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Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute has announced the hiring of Royale Ziegler as Manager of Social Media, effective immediately. Ziegler will develop creative strategy and manage social media accounts for the nonprofit cultural organization, which currently include over half a million fans and followers across Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. Ziegler is based in Los Angeles and reports to Director of Digital Initiatives Joseph Beyer.

Ziegler was most recently the Manager of Social Media for E! Entertainment, part of the NBCUniversal family. Prior to her time in the for-profit sector, Ziegler served as the Manager of Social Media for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She organized and spoke on the Hashtag Takeovers and Successes in Innovative Virtual Activism panel at SXSW Interactive and holds a B.A. in Communications from California State University at Long Beach.

“Social media enhances and influences storytelling, and the independent film community in particular is using social media from creative conception, to securing financial backing, through audience discovery,” Royale said. “Sundance Institute has been at the forefront of using social media to support filmmakers, and I look forward to building and growing those efforts.”