, who recently served as President of Production for Miramax Films, the Walt Disney Company’s specialty film division, has an extensive background in independent film production and acquisition, as well as years of experience in programming.

Park City, UT — On Thursday, March 4 at 7 p.m. at the Park City Public Library, Sundance Institute will present a free screening of Hoop Dreams , the revolutionary documentary  that explores issues of race, poverty, and education in modern America through the stories of two aspiring basketball players.