The Latest

Remembering Ruth Maleczech, 1939-2013

On behalf of Sundance Institute and the Theatre Program, I am saddened to share the news that a beloved alum of our Theatre Lab, Ruth Maleczech, passed away Monday, September 30. Ruth was more than just another ‘theatre artist’; she was perhaps the mother of us all.
A co-founder of the visionary Mabou Mines Company in the early ‘70s (along with Lee Breuer, Fred Neumann, and Joanne Akalitis), she and her colleagues re-tooled theatre in America.

5 Things You Should Know About ‘Inequality for All’

Jacob Kornbluth would like you to know that he is not an economist. He didn’t matriculate at a revered School of Economics, nor is he especially well-versed in financial markets or models. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Stay for the Discussion: Musa Syeed Shares Valley of Saints with Audiences in BiH

Musa Syeed, the director of Valley of Saints, documents his experience with FILM FORWARD in Bosnia and Herzegovina where he screened his film and engaged in dialogue with local audiences.
It’s hard being an independent filmmaker today. To navigate the harrowing journey from fundraising to seeing the final product on a screen (hopefully with an audience) takes a certain intestinal fortitude.

Reinvention Stories: Braving the New World of Interactive Film

It is one thing to be a transmedia or interactive storyteller when you literally grew up on the Internet and are indigenous to creative coding, network logic and social media.  But, it takes a different level of courage to use these new forms when you have a vetted filmmaking career that started well before Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Smart Phones, Kickstarter, or even email and the World Wide Web.
“The big gap in the field is helping traditional storytellers gain access to technology and raising their comfort level with it.

A Voice from Siroki Brijeg

Ana Kraljević attended FILM FORWARD screenings and discussions in Široki Brijeg and shares her thoughts on the experience.Most of you reading do not even know where Široki Brijeg is. It is a small town in Bosnia and Herzegovina centered next to the historical city of Mostar.

Your Own Path: Stacy Peralta Shares About Bones Brigade in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stacy Peralta, the director of Bones Brigade: An Autobiography, shares about his experience with FILM FORWARD in Bosnia and Herzegovina where he screened his film and engaged in dialogue with local audiences.
When I was 17 years old skating pools and being chased out of backyards and down alleyways by cops, I never imagined 40 years later I’d be welcomed to Bosnia and Herzegovina by the US Government’s American Embassy.  It just didn’t seem likely or in anyway possible that the US Government would ever host me for anything other than for the apparent trouble my friends and I were causing angry homeowners and general civilians during the skateboard revolution of the 70s and 80s.

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Sundance Institute Adds Four New Trustees

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced four new members of the Institute’s Board of Trustees: Nadine Schiff, Ava DuVernay, Rob Epstein and Liesl Tommy.
Under the guidance of President & Founder Robert Redford and in close collaboration with Executive Director Keri Putnam, the 22-person Board is responsible for the governance of Sundance Institute. Wally Weisman continues as Chairman of the Board.

Peace Amid Conflict: Valley of Saints Finds a Similar Struggle In Bosnia

Musa Syeed, the director of Valley of Saints, documents his experience with FILM FORWARD in Bosnia and Herzegovina where he screened his film and engaged in dialogue with local audiences.
Some of my earliest memories as a kid are of going to political rallies with my family. Living in Washington, D.

Melonie Diaz and America Fererra Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month officially kicked off September 15, marking the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. To boot, Mexico declared its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18, making the month the de facto host for celebration among Hispanic cultures.
Independent film, for all its diversity of voices, still has the capacity to grow leaps and bounds in the context of Hispanic filmmakers.

2014 Sundance Film Festival Kicks Off for Utah Residents

2014 Marks the Festival’s 30th Anniversary
Park City, UT — Sundance Institute will once again offer exclusive events and priority pass and ticket availability for the approximately 15,000 Utahns who attend the Sundance Film Festival® each year. The Sundance Film Festival will be January 16 through 26, 2014.
Locals-only Festival pass and ticket package registration begins today (September 17) and will end October 9.

What Use Are Dreams?: Jerry Rothwell of Town of Runners Connects with Audiences in WA

An hour before our screening in Tacoma’s Grand Cinema, runners have already begun to gather.  Screening Town Of Runners around the world, I’ve come to appreciate the strength and depth of the global running community. In almost any town, people organize themselves around their passion for running, forming groups that cut across boundaries of race, class, culture and wealth, which become a powerful force for connecting people in their community.

Inspired By: Shaka King on Nas, Little Murders, and His New York Bedroom

For outliers, New York can often appear to wear clashing visages. After all, it is more frequently depicted in art and media than any other city in the world, and often erroneously. Enter: Shaka King’s Newlyweeds, an incisive new film set in a pre-gentrification Bed-Stuy that captures not just the distinct aesthetic, but the entire disposition of an irregular Brooklyn neighborhood.

FILM FORWARD Travels to Bosnia & Herzegovina Sept 19-25

Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities announced today that FILM FORWARD: Advancing Cultural Dialogue will host free screenings of eight films with moderated discussions, panels and artist roundtables in Bosnia and Herzegovina. FILM FORWARD will collaborate with the U.S.