Portland, OR. The 2022 Sundance Film Festival opened on January 20th, debuting its lineup of new documentary and narrative films via streaming for the second year in a row. Films are viewed online and there are chat sessions online as well, like the one pictured above which is Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World. The primary cast (Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard) and the producers (Emma Stone and Dave McCary) joined Eisenberg to discuss the tense, yet tender film about family. The festival was planned for an in-person experience but changed to an online platform several weeks ago, due to the omicron variant surge.
Sundance Film Festival, which runs through January 30, is making virtual screenings available across the U.S. (and, in some cases, internationally) via Sundance’s digital platform. The festival includes 82 features from 28 countries, most of which are world premieres.
Sundance also includes virtual reality presentations in the New Frontier section, with multimedia storytelling and biodigital performances accessible via laptop or VR headset. On the “Spaceship,” attendees can interact with other festival-goers via avatars, in this quasi-return to the traditional community atmosphere of the festival.
Director Sara Dosa makes terrific use of years of footage and photographs taken by Katia and Maurice Krafft, a French couple whose shared field of study — volcanoes — took them to the very edge of disaster.
“Fire of Love” is a love story, about a man, a woman, and the scores of volcanoes they investigated together around the world, from rivers of molten lava to explosive eruptions that can wipe out entire villages and mountainsides. Adept at conjuring a media-friendly image of daredevil husband-and-wife volcanologists, the Kraffts were awestruck by the power of nature, which would claim their lives during an eruption of Japan’s Mount Unzen in 1991.
Dosa’s film makes very clear that the Kraffts’ early fascination with volcanoes fueled their love for each other, and their shared enthusiasm pushed them beyond where clear-eyed scientists might go (as in, paddling a rubber raft in an acid lake). The volcano footage is mesmerizing, but the Kraffts’ story makes one appreciate how individual personalities — in this case, starstruck lovers — can advance the cause of scientific knowledge. Narrated by Miranda July. In English and French with English subtitles. Screens Jan. 22.
“The Princess,” a new documentary by Ed Perkins.COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | PHOTO BY KENT GAVIN
There has been no shortage of documentaries about Princess Diana, often incorporating interviews with palace staff, confidantes, and royal observers offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Windsor intrigue, Di’s failed marriage, and her tragic end in Paris. Director Ed Perkins takes a different path in this engrossing film, eschewing interviews laced with hindsight and using only archival footage — much of it unfamiliar — that captures Diana, Prince Charles, and the other royal family members only as the public saw them, with media pundits and commoners weighing in on the scandals that rocked Britain’s monarchy, from the time she first became a fixation of the public and the paparazzi, to her death.
With no overriding narration, we are walked through what amounts to the spectacle of her public life from age 19 to 36. We see how the spark of her public persona so captivated the world — and also how years of public utterances about their marriage, and the royals’ standing in society today (from Di and Charles, and the insufferable TV talking heads) got everything so wrong.
In the process, the film makes the public’s insatiable need for Princess Diana — a woman they truly did not know — partly culpable in the media’s hounding of this young woman. By the end they would hurl flowers onto her hearse. Screens Jan. 22. Will be broadcast on HBO later this year.
The desire to erase a painful past can be so strong that it feeds denialism, even when the evidence points otherwise. In 1948, the seaside village of Tantura in Palestine became the site of a fight between Israeli forces and Arab locals. Residents of the town were soon relocated, as seen in carefully staged newsreel footage. But years later, academic researcher Theodore Katz conducted interviews with survivors, from both sides, and postulated that Israeli troops had committed mass murder. His paper became the target of a libel suit by Alexandroni Brigade veterans.
When a village is, in the words of one, “erased,” the serenity of its current incarnation is disquieting. But with little physical evidence at hand, director Alon Schwarz (“Aida’s Secrets”) pores through the interview tapes, and conducts new interviews, that tend to muddy the historical record even further. How transient is memory? And how is the past, and justice, served by the desire to let sleeping dogs lie? “I’m fed up remembering bad things,” says one aged former soldier. In English, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles. Screens Jan. 22.
