The O2, 24 March 2014 — Sundance Institute and AEG Europe announced today the programme of feature films, short films and panel discussions for the third Sundance London film and music festival, 25-27 April at The O2. Ticket packages are now available online, and individual tickets will be on sale from 9:00 a.m. GMT Friday 28 March.
Sundance Institute, which annually presents the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., selected the film and panel programming. The 2014 programme continues the focus from previous years on presenting new work by independent filmmakers. Sundance London will include 21 feature films and 18 short films across five sections. Twenty-four films will make their world, international, European or UK premieres at Sundance London. Ten are by female filmmakers and seven are by first-time feature filmmakers. The films collectively received 12 awards when they premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Among the filmmakers expected to attend are Ryan Coogler, David Cross, Rose McGowan and Marjane Satrapi. All screenings will take place at Cineworld at The O2.
This year’s Sundance London will again explore the connection between independent film and music. Archive has been announced as the first headlining music act for the 2014 festival, and tickets for that performance are now on sale. Several of the films, both documentaries and narrative, look at the power of music, and in conjunction with screenings of Finding Fela, the festival will host a free performance from Dele Sosimi, one of the original members of Fela Kuti’s band, alongside an Afrobeat orchestra. The Art of Film Music panel will discuss the process of composing original music for films, and solo artist and former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker will join the Hybrid Vigour Documentary panel alongside former Orange Juice frontman Edwyn Collins, which will explore how British documentary is pushing the boundaries in challenging the genres of music, biography and archive film. Also, free live music performances organized by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) will take place in The Hub at Brooklyn Bowl for pass and ticket holders aged 18 and older during the festival.
Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute, said, “That audiences in London have responded so positively to the films presented at the first two Sundance London festivals speaks to the power and universality of the stories told by our artists as well as the audience’s openness to exploring new ideas.”
John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “The programme of films and panels for Sundance London builds on the success of our 2014 Sundance Film Festival by connecting this work with an international audience for the first time. We are excited to return this year and present a line-up of films and music with uniquely independent perspectives on our world.”
Rebecca Kane, General Manager of The O2, said, “This is our third year of hosting Sundance London and I am very excited to welcome the festival back to The O2. This event is integral to our commitment to showcase The O2 as a premier entertainment destination, and most importantly it is a great opportunity for film and music fans to engage with artistes. Personally I am very much looking forward to seeing Jarvis Cocker join one of our panel discussions.”
| American independent narrative and documentary films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A. | |
 |
Blue Ruin (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier) — A mysterious outsider’s quiet life turns upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving to be an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family. Cast: Macon Blair, Amy Hargreaves, Sidné Anderson, Devin Ratray, Kevin Kolack. |
 |
The Case Against 8 (Directors: Ben Cotner, Ryan White) — A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Documentary) Winner of the Directing Award: U.S. Documentary at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. International Premiere |
 |
Dinosaur 13 (Director: Todd Miller) — An unprecedented saga in human history unfurls in this true tale of the world’s greatest dinosaur discovery and the ensuing battle to possess a 65-million-year-old treasure. (Documentary) International Premiere |
 |
Drunktown’s Finest (Director and screenwriter: Sydney Freeland) — Three young Native Americans—a rebellious father-to-be, a devout Christian woman, and a promiscuous transsexual—come of age on an Indian reservation. Cast: Jeremiah Bitsui, Carmen Moore, Morningstar Angeline, Kiowa Gordon, Shauna Baker, Elizabeth Francis. International Premiere |
 |
Finding Fela (Director: Alex Gibney) — Fela Anikulapo Kuti created the musical movement Afrobeat and used it as a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship and advocate for the rights of oppressed people. This is the story of his life, music, and political importance, from the award-winning director of Taxi to the Dark Side and We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks. (Documentary) European Premiere
In conjunction with the film, the festival will host a free performance from Dele Sosimi, one of the original members of Fela Kuti’s band, alongside an Afrobeat orchestra on Sunday, 27 April. |
 |
Fruitvale Station (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray. Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic presented by Acura at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. UK Premiere |
