I will never forget the moment we walked into Abi bakr Errazi Junior High in Jaama Mezouak, Morocco, for Cherien Dabis’s screening of Amreeka…Jaama Mezouak, is sadly known for being one of the toughest and worst neighborhoods in the world, a place that breeds terrorists, and where the 2003 Madrid subway terrorists came from. In more ways than one it fits Film Forward’s definition of “underserved.” These students are economically, socially and culturally disadvantaged.

A few years ago, we saw a new kind of storytelling beginning to emerge. As artists started to meld film with art and technology, their work gave rise to a new hybrid medium that continues to evolve. Through their work, these artists have shown us that cinema can extend beyond theatres, art can escape museums, and that emerging technologies can be harnessed to bring storytelling into daily life.

One year ago, family, friends, and industry colleagues mourned the loss of Sally Menke, an award-winning film editor and an inspired mentor to Sundance Institute filmmakers. To honor her memory, her husband and their children created the Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship at Sundance Institute. With the generous support of her large community of friends, the Fellowship started this year.

RABAT, MOROCCO (September 23, 2011) – Film Forward: Advancing Cultural Dialogue, a Sundance Institute initiative in partnership with U.S. federal cultural agencies, will be presented in the Kingdom of Morocco September 27-30, in collaboration with the U.

Ben Goldberg is a composer and clarinetist who participated at the 2011 Documentary Composers Lab. He is also a member of the Tin Hat Trio and the New Klezmer Trio.My band Tin Hat played a couple of concerts at the 2011 Sundance Festival.

New York, NY — The Sundance Institute Theatre Program has awarded a commission to playwright Lemon Andersen for completion of his new play, ToasT. The $4,500 commission represents a portion of support for Mr. Anderson, complementing his residency last season at the Sundance Institute Playwrights Retreat at Ucross Foundation.

Park City, UT — Sundance Film Festival locals-only options are back again! Each year, approximately 7,500 Utahns participate in the Sundance Film Festival with exclusive access and priority availability only offered to Utah residents. Festivalgoers must first register at www.sundance.

George S. Clinton is an Emmy and Grammy-nominated film composer who began serving as a creative advisor at the 1999 Composers Lab. His credits include Austin Powers in Goldmember, the Santa Clause 2, and Salvation Boulevard, among others.

Kristen Baum is a Los Angeles-based film composer and pianist who participated as a Fellow at the 2011 Feature Film Composers Lab. She wrote additional music for The Book of Eli and composed scores for independent films including Kicked Out, Echo, and Porcelain, among others.Heaven.

New York, NY — The Sundance Institute Theatre Program is now accepting submissions for the 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, which will return to the Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah for the first time since 2009. Under the supervision of Philip Himberg, Producing Artistic Director, and Associate Director Christopher Hibma, the three-week Lab (July 9-29, 2012) is the centerpiece of the Theatre Program’s year-round work and is designed to develop emerging and established artists and to create a place where their original work can be effectively mentored and challenged.
“Returning to the Sundance Resort follows exciting renovations to our familiar and beloved environment in Utah,” said Producing Artistic Director Philip Himberg.

PARK CITY, UTAH — For one night only, the 2012 Sundance Film Festival will extend beyond Utah to visit nine cities and theaters across the country. As part of Sundance Film Festival USA, on the second Thursday of the Festival (January 26), filmmakers will travel from the Festival in Utah to the nine cities, courtesy of Official Airline Sponsor Southwest Airlines. In each city, the filmmaker will introduce and screen their film and participate in a Q&A with the audience.

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI (September 12, 2011) — Film Forward: Advancing Cultural Dialogue, a Sundance Institute initiative in partnership with U.S. federal cultural agencies, will present a broad spectrum of film screenings and workshops in Jackson and Piney Woods, Mississippi September 26 – October 8, in conjunction with the historic Piney Woods School, the Mississippi Film Office and Crossroads Film Society.