Singer Sinéad O’Connor in the film “Nothing Compares,” by Kathryn Ferguson.COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | PHOTO BY ANDREW CATLIN
“They broke my heart and they killed me, but I didn’t die,” says Sinéad O’Connor. Using archival footage, recreations and new interviews, Kathryn Ferguson’s insightful film tells the story of the Irish singer, and of the success and scandals that have followed her since she first burst onto the scene with her albums “The Lion and the Cobra” and “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.”
For more than three decades, O’Connor’s non-conformist life, and art, has been a searing reaction to abuse she suffered at home; to discrimination and misogyny she experienced in the music industry; and to the condemnation that came from the press and the public whenever she opened her mouth and expressed something other than music. Rapper Chuck D notes, “The powers-that-be weren’t ready for her.”
Spoiler Alert: She’s not all that apologetic.
We also gain understanding about her collaborations with other artists, as well as how O’Connor’s image was marketed by a nervous label, which in hindsight seems silly: Had they never seen a punk, buzz-cut, pregnant singer before? Screens Jan. 21, 23.
Salik Rehman in “All That Breathes” by Shaunak Sen.COURTESY OF SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | PHOTO BY KITERABBIT FILMS
In New Delhi, the population of kites — large birds akin to hawks — is cherished, but with the increased pollution in the skies, the birds are suffering. Brothers Mohammad and Nadeem Saud and their assistant, Salik Rehman, have therefore taken upon themselves the noble pursuit of tending to sick and injured birds, which they collect and nurse at their cobbled-together Wildlife Rescue clinic.
The good news: A profile in The New York Times inspires some funding so that they can build a proper animal hospital. The bad: Rescues are exhausting, and the chance to go abroad to study interferes with the work that needs to be done.
Shaunak Sen’s meditative film focuses on the unique bond that the men share with their patients, and how their efforts are an often-thankless sacrifice. Their secret? They believe what they are doing is the right thing. Not doing it is unimaginable. In Hindi with English subtitles. Screens Jan. 21, 23.
In the late 1960s and early ’70s, efforts to combat riots in America’s streets (including the Kerner Commission’s study on civil disorder over racial inequities in America, which primarily resulted in more police funding) led to the erection on U.S. Army bases of fake towns, in which anti-riot tactics were demonstrated and filmed. With Army soldiers dressed down as rioters, Black “provocateurs” and gunmen engaged in looting and violence, security forces showed how to handle such miscreants, to the delight of assembled military and police officials.
Sierra Pettengill, director of “The Reagan Show” and “Town Hall,” and producer of the Oscar-nominated “Cutie and the Boxer,” blends the unearthed training footage from the government and archival footage from broadcast media to examine how these faux riots altered the dynamics of urban clashes between protesters and police — and maintained an institutional power structure.
The film casts a wide net, showing not just how Chicago police addressed demonstrators at the 1968 Democratic Party Convention, but also how police in Miami engaged in tactics during the Republican Party Convention that only enflamed the population more, such as indiscriminately spraying so much tear gas in one neighborhood that residents had to flee their homes. Screens Jan. 21, 23.
About the Sundance Film Festival:
The Sundance Film Festival® The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including CODA, Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Minari, Time, Zola, Clemency, I Carry You With Me, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, On The Record, Boys State, American Factory, The Farewell, Honeyland, One Child Nation, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute. 2022 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, AMC+, Chase Sapphire, Adobe; Leadership Sponsors – Amazon Studios, DoorDash, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom Group, WarnerMedia, XRM Media; Sustaining Sponsors – Aflac, Audible, Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Dell Technologies, IMDbPro, Michelob ULTRA, Rabbit Hole Bourbon & Rye, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health, White Claw Hard Seltzer; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, NPR, Shadow And Act, Variety, Vulture. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Festival.sundance.org
Park City, January 25th, 2014. The big winner at Sundance this year is “Whiplash.” It’s the story of a ruthless instructor who urges a talented young drummer to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity. The awards come at the end of the 10-day festival, “The competition juries, comprised of individuals from the worldwide film community with original and diverse points of view, select films from both the documentary and dramatic categories to receive a range of awards. Decided by Festivalgoers’ ballots, Audience Awards are bestowed upon films in each of the Festival’s four competition categories,” according to the nonprofit Sundance Institute.