 |
Hits (Director and screenwriter: David Cross) — A small town in upstate New York is populated by people who wallow in unrealistic expectations. There, fame, delusion, earnestness and recklessness meet, shake hands and disrupt the lives around them. Hits is the directorial debut of writer, comedian and actor David Cross, best known for his work on Arrested Development. Cast: Michael Cera, Meredith Hagner, Matt Walsh, James Adomian, Jake Cherry, Derek Waters, Wyatt Cenac, Jason Ritter. International Premiere |
 |
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (Director: David Zellner, Screenwriters: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner) — A lonely Japanese woman becomes convinced that a satchel of money buried in a fictional film is, in fact, real. Abandoning her structured life in Tokyo for the frozen Minnesota wilderness, she embarks on an impulsive quest to search for her lost mythical fortune. Cast: Rinko Kikuchi. Winner of a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Musical Score at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. UK Premiere |
 |
LAMBERT & STAMP (Director: James D. Cooper) — In this crazy, chaotic gospel of chance, aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to search for a subject for their underground movie, leading them to discover, mentor, and manage the iconic band known as The Who and create rock ‘n’ roll history. (Documentary) UK Premiere |
 |
Little Accidents (Director and screenwriter: Sara Colangelo) — In a small American coal town living in the shadow of a recent mining accident, the disappearance of a teenage boy draws three people together—a surviving miner, the lonely wife of a mine executive, and a local boy—in a web of secrets. Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Boyd Holbrook, Chloë Sevigny, Jacob Lofland, Josh Lucas. International Premiere |
 |
Memphis (Director and screenwriter: Tim Sutton) — A strange singer drifts through the mythic city of Memphis, surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold hustler, a righteous preacher, and a wolf pack of kids. Under a canopy of ancient oak trees and burning spirituality, his doomed journey breaks from conformity and reaches out for glory. Cast: Willis Earl Beal, Lopaka Thomas, Constance Brantley, Devonte Hull, John Gary Williams, Larry Dodson. International Premiere |
 |
Obvious Child (Director and screenwriter: Gillian Robespierre) — An honest comedy about what happens when Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern gets dumped, fired, and pregnant, just in time for the worst/best Valentine’s Day of her life. Cast: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross, Gabe Liedman, Richard Kind. UK Premiere |
 |
They Came Together (Director: David Wain, Screenwriters: Michael Showalter, David Wain) — This subversion/spoof/deconstruction of the romantic comedy genre has a vaguely, but not overtly, Jewish leading man, a klutzy, but adorable, leading lady, and New York City itself as another character in the story. They Came Together reunites director Wain with many of the stars from his 2001 cult teen classic, Wet Hot American Summer. Cast: Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Ed Helms, Cobie Smulders, Max Greenfield, Christopher Meloni. International Premiere |
 |
Under the Electric Sky (EDC 2013) (Directors: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz) — This 3-D film chronicles the love, community, and life of festivalgoers during Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, the largest music festival in the U.S. Behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with Insomniac’s Pasquale Rotella reveal the magic that makes this three-night, 345,000-person event a global phenomenon. (Documentary) UK Premiere |
 |
The Voices (Director: Marjane Satrapi, Screenwriter: Michael R. Perry) — This genre-bending tale centers around Jerry Hickfang, a lovable but disturbed factory worker who yearns for attention from a woman in accounting. When their relationship takes a sudden, murderous turn, Jerry’s evil talking cat and benevolent talking dog lead him down a fantastical path where he ultimately finds salvation. Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver. International Premiere |
| On-screen stories complemented by extraordinary off-screen experiences. | |
 |
Axiom (Director: NYSU, Screenwriters: David Gambero & NYSU) — Axiom is an island in the middle of nowhere, steep cliffs on all sides. On the island there is an underground city dominated by a bell, the bell decides the fate of the city’s inhabitants. Cast: Jonathan David Mellor, Santi Senso, Cova de Alfonso, Silvia Vacas, Pablo Menasanch, Julia Llerena. World Premiere
Includes a live performance and DJ set by South London collective Archive, who will also participate in a post-screening Q&A. |
| Drawing on the Sundance Film Festival’s rich legacy of premiering outstanding films produced in the UK – including An Education, Four Weddings and a Funeral, In Bruges, In the Loop, Kinky Boots, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels – this showcase presents two UK films that premiered in Park City, Utah, U.S.A. this year. | |
 |
Frank (Director: Lenny Abrahamson, Screenwriters: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan) — Frank is an offbeat comedy about a wannabe musician who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant garde rock band led by the enigmatic Frank—a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy. UK Premiere |
