Park City, UT —Sundance Institute today announced the launch of a new year-round community film series which expands on the popular Sundance Institute Documentary Film Series to offer works that best represent the Institute’s spectrum of programs and artists. In addition to documentary films, the series will present narrative films, short films, works-in-progress, and film music showcases, featuring the filmmakers and composers in person to introduce the film, moderate discussions and facilitate Q&A discussions with audiences. An outdoor screening is also planned for August. Supported by Principal Sponsor Zions Bank, Major Sponsors Summit County Recreation, Arts, and Parks Program and Salt Lake County and the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, the series will commence with the Best of Fest free screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City, Sundance and Ogden on Monday, January 26 and run once a month through December, 2009.
“For years now audiences and artists alike have been engaged by our documentary film series and entertained by our outdoor film festival. The consistent feedback has been that the community enjoys having an inside look at the creative process and they want to experience more of the Institute’s other programs,” said Jill Miller, Managing Director, Sundance Institute. “By extending the series beyond documentary, and offering a Sundance experience on a year-round basis, we hope to foster dialogue between the community and artists, to create key moments much like those at the Festival,” Miller added.
In addition to screenings held at the Park City Library, the Film Series will feature two screenings in Salt Lake City: a Shorts in Salt Lake showcase of short films at the Rose Wagner Theatre on April 4 and an Outdoor Screening Event in August.
As part of its Filmmakers in the Classroom program, Sundance Institute will bring many of the participating filmmakers into Park City High School classrooms. Said Miller, “As beneficial as it is for students to be introduced to the intimate process of filmmaking, it is equally rewarding for filmmakers to engage a new, enthusiastic audience.”
The first four offerings in the series are:
Sundance Film Festival’s “Best of Fest”
Monday, January 26
Eccles Theatre, Rose Wagner Theatre, Ogden Peery’s Egyptian Theater and Sundance Resort
Sundance Institute presents complimentary screenings of award-winning films from the Sundance Film Festival. following the Festival to locals in Salt Lake, Park City, Sundance Resort, and Ogden. On the day of show any remaining Best of Fest tickets will be distributed at the actual theatre locations (Eccles, Rose Wagner, Sundance Resort, and Ogden). There is a limit of two tickets per person per screening (with a maximum of four tickets total).
Sundance Documentary Showcase
Wednesday, March 4
Park City Library
Project Kashmir, Directors Geeta Patel and Senain Kheshgi
Two Americans, a Hindu and a Muslim, sneak into the war zone of Kashmir to uncover the truth about what is happening in what is considered to be one of the most dangerous places on earth. Supported by the Sundance Documentary Fund, Project Kashmir follows these two friends as they confront their personal identities both in religious and political terms. The camera follows this Hindu-Muslim team as they explore key issues of religious and cultural conflict, human rights, and freedom of expression. Co-directors Patel and Kheshgi were 2006 Sundance Institute Fellows, where they attended the Documentary Editing, Composer and Producing Labs.
Shorts Day in Salt Lake
Saturday, April 4
Rose Wagner, Salt Lake City
Fueled by artistic expression, shorts have the ability to transcend traditional storytelling. The day will showcase the creative, boundary-pushing work of both filmmaking’s rising talent and established directors who first got their start making shorts. Join Sundance Film Festival senior programmer Trevor Groth and a band of ten shorts filmmakers for two screenings and a panel.
Film Music Showcase
Wednesday, May 6
Park City Library
Jaws, The Shining, On Golden Pond – films for which music is as important as story. Composer and Director of the Sundance Institute Film Music Program Peter Golub talks about how music is composed for film and how it can significantly enhance a scene. We will look at excerpts from films Peter has composed for: Denzel Washington’s The Great Debaters and 2008 SFF Grand Jury Prize winner, Frozen River.
Sundance Institute Film Series
The Sundance Institute Film Series is an expansion of the popular Sundance Institute Documentary Series which for seven years has united filmmakers and their films with local Park City audiences. Launching in January 2009 and scheduled to run every month, the series offers Utah residents the opportunity to learn about the creative process that brings films from idea to screen. Audiences will hear from both emerging and established narrative and documentary filmmakers who have been through the Film Festival, the Director’s Lab, the Documentary Editing and Storytelling Lab and the Film Music Program. As a part of this series, the artists will also take part in Sundance Institute’s Filmmakers in the Classroom series, reaching local students year round.
Sundance Institute in the Community
Sundance Institute provides year-round community programming and outreach to the residents of Utah with unique opportunities to engage in the range of work supported by the Institute. Ranging from a monthly screening series to bringing filmmakers into local classrooms, these original programs offer residents the first opportunity to learn about the creative process that brings projects from conception to completion. Audiences will meet emerging and established artists, have the opportunity to exchange dialogue about timely issues, give their feedback about works in progress and participate in this creative process. Community programming in Utah includes: the Sundance Institute Film Series, Filmmakers in the Classroom, nonprofit giveaways, local feedback program, locals ticketing, community screenings, and numerous volunteer opportunities.
Sundance Institute’s Filmmakers in the Classroom
Sundance Institute is committed to connecting independent filmmakers with students during both the film festival and with our year-round community screenings. This unique program exposes students to an array of cultural and political issues and people engages them in a discussion about the art and experience of filmmaking as well as issues around the world. In 2008, over 30 filmmakers participated in screenings seen by over 4000 students from 34 schools in Park City, Salt Lake City and Ogden.
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Media Contact:
Brooks Addicott, brooks_addicott@sundance.org
435.658.3456