The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Craig Johnson for “Skeleton Twins.” (Director: Craig Johnson, Screenwriters: Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman)
The US Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent was awarded to “Dear White People.”
“That the Festival has evolved and grown as it has over the past 30 years is a credit to both our audiences and our artists, who continue to find ways to take risks and open our minds to the power of story.” That’s the assessment of President and founder of the nonprofit Sundance Institute, Robert Redford. Redford was on hand
It’s a much different experience than 30 years ago when there were two theatres in Park City and 86 films screened. In 2014, there were 12,218 film submissions, and 186 films screen in nine Park City theatres. The culmination of the Festival is the Awards Ceremony. The competition juries, comprised of individuals from the worldwide film community with original and diverse points of view, select films from both the documentary and dramatic categories to receive a range of awards. Decided by Festivalgoers’ ballots, Audience Awards are bestowed upon films in each of the Festival’s four competition categories.
Here are more detail about this year’s winners:
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Tracy Chapman to: Rich Hill / U.S.A. (Directors: Andrew Droz Palermo, Tracy Droz Tragos) — In a rural, American town, kids face heartbreaking choices, find comfort in the most fragile of family bonds, and dream of a future of possibility.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Leonard Maltin to:
Whiplash / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle) — Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity. Cast: Miles Teller, JK Simmons.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Andrea Nix Fine to:
Return to Homs / Syria, Germany (Director: Talal Derki) — Basset Sarout, the 19-year-old national football team goalkeeper, becomes a demonstration leader and singer, and then a fighter. Ossama, a 24-year-old renowned citizen cameraman, is critical, a pacifist, and ironic until he is detained by the regime’s security forces.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Nansun Shi to:
To Kill a Man / Chile, France (Director and screenwriter: Alejandro Fernández Almendras) — When Jorge, a hardworking family man who’s barely making ends meet, gets mugged by Kalule, a neighborhood delinquent, Jorge’s son decides to confront the attacker, only to get himself shot. Even though Jorge’s son nearly dies, Kalule’s sentence is minimal, heightening the friction. Cast: Daniel Candia, Daniel Antivilo, Alejandra Yañez, Ariel Mateluna.
The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary Presented by Acura, was presented by William H. Macy to:
Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Rossato-Bennett) — Five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia—many of them alone in nursing homes. A man with a simple idea discovers that songs embedded deep in memory can ease pain and awaken these fading minds. Joy and life are resuscitated, and our cultural fears over aging are confronted.
The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic Presented by Acura, was presented by William H. Macy to:
Whiplash / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle) — Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity. Cast: Miles Teller, JK Simmons.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Felicity Huffman to:
The Green Prince / Germany, Israel, United Kingdom (Director: Nadav Schirman ) — This real-life thriller tells the story of one of Israel’s prized intelligence sources, recruited to spy on his own people for more than a decade. Focusing on the complex relationship with his handler, The Green Prince is a gripping account of terror, betrayal, and unthinkable choices, along with a friendship that defies all boundaries.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Felicity Huffman to:
Difret / Ethiopia (Director and screenwriter: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari) — Meaza Ashenafi is a young lawyer who operates under the government’s radar helping women and children until one young girl’s legal case exposes everything, threatening not only her career but her survival. Cast: Meron Getnet, Tizita Hagere.
The Audience Award: Best of NEXT <=> was presented by Nick Offerman to:
Imperial Dreams / U.S.A. (Director: Malik Vitthal, Screenwriters: Malik Vitthal, Ismet Prcic) — A 21-year-old, reformed gangster’s devotion to his family and his future are put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles. Cast: John Boyega, Rotimi Akinosho, Glenn Plummer, Keke Palmer, De’aundre Bonds.
The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Morgan Neville to:
Ben Cotner & Ryan White for The Case Against 8 / U.S.A. (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.