 |
The Trip to Italy (Director: Michael Winterbottom, Screenwriters: Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, Michael Winterbottom) — Michael Winterbottom reunites Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon for more delectable food, some sharp-elbowed rivalry, and plenty of laughs. Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon. European Premiere |
| A selection of notable films discovered by the Sundance Film Festival and presented at Sundance London in association with Empire Magazine. These films are included in the Sundance Collection at UCLA, which preserves independent documentaries, narratives and short films supported by Sundance Institute. | |
 |
Memento (Director: Christopher Nolan, Screenwriters: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan) — A man with a relentless desire to revenge his wife’s brutal murder faces a rare, untreatable form of memory loss that hinders his path. Memento is a complex puzzle in which the outcome is known and the enjoyment comes from piecing together the steps leading up to it. Cast: Harriet Sansom Harris, Mark Boone Junior, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Guy Pearce, Stephen Tobolowsky. Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. |
 |
Reservoir Dogs (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino) — Six unacquainted professional criminals are brought together by a veteran thief to execute an elaborate diamond robbery that goes awry. Confused and panicked by their narrow escape, the four surviving jewel thieves regroup at the planned rendezvous spot, where they question trustworthiness and face harrowing confrontations and fierce dissension. Cast: Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Tim Roth, Lawrence Tierney.Premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. |
 |
Winter’s Bone (Director: Debra Granik, Screenwriters: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini) — When a teenage girl’s crystal-meth-making father skips bail and goes missing, she and her young siblings and disabled mother face losing their home. In a heroic quest, the girl traverses the county to confront her kin, break their silent collusion, and bring her father home. Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Kevin Breznahan. Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. |
| Two wide-ranging collections of short films that screened in January at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. | |
Short Film Programme 1 |
|
 |
Cruising Electric (1980) / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Brumby Boylston) — The marketing department green-lights a red-light tie-in: 60 lost seconds of modern movie merchandising. International Premiere |
 |
Dawn / U.S.A. (Director: Rose McGowan, Screenwriters: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller) — Dawn is a quiet young teenager who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life. Dawn is the directorial debut of actress Rose McGowan (Planet Terror). International Premiere |
 |
Exchange & Mart / United Kingdom (Directors: Cara Connolly, Martin Clark, Screenwriter: Cara Connolly) — Reg is a lonely girl at a remote Scottish boarding school where paranoia about rape is rife. Her unorthodox self-defense class provides the human touch she craves so deeply. When she is attacked in the woods, she knows what she has to do… |
 |
Love. Love. Love. / Russia (Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram) — Every year, through the endless winters, her love takes new shapes and forms. Winner of a Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. |
 |
Marilyn Myller / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Mikey Please) — Marilyn maketh. Marilyn taketh awayeth. Marilyn is trying really hard to create something good. For once, her expectation and reality are going to align. It will be epic. It will be tear-jerkingly profound. It will be perfect. Nothing can go wrong. |
 |
Notes on Blindness / United Kingdom, U.S.A., Australia (Directors: Peter Middleton, James Spinney) — In 1983, writer and theologian John Hull became blind. To help make sense of his loss, he began keeping an audio diary. Encompassing dreams, memories, and his imaginative life, Notes on Blindness immerses the viewer in Hull’s experience of blindness. |
 |
Of God and Dogs / Syrian Arab Republic (Director: Abounaddara Collective) — A young, free Syrian soldier confesses to killing a man he knew was innocent. He promises to take vengeance on the God who led him to commit the murder. Winner of the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. European Premiere |
 |
Phantom Limb / United Kingdom, Australia (Director and screenwriter: Alex Grigg) — James and Martha narrowly survive a motorcycle accident. During the aftermath, however, James begins to experience Martha’s phantom pains. |
 |
The winner of the Sundance London Short Film Competition will also be featured in this programme. |
Short Film Programme 2 |
|
 |
Afronauts / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Frances Bodomo) — On July 16th 1969, America prepares to launch Apollo 11. Thousands of miles away, the Zambia Space Academy hopes to beat America to the moon. Inspired by true events. UK Premiere |
 |
Burger / United Kingdom, Norway (Director and screenwriter: Magnus Mork) — It’s late night in a burger bar in Wales… Winner of a Short Film Special Jury Award for Direction and Ensemble Acting at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. |
