Programming TeamProgramming Team
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John Cooper “Finding a program of films you love every year is both an exhilarating and daunting task. I have put together an amazing staff that loves dialogue and discourse, understands the filmmaking community and is committed to building an audience for independent film. We trust each other and program from a place of passion for originality and excellence.” John Cooper has been a member of the Sundance Film Festival programming staff since 1989 and assumed the role of Festival Director in April of 2009 after serving as the Sundance Film Festival's Director of Programming since 2003. His early work in theater, ranging from performance to design, took him to New York City. By chance, he volunteered at the Institute's Summer Labs in 1989 and fell in love with the process and energy of Sundance. He returned to California to become part of the Festival programming team, which at that time consisted of two people. In the Festival's early years, Cooper created the short film program and quickly transitioned into programming documentaries and feature films. As Festival Director, he oversees creative direction of the Festival and has final decision on all films and events. In the early years, Cooper created the short film program at the festival and has worked extensively with the Sundance Institute’s Online projects which garnered two Webby Awards, Sundance Institute at BAM, as well as the Sundance Film Festival in Tokyo. He now overseas new projects including Shorts Labs and the newly launched Sundance London a film and music festival held in the spring. Other work includes guest curator or juror at major film festivals around the world. From 1995-1998 Cooper served as Programming Director of Outfest, a Los Angeles festival held annually in July, and until 2002 served on the Outfest Board of Directors. |
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Trevor Groth “In 1989 I was 17 and living in Salt Lake City when I drove my '79 Subaru Brat up the snowy canyon to Park City to experience Sundance for the first time. It truly felt like I'd gone to Oz. I’d found a magical place that would change my life forever. The films I saw and the people I met guided me down the yellow brick road towards programming for Sundance. I have the privilege of watching independent films and documentaries made by filmmakers all over the world, and for ten days every January, I go back to Oz to celebrate them with other film fanatics.” As director of programming for the Sundance Film Festival, Trevor Groth oversees the film and jury selection process for the festival, supervises the programming staff and works with the director of the festival on strategic planning. He also programs film and music for Sundance London and oversees the Sundance Institute’s ShortsLabs. Groth’s first job in film was as a development assistant for the Sundance Institute in 1992. He joined the programming staff a year later where he has worked ever since. During that time, along with programming Sundance, he has been a consultant for numerous international festivals and film organizations including Artisan Entertainment, Australian Film Institute, IFILM and the Off-Plus Camera Film Festival in Krakow. From 2001-2009 he served as artistic director for the CineVegas Film Festival. Working closely with Dennis Hopper, who was Chair of the Creative Advisory Board, he shaped the festival into one of the most distinctive and “dangerous” film festivals in the world. In 2009 he was one of ten festival directors asked to contribute to the Phaidon Press publication Take 100: The Future of Film: 100 New Directors. Groth graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in Telecommunications and Film. |
Feature Programmers
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David Courier “When I see a new film that rocks my world - something groundbreaking, something extraordinary from a filmmaker that I had never heard of before, it makes me sit up and remember… yes, yes, yes, this is why I do this.” Like each of the Feature Programmers, David selects films across all the sections of the festival but his focus is US and World Cinema documentaries. He is also the writer and producer of the Sundance Awards Ceremony and oversees Public Programming for all of Sundance Institute throughout the year. David started his career at Sundance in 2000 as a screener and advanced from there. He is the former Co-Director of Programming at Outfest: the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Prior to festival programming, David worked in film development for a number of production companies. He has served on the Advisory Board for the IFP and on the nominating committee for the IDA Awards, the Cinema Eye Honors and the Gotham Awards. A native of Buffalo, NY, David graduated from Columbia University with degrees in English and Theatre. |
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Shari Frilot “Stories work in deep, sensuous, biochemical ways and define how we see ourselves, how we see the world, and how we imagine our future. I love storytellers who push me beyond what I know and encourage me to see differently.” Shari’s focus is American and World Cinema dramatic features, as well as films that experiment and push the boundaries of conventional storytelling. She is also the curator and driving creative force behind New Frontier at Sundance. As Co-Director of Programming for OUTFEST (1998-2001), she founded the Platinum section which introduced cinematic installation and performance to the festival. As Festival Director of MIX: The New York Experimental Lesbian & Gay Film Festival (1993-1996) she co-founded the first gay Latin American film festivals, MIX BRASIL and MIX MÉXICO. Shari is a filmmaker and recipient of multiple grants, including the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Media Arts Foundation. She is a graduate of Harvard/Radcliffe & the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. She joined the programming team in 1998. |
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Caroline Libresco “We never go into the season knowing what we’re looking for. We like to measure films against themselves rather than some objective standard that doesn’t exist anyway. In other words—is this film achieving what it set out to do—on its own terms?” Since 2001, Caroline has been programming the Sundance Film Festival, where she selects features in all sections, focusing on documentary and international. She spearheaded the World Cinema narrative and documentary competitions and oversees the industry meetings program for international filmmakers. She serves on Sundance’s Women’s Initiative, Creative Producing, and Film Forward teams. Prior to Sundance, Caroline worked at ITVS, SF International Film Festival, and SF Jewish Film Festival. She consults to Harvard Kennedy School, Hot Docs, and Zurich Film Festival, serves on Women Make Movies’ board, and mentors in FIND’s documentary labs. Among producing/writing credits are SUNSET STORY, FANCI’S PERSUASION, and the forthcoming documentary AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY. Caroline holds an M.A. in History of Religion from Harvard and an M.F.A. from UCLA Film School. |