The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Lone Scherfig to:
Cutter Hodierne for Fishing Without Nets / U.S.A., Somalia, Kenya (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey, David Burkman) — A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of a struggling, young Somali fisherman. Cast: Abdikani Muktar, Abdi Siad, Abduwhali Faarah, Abdikhadir Hassan, Reda Kateb, Idil Ibrahim.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Sally Riley to:
Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard for 20,000 Days On Earth / United Kingdom (Directors: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard) — Drama and reality combine in a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musician and international culture icon Nick Cave. With startlingly frank insights and an intimate portrayal of the artistic process, this film examines what makes us who we are and celebrates the transformative power of the creative spirit.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Sebastián Lelio to:
Sophie Hyde for 52 Tuesdays / Australia (Director: Sophie Hyde, Screenplay and story by: Matthew Cormack, Story by: Sophie Hyde) — Sixteen-year-old Billie’s reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans for gender transition, and their time together becomes limited to Tuesdays. This emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility, and transformation was filmed over the course of a year—once a week, every week, only on Tuesdays. Cast: Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Del Herbert-Jane, Imogen Archer, Mario Späte, Beau Williams, Sam Althuizen.
The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Peter Saraf to:
Craig Johnson & Mark Heyman for The Skeleton Twins / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Johnson, Screenwriters: Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman) — When estranged twins Maggie and Milo feel that they’re at the end of their ropes, an unexpected reunion forces them to confront why their lives went so wrong. As the twins reconnect, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship. Cast: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook, Joanna Gleason.
The Screenwriting Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Sebastián Lelio to:
Eskil Vogt for Blind / Norway, Netherlands (Director and screenwriter: Eskil Vogt) — Having recently lost her sight, Ingrid retreats to the safety of her home—a place she can feel in control, alone with her husband and her thoughts. But Ingrid’s real problems lie within, not beyond the walls of her apartment, and her deepest fears and repressed fantasies soon take over. Cast: Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Vera Vitali, Marius Kolbenstvedt.
The Editing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Jonathan Oppenheim to:
Jenny Golden, Karen Sim for Watchers of the Sky / U.S.A. (Director: Edet Belzberg) — Five interwoven stories of remarkable courage from Nuremberg to Rwanda, from Darfur to Syria, and from apathy to action.
The Editing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Sally Riley to:
Jonathan Amos for 20,000 Days On Earth / United Kingdom (Directors: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard) — Drama and reality combine in a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musician and international culture icon Nick Cave. With startlingly frank insights and an intimate portrayal of the artistic process, this film examines what makes us who we are and celebrates the transformative power of the creative spirit.
The Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Kahane Cooperman to:
Rachel Beth Anderson, Ross Kauffman for E-TEAM / U.S.A. (Directors: Katy Chevigny, Ross Kauffman) — E-TEAM is driven by the high-stakes investigative work of four intrepid human rights workers, offering a rare look at their lives at home and their dramatic work in the field.
The Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Peter Saraf to:
Christopher Blauvelt for Low Down / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Preiss, Screenwriters: Amy-Jo Albany, Topper Lilien) — Based on Amy-Jo Albany’s memoir, Low Down explores her heart-wrenching journey to adulthood while being raised by her father, bebop pianist Joe Albany, as he teeters between incarceration and addiction in the urban decay and waning bohemia of Hollywood in the 1970s. Cast: John Hawkes, Elle Fanning, Glenn Close, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Flea.
The Cinematography Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Caspar Sonnen to:
Thomas Balmès & Nina Bernfeld for Happiness / France, Finland (Director: Thomas Balmès) — Peyangki is a dreamy and solitary eight-year-old monk living in Laya, a Bhutanese village perched high in the Himalayas. Soon the world will come to him: the village is about to be connected to electricity, and the first television will flicker on before Peyangki’s eyes.