 |
The Cut / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Geneviève Dulude-Decelles) — The Cut tells the story of a father and a daughter, whose relationship fluctuates between proximity and detachment, at the moment of a haircut. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. |
 |
I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked / Israel (Directors: Yuval Hameiri) — A man with poor means recreates a lost memory of the last day with his mom. Objects come to life in a desperate struggle to produce a single moment that is gone. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. |
 |
The Last Days of Peter Bergmann / Ireland (Director: Ciaran Cassidy) — In 2009, a man claiming to be from Austria arrived in the town of Sligo, Ireland. During his final days, Peter Bergmann went to great lengths to ensure no one ever discovered who he was and where he came from. UK Premiere |
 |
Life’s a Bitch / Canada (Director: François Jaros, Screenwriter: Guillaume Lambert) — Love. Grief. Choc. Denial. Sleeplessness. Bubble bath. Mucus. Masturbation. Pop tart. Pigeons. Toothpaste. Hospital. F__k. Bye. Hair. Sports. Chicken. Bootie. Kids. Rejection. Squirrels. Cries. Awkward—95 scenes, five minutes: life’s a bitch. UK Premiere |
 |
MeTube: August Sings Carmen “Habanera” / Austria (Director and screenwriter: Daniel Moshel) — George Bizet`s “Habanera” from Carmen has been reinterpreted and enhanced with electronic sounds for MeTube, an homage to thousands of ambitious YouTube users and video bloggers, and gifted and less gifted self-promoters on the Internet. |
 |
The Obvious Child / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stephen Irwin) — Somebody broke the girl’s parents. The rabbit was there when it happened. It was an awful mess. |
 |
Yearbook / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bernardo Britto) — A man is hired to compile the definitive history of human existence before the planet blows up. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: Animation at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. International Premiere |
| Discussions with renowned guest speakers providing incredible insights into the filmmaking process. |
| The Art of Film Music — What goes into a successful film score? What is the ideal way for directors and composers to interact? What are some of the many roles music can play in the filmmaking process? How can music enhance (or ruin) a movie? These and other questions related to the intersection of film and music will be discussed by two leading practitioners: Alex Heffes (The Last King of Scotland, Red Riding Hood, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) and Javier Navarrete (Pan’s Labyrinth, Wrath of the Titans, The Sea, Byzantium), moderated by the director of the Sundance Film Music Program, Peter Golub (Frozen River, The Great Debaters, The Laramie Project). Presented in association with British Academy of Film and Television Arts. |
| Guts to Glory: How Do You Find Your Story? — With case studies from script to screen, this in-depth panel will get down and dirty about the often bumpy ride that it takes to realize your dream of getting your film made. From the spark of an idea, to typing the words FADE IN, to your world premiere at a major festival, filmmakers share stories from the trenches on how they navigated the obstacles, faced the challenges, compromised when they had to, and ultimately beat the odds. Are you ready for the true story? This panel is for anyone who has made a film (or dreams of making a film) or who just wants to know the real deal. Panelists are: Lenny Abrahamson, Director, Frank; Ryan Coogler, Director/Screenwriter, Fruitvale Station; Jon Ronson, Screenwriter, Frank; and Marjane Satrapi, director, The Voices; Moderated by John Cooper, Director, Sundance Film Festival. Presented in association with BFI NET.WORK. |
| Hybrid Vigour: When Music, Art and Documentary Collide: From last year’s Stories We Tell to the controversial The Act of Killing, the hybrid documentary is going from strength to convention-busting strength. But British documentary seems to be pushing the boundaries even further in challenging the genres of music, biography and archive film. Why is this and what does it tell us about the role of artists and musicians in documentary filmmaking? Join the creative partnerships behind three recent festival hits for an exploration of what went into stretching the limits of the form, an insight into the unusual collaborations between director and subject, and a look at the questions these films pose about memory, truth and the creative process. Panelists are: Jarvis Cocker and Martin Wallace, composer and director of The Big Melt; Edwyn Collins and Grace Maxwell, subjects of The Possibilities are Endless; Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, directors of 20,000 Days on Earth; Moderated by Tabitha Jackson, Director, Documentary Film Program, Sundance Institute. Presented in association with BRITDOC and Sheffield DocFest. |
ENDS
Images for Press:
Images for press are available at image.net , sundance.org/images and ftp.premiercomms.com (login ID: sunlon14; password RN85Fh4f). All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of one-time reproduction and only when including proper image credits and/or ‘Courtesy of Sundance Institute.’ Unauthorized use, alteration or reproduction of logos and photos is strictly prohibited.