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John Nein “If you scan the history of American film looking for a place that offers creative filmmakers the freedom to innovate the aesthetic, explore complex ideas, deepen our understanding of people and push storytelling in a way that’s provocative and inspiring…that place is independent cinema. And that’s what makes it such a great place to live.” John deals primarily with the festival’s international and US dramatic features. He also programs the Offscreen series of panels and conversations, which he has done since joining the festival in 2001. During the offseason, he runs the Institute’s film preservation program, the Sundance Collection at UCLA. John grew up in Europe and the United States, studied history at Carleton College and was a graduate student in UCLA’s Film Directing program, where he made several award-winning short films and lobbied tirelessly for better coffee in the vending machines. Having found production work somewhat disenchanting, he attended his first Sundance Film Festival in 1996 and found its energy infectious. He has been to every festival since. |
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Charlie Reff “Honestly, if it wasn’t my job to watch films for the festival, I’d still spend all my free time watching these same movies. It’s a blurry line between my professional responsibilities and my personal obsessions.” Charlie started working with the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 as the assistant to the Director of Programming. He now focuses on programming the Midnight and NEXT sections, and oversees the slotting process of all festival screenings. Prior to Sundance, he worked in the film department at Entertainment Tonight, marketing at Tartan Films USA, his mom’s picture frame gallery and acquisitions at Paramount Vantage. He moved to Southern California in 2001 from Dallas, Texas to study at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. |
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Kim Yutani “It’s a huge feat of creativity, thinking, collaboration, and endurance to make a film. That’s why we take a positive approach to each movie we look at—always seeking out the person on our team who will most resonate with and find passion for a particular film.” Kim Yutani focuses on US and World Cinema dramatic features. She also oversees short film programming for the Festival, and has been a shorts programmer since 2006. In addition to her Sundance work, Kim is the Director of Programming for Outfest, where she programs Outfest: the Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival and NewFest: The NYC LGBT Film Festival, and oversees Fusion: The Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival and the Outfest Screenwriting Lab. She was also part of the programming team for RAW CUT Filmfest, a hardcore/punk rock-inspired film festival in Warsaw. She has been a reader for Creative Capital and on the nominating committee for Cinema Eye Honors. Prior to her film festival work, Kim was a film critic and freelance journalist focusing on independent film. |
Shorts Programmers
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Mike Plante Mike has worked with film festivals since 1993 and at Sundance since 2001. He was a Short Film Programmer for the 2003-6 festivals, and got back into the Shorts saddle in 2011 heading the Shorts team. On weekends he makes films and does podcasts and film distribution under his ‘Cinemad’ banner. |
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Dilcia Barrera Joining us as Short Film Programmer in 2013, Dilcia Barrera began as a programming intern for Sundance in 2007. Currently, she's a Senior Programmer at AFI FEST, Programmer for The Philadelphia Film Festival and a screener for the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. A Los Angeles native, Dilcia has Spanish/Portuguese Literature and Film degree from UCLA. |
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Emily Doe Emily joined the Sundance team in 2010. She counts documentaries, female-driven films, and hand-drawn animation among her favorites. A native of Massachusetts, Emily attended Kenyon College in Ohio before settling in San Francisco. She also works in youth education at SFIFF and previously was an editor at Wholphin DVD. |
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Ernesto Foronda Ernesto joined the Sundance Shorts Programming team in 2010. Born in the Philippines, he immigrated to the US at an early age. He received film degrees from UCLA (BA) and Columbia University (MFA). He’s written, directed and produced a handful of shorts and features that have played in festivals worldwide. |
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Jon Korn Jon has been a Shorts Programmer for the Sundance Film Festival since 2009. He is also a Shorts Programmer at Outfest. Previously, Jon was an Associate Programmer at AFI FEST and Associate Creative Producer for CineVegas. Jon is the Co-Creator of the Echo Park Time Travel Mart and a Jeopardy! champion. |
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Katie Metcalf Katie Metcalfe has been with Sundance since 2010 and previously worked with short film distribution label Future Shorts in Europe. Based somewhere between New York and London, while not programming shorts, she produces cinematic events for Secret Cinema and more recently helped Vimeo produce their Festival + Awards in New York. |
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Lisa Ogdie Lisa has been part of the Sundance shorts programming team since 2009. Currently, Membership & Events Coordinator for BAFTA Los Angeles, Lisa first came to Sundance as a volunteer in 2006, and has garnered extensive festival experience working with Sundance in various capacities over the years. |
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Adam Piron Adam Piron will be joining the team in 2013 as an Associate Short Film Programmer. A graduate of USC's School of Cinematic Arts, he is currently enrolled at the California College of the Arts for an MBA in Design Strategy. He has also worked past festivals with Sundance's Native American and Indigenous Program. |
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Landon Zakheim Having previously worked at many film festivals, Landon joined Sundance’s programming staff in 2008 as programming coordinator, becoming a member of the shorts team in 2011. He’s an Associate Programmer for Los Angeles Film Festival and has also directed two short films that together have played over 60 festivals worldwide. |
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Adam Montgomery Now in his eighth year at Sundance, Adam oversees the viewing and selection process for the more than 11,000 film submissions that the Festival receives annually, ensuring that each film submitted is watched and given its due consideration. Additionally, Adam lends his passion for cult and genre filmmaking to the programming of the Festival’s Park City at Midnight section, electing to spend the majority of his nights engrossed in all varieties of horror, thrillers, and off-color comedy. Adam previously spent five years in television development, most recently at Imagine Entertainment, where he had the opportunity to work on shows such as Arrested Development and 24. |