The Cinematography Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Carlo Chatrian to:
Ula Pontikos for Lilting / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Hong Khaou) — The world of a Chinese mother mourning the untimely death of her son is suddenly disrupted by the presence of a stranger who doesn’t speak her language. Lilting is a touching and intimate film about finding the things that bring us together. Cast: Ben Whishaw, Pei-Pei Cheng, Andrew Leung, Peter Bowles, Naomi Christie, Morven Christie.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Use of Animation was presented by Charlotte Cook to:
Watchers of the Sky / U.S.A. (Director: Edet Belzberg) — Five interwoven stories of remarkable courage from Nuremberg to Rwanda, from Darfur to Syria, and from apathy to action.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Intuitive Filmmaking was presented by Charlotte Cook to:
The Overnighters / U.S.A. (Director: Jesse Moss) — Desperate, broken men chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields. A local Pastor’s decision to help them has extraordinary and unexpected consequences.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Musical Score was presented by Dana Stevens to:
The Octopus Project for Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter / U.S.A. (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.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent was presented by Dana Stevens to:
Justin Simien for Dear White People / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Justin Simien) — Four black students attend an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over an “African American” themed party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in postracial America while weaving a story about forging one’s unique path in the world. Cast: Tyler Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon Bell.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for the Delightful Ensemble Performance, and How the Director Brought His Own Unique Universe into Cinema was presented by Carlo Chatrian to:
God Help the Girl / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stuart Murdoch) — This musical from Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian is about some messed up boys and girls and the music they made. Cast: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray, Pierre Boulanger, Cora Bissett.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematic Bravery was presented by Caspar Sonnen to:
We Come as Friends / France, Austria (Director: Hubert Sauper) — We Come as Friends is a modern odyssey, a science fiction–like journey in a tiny homemade flying machine into the heart of Africa. At the moment when the Sudan, Africa’s biggest country, is being divided into two nations, a “civilizing” pathology transcends the headlines—colonialism, imperialism, and yet-another holy war over resources.
The Short Film Audience Award, Presented by YouTube, based on web traffic for 15 short films that screened at the Festival and were concurrently featured on www.youtube.com/sff, was presented to:
Chapel Perilous / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Lessner) — Levi Gold is paid an unexpected visit by Robin, a door-to-door salesman with nothing to sell. The ensuing encounter forces Levi to confront his true mystical calling, and the nature of reality itself. A metaphysical comedy trip-out with Sun Araw.
The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:
Jury prizes and honorable mentions in short filmmaking were presented at a ceremony in Park City, Utah on January 21. The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Of God and Dogs / Syrian Arab Republic (Director: Abounaddara Collective). The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was presented to Gregory Go Boom / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Janicza Bravo). The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was presented to The Cut / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Geneviève Dulude-Decelles). The Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction was presented to I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked / Israel (Directors: Yuval Hameiri, Michal Vaknin). The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to Yearbook / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bernardo Britto). A Short Film Special Jury Award for Unique Vision was presented to Rat Pack Rat / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Todd Rohal). A Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-fiction was presented to Love. Love. Love. / Russia (Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram). A Short Film Special Jury Award for Direction and Ensemble Acting was presented to Burger / United Kingdom, Norway (Director and screenwriter: Magnus Mork).
The winning directors and projects of the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Awards, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world, are: Hong Khaou, Monsoon (Vietnam/UK); Tobias Lindholm, A War (Denmark); Ashlee Page, Archive (Australia); and Neeraj Ghaywan, Fly Away Solo (India).
The Sundance Institute/NHK Award, honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers, was presented to Mark Rosenberg, director of the upcoming film Ad Inexplorata.
The 2014 Red Crown Producer’s Award and $10,000 grant was presented to Elisabeth Holm, producer of Obvious Child.
The 2014 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, presented to outstanding feature films focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character, was presented to I Origins, directed and written by Mike Cahill. The film received a $20,000 cash award from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The 2014 Sundance Film Festival Jurors were: U.S. Documentary Competition: Tracy Chapman, Charlotte Cook, Kahane Cooperman, Morgan Neville and Jonathan Oppenheim; U.S. Dramatic Competition: Leonard Maltin, Peter Saraf, Lone Scherfig, Bryan Singer and Dana Stevens; World Cinema Documentary Competition: Andrea Nix Fine, Sally Riley and Caspar Sonnen; World Cinema Dramatic Competition: Carlo Chatrian, Sebastián Lelio and Nansun Shi; Alfred P. Sloan Award: Dr. Kevin Hand, Flora Lichtman, Max Mayer, Jon Spaihts and Jill Tarter; Short Film Competition: Vernon Chatman, Joshua Leonard and Ania Trzebiatowska.