All Sundance London Press enquiries:
General / Film – Claire Gascoyne / Natasha Unalkat
Online – Elizabeth Taylor
Music – Oliver Lavery
Accreditation – Simone Devlin
Tel: 020 7292 8330
Email: firstname.surname@premiercomms.com or sundancelondon@premiercomms.com
premiercomms.com
Notes to the Editor:
Sundance London
The Sundance London film and music festival is a partnership between Robert Redford, Sundance Enterprises, Sundance Institute and The O2. The third Sundance London will take place from 25-27 April at The O2 and will host the international and UK premieres of films fresh from the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., as well as live music performances, panels and events. The range of Sundance London ticket packages on offer comprise tickets for two to 10 screenings, entry to the Festival Hub and the Opening Night party.
Sundance London is supported by: Lead Partner – Sundance Channel Global; Supporting Partners – HP, Internet Explorer, The Langham, London, and the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development ; Media Partners – Empire, The International New York Times, London Live and Time Out; and Official Providers – ASCAP, Cineworld, Dolby, Gibson, Heineken, H.R. Owen, Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc, Talenthouse and the US Embassy London. For partnership opportunities email Matthew Zweck: matthew.zweck@aegeurope.com.
Robert Redford
Robert Redford is an Academy Award-winning actor, director and producer, a passionate advocate for the arts and a leading environmentalist. He serves as President of the non-profit Sundance Institute, which he founded 30 years ago to foster independence, discovery and new voices in American film and theatre. Mr. Redford also founded the Sundance Channel, Sundance Resort, Sundance Catalog, and Sundance Cinemas and the non-profit Redford Center. Though very different in their activities and independent in their operations, all of Mr. Redford’s Sundance entities share the same core mission he has always held dear: a passionate connection to new artists, new voices and new perspectives. www.sundancegroup.net
Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
AEG Europe and The O2
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. It owns or operates some of the world’s best arenas and theatres, numerous sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and LA Galaxy (MLS), and a collection of companies dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class live entertainment.
In May 2005, AEG Europe announced that it would transform the former Millennium Dome and the surrounding area into the UK’s most exciting and technically advanced music, sport and entertainment destination. It was renamed The O2 and opened in June 2007.
The O2 is the world’s most popular music and entertainment venue. Since opening in 2007, The O2 has been visited by more than 50 million people and picked up awards including Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards; Venue of the Year at the Event Awards; Venue of the Year at the AEO Awards; Pollstar International Arena of the Year (six consecutive years); Venue Team of the Year at the Event Awards; Best New Major Concert Venue, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.
In addition to the arena, The O2 is also home to indigO2, which is a live performance space; the British Music Experience; an 11-screen Cineworld complex, Up at The O2 – an experience that allows visitors to walk across the roof of The O2; Brooklyn Bowl, a 12 lane bowling alley, 800 capacity live music space and 130 cover restaurant; and the Entertainment District, which is the same length and breadth of new Bond Street and features 28 bars and restaurants.
AEG employs more than 3,000 staff in over 45 operating companies worldwide. Its international head office is in Los Angeles, and its European headquarters is based in London.
