Released: 03/05/08

FROM FLYING DOGS TO DANCING COWBOYS FIVE ORIGINAL SHORT FILMS PREMIERE ONLINE FREE AT SUNDANCE.ORG

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute has announced the online premiere of five original short films by high-profile independent filmmakers, now available for streaming free on www.sundance.org. The shorts were originally designed for viewing on mobile phones as part of a collaboration between Sundance Institute and the GSM Association which invited six filmmakers—all alumni of the Sundance Film Festival—to create the short films for the 2007 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona. These films have traveled the world virally over the last year to be seen everywhere from Hong Kong to Helsinki and now they come to the United States. The filmmakers featured as part of the Sundance Film Festival Global Short Film Project include Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, 2006), Justin Lin (BETTER LUCK TOMORROW, 2006), Maria Maggenti (PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS, 2006), Cory McAbee (THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT, 2001) and Jody Hill (THE FOOT FIST WAY, 2006).

"Sundance is dedicated to the discovery and development of short filmmakers. We are always exploring ways to give artists a sense of what is possible and helping their work reach larger audiences,” said John Cooper, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival and Creative Director for Sundance Institute. "The experience that we've had through our shorts initiatives, including commissioning these five films for the Sundance Global Short Film Project and creating one-of-a-kind distribution partnerships with iTunes, Netflix and Xbox for Festival shorts, is that there is a vast global audience for these films."

“The Sundance Global Short Film Project allowed filmmakers to be at the cutting edge of new technology. It was a fantastic experience and I am thrilled that my film is going to reach so many new viewers online," said filmmaker Maria Maggenti.

From flying dogs to dancing cowboys, the five independent shorts available free on www.sundance.org are:

• A SLIP IN TIME (Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris) – A motion study of slapstick comedy.

• LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD (Directed by Jody Hill) – A corporate worker calls in sick. In his quest to liberate himself from the daily grind he embarks on a quest for freedom by learning how to skateboard.

• ¡LA REVOLUCION DE IGUODALA! (Directed by Justin Lin) – ¡La Revolucion de Iguodala! tracks one man’s passionate message as it travels through various forms and agendas.

• LOS VIAJES DE KING TINY (Directed by Maria Maggenti) – LOS VIAJES DE KING TINY is about a small dog who takes off by himself while his owner is at work. Set in Los Angeles, King Tiny travels the city but is confronted by his own personal demons in the process.

• RENO (Directed by Cory McAbee) – A singing cowboy brags about his travels through Nevada on a Honda 50 to a store security camera.

Sundance Shorts

The Sundance Film Festival is the preeminent showcase for short films from around the world. Since 1991, the Sundance Film Festival Shorts Program has been a launching pad for filmmaking's newest voices. Jason Reitman, Todd Haynes, Spike Jonze, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Tamara Jenkins, Nicole Holofcener and Alexander Payne all began their careers with a short film at the Sundance Film Festival. Beyond the Festival, is committed to helping filmmakers find audiences and gain distribution of their work. In addition to free shorts on the Sundance Institute website, a selection of over 40 of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival shorts are available for purchase on Apple's iTunes Movie Store, Netflix.com ,and Microsoft's Xbox LIVE.. Presented in collaboration with Sundance Channel, the shorts will be available through 2011.

Sundance Global Short Film Project

Designed as a new way to bring compelling, original short films to new and broader audiences, the Sundance Film Festival Global Short Film Project is a collaboration between Sundance Institute and The GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association representing more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 217 countries and territories of the world. The Project utilizes mobile technology to share independent shorts with film lovers around the world and represents the continuing evolution of the Sundance Film Festival’s mission to create platforms and build audiences for independent film.

Sundance Institute

Since 1981, Sundance Institute has been dedicated year-round to the development of artists of independent vision and to the exhibition of their new work. Since its inception, the Institute has grown into an internationally recognized resource for thousands of independent artists through its Sundance Film Festival and artistic development programs which provide a range of concentrated creative and financial support for directors, screenwriters, documentary filmmakers, composers, playwrights and theatre artists. The original values of independence, creative risk-taking, and discovery continue to define and guide the work of Sundance Institute, both with US artists and, increasingly, with artists from other regions of the world.

For More Information Contact:

Amy McGee

Amy_mcgee@sundance.org/310-492-2333