The 2014 Festival presented 121 feature-length films, representing 37 countries and 54 first-time filmmakers, including 35 in competition. These films were selected from 12,218 submissions (72 more than for 2013), including 4,057 feature-length films and 8,161 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 2,014 were from the U.S. and 2,043 were international. 100 feature films at the Festival were world premieres.
The 2014 Festival runs through January 26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. A complete list of films and events is available at www.sundance.org/festival.
The Sundance Film Festival®
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Little Miss Sunshine, An Education, sex, lies, and videotape, Reservoir Dogs, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2014 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase Sapphire Preferred®; Leadership Sponsors – Airbnb, DIRECTV, Entertainment Weekly, LensCrafters, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and YouTube; Sustaining Sponsors – Adobe, Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Brita® FilterForGood®, in partnership with Nalgene®, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Ketel One Vodka, L’Oréal Paris, MorningStar Farms®, Omnicom, Quaker Oats Company, Stella Artois® and Time Warner Inc. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival
Sundance Institute
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a global, nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to nurturing artistic expression in film and theater, and to supporting intercultural dialogue between artists and audiences. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to unite, inform and inspire, regardless of geo-political, social, religious or cultural differences. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival and its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, 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.
Portland, January 18th, 2013. The Sundance Film festival kicked off in Park City, Utah. Each year Sundance selects 200 films from nearly 12,000 submissions, then over ten days, more than 50,000 people attend screenings in snowy Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance – many fans are from the pacific northwest. One film getting advanced attention is, “C.O.G.” which is based on an essay by humorist David Sedaris about a transformational summer during the apple harvest in Oregon.
C.O.G.’s star, Jonathan Groff and DaleDickey
Director, Kyle Patrick Alvarez explained when deciding where to shoot “C.O.G.” there was really only one option; it had to be filmed in Oregon. “We knew we wouldn’t be able to get the specific beauty of those apple farms anywhere else.” The film was shot in just 18 days around the Portland area – places like Hood River and Sauvie Island. Alvarez talks about “C.O.G.” in this Sundance interview.
David Sedaris explained why he allowed C.O.G. to be his first movie option. “I liked the first movie Kyle made (Easier With Practice)…I said OK. I don’t want any control over this movie. I don’t want script approval. I trust him. Most movies never get made, but I hope this one does because I just think so highly of this young man.”
The film stars Jonathan Groff, (who gained popularity on Glee) Dean Stockwell, (above) Denis O’Hare, Corey Stoll, Casey Wilson, and Troian Bellisario.
Jonathan Groff and Denis OHare
Other highly anticipated films at Sundance include, “jOBS”, The first major feature about Steve Jobs since his death, which stars Ashton Kutcher. “The Way, Way Back” has quite a bit of buzz with stars like Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph and Liam James. Many Hollywood actors, directors and producers make the trek to Sundance.
Volunteers are getting ready for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival
This is a video from the opening day news conference:
The festival also features loads of VIP parties (we took this at the Bing Bar last year) as wells as musical performances.
The party scene this year included the celebration of the launch of a free music streaming service from Nokia. It teamed up with Sundance Channel and SomeSuch & Co to produce a new documentary series entitled “New American Noise.” The series features six short films created by independent directors, including Abteen Bagheri, Emily Kai Bock, Bob Harlow, and Tyrone Lebon.
The celebratory happy hour had a DJ set featuring DJ Rusty Lazer, bounce dancers and celebrity attendees like Adrian Grenier, recording artists Lil John, Melanie Fiona, Skylar Grey and Emily Wells, KCRW’s Jason Bentley, celebrity blogger Just Jared, Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun and more.
Lil Jon, Emily Kai Bock (Photo credit: John Parra)
Adrian grenier and Tyrone Lebon
Abteen Bagheri, Lil Jon, Tyrone Lebon (Photo credit: John Parra)
NONPROFIT BENEFIT TICKET GIVEAWAYS!
Sign up for our free weekly highlights for the chance to win two tickets terrific nonprofit events! If you "like" us on facebook, or sign up for our weekly news highlights, you'll be entered to win! Sign up today!
Look for another ticket giveaway soon! Are you a nonprofit looking to bolster your publicity with facebook and tweets? Email us and we'll run a contest with tickets to your event! [email protected]
