The Latest

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An Artist at the Table

Amidst the bustle of out-of-towners checking in, the opening press conference, the premieres of two Competition films and a shorts program, and the launch of New Frontier on Main, a quieter but no less celebratory event was unfolding on the edge of town. At the Temple Theatre, a small crowd of 170 guests gathered to celebrate Day One of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Titled “An Artist at the Table,” the event was inspired by Sundance founder Robert Redford’s deeply held belief in the value that artists bring to society at large, and the vital role that an artist’s perspective can play in addressing social, political and environmental issues.

Q&A: Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington on Their Sundance War Doc ‘Restrepo’

Although the new opening day format was never intended to be a competition among the three opening night programs, it made me a little antsy: which of the three movies should I go to? I think I chose the right film. Or at least the one that was right for me. Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, seasoned war correspondents, unveiled Restrepo, their raw, visceral, and even mournful documentary about a small U.

New Frontier: There’s a World Going on Underground

For the diverse group of international artists whose work is highlighted at the 2010 edition of New Frontier at Sundance Film Festival, film isn’t a means for escape, but rather a call for immersive engagement. If art is a reflection, or refracted version of reality, this collection of films, video presentations and site-specific installations project reality right back into the physical world in playful and fascinating ways.
New Frontier on Main opened its doors to the public on Thursday, and the artists were on hand to introduce and discuss their works.

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Sundance Institute Announces Collaboration With YouTube: Three World-Premiere Films From 2010 Sundan

PARK CITY, UTAH — As further commitment to expanding audiences for independent films, Sundance Institute today announced a collaboration with YouTube to make available for rent three world-premiere films from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  Beginning today, films will be spotlighted on the YouTube homepage, after which they will also be available until January 31 at YouTube Movies.  Two audience favorites from the 2009 Festival will also be made available for rental.

Your Guide to Animation at the Sundance Film Festival

Greetings, weary traveler, and welcome to exotic Park City, land of enchantment and the finest short film treasures this side of the mountain.
Ah, I know what you came for, what you traveled far and wide to see—that’s right, our exceptional collection of animated wares. Well, you came to the right place, because this year contains a wealth of dazzling visceral gems and mesmerizing intimate affairs, along with all sorts of wonders in-between.

Surviving Sundance: How to Avoid the Dreaded Festival Flu

Getting sick at Sundance is hell. Sleep deprivation, cold, elevation, and the sheer number of walking germ factories make it inevitable Festivalgoers will come down with something. Roadside Attraction’s Dusty Smith puts the experience best… “At Sundance 2008 I caught the vicious bug that everyone was passing around which caused me to pass out three times during ‘Man On Wire’ and gave me a massive 20-minute nosebleed during ‘Pretty Bird.

The Digital Distribution of Short Films (an Art in Itself)

In October, it wasn’t uncommon that Sundance Film Festival shorts programmer Jon Korn added an extra hour of screening time to his routine 12-hour block. However, instead of picking up another title from the pile of literally thousands of unwatched films, he turned his focus to the online ether. Labeling it “the only type of multitasking I can do,” Korn ended up perusing his favorite sites: Funny or Die, YouTube, and countless other online destinations, all in search of putting together our 2010 Shorts Program.

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2010 Sundance Film Festival Announces Spotlight Surprise

PARK CITY, UT — Sundance Institute announced today that the much-speculated “Spotlight Surprise” selection will be Exit Through the Gift Shop, the first feature film by renowned graffiti artist Banksy. The film will make its world premiere on Sunday, January 24 at 8:30 p.m.

One on One: An Interview with the Sundance Institute’s Cara Mertes and Michelle Satter

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival is bringing 50,000 people to a snowy decked-with -colored-lights Main Street, that from a postcard could be any fabled intersection of Americana. But it’s a far hop, skip, and jump from any old crossroads; it’s busting with creative energy complete with artists/cinephiles/activists/politicians/entreprenuers/humanitarians all who form a singular parka-bundled community eager to engage, connect, and be changed by a fundamental love for story. Once we leave the mountain and return to our respective towns that hopefully have already taken down their holiday lights, the challenge to propel the momentum of the Festival and find new reaches for these stories is still an uphill climb.

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2010 Sundance Film Festival Presents A Night Of Musical Storytelling

Park City, UT – Sundance Institute today announced the line-up for the 2010 Celebration of Music in Film, an annual concert honoring the art and imagination of film music. This year’s distinctive performances showcase the enduring and integral relationship of music to independent film. The Sundance Film Festival runs from January 21-31, in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

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2010 Sundance Film Festival Announces Off-Screen Panels And Special Events

Park City, UT—The 2010 Sundance Film Festival announced today the lineup of panels and special events, offering festivalgoers in-depth conversation, lively debate, and critical insight into a broad range of cultural and social issues. As one of the premier film festivals in the world, the Sundance Film Festival annually attracts a diverse group of leaders from the worlds of art, entertainment, science, and technology and has become a global convergence for dialogue on art and culture – and art’s role as a catalyst for change.  The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will take place from January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.

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Sundance, Then and Now

When I first came to Sundance many years ago, I couldn’t breathe. I had plenty to hyperventilate about. I was coming on my own dime.

A Shot of Shorts

If anyone has any doubt as to the ‘health’ of filmmaking, this year’s abundance of short film submissions can certainly provide ample evidence to the contrary. With 6,092 short film submissions to the Sundance Film Festival this year, it’s quite clear we’re living in a video culture, and men, women, children, not to mention monkeys (see Fiddlestix by the Zellner Bros.), are all part of the vast and growing world in which anyone can make a film.

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2010 Sundance Film Festival Announces Jury Members

Park City, UT— The 2010 Sundance Film Festival announced today the members of five juries awarding prizes at the Festival, which runs January 21-31, 2010 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The juries collectively are comprised of individuals from the global arts community, each of whom brings unique perspective and range of experience.
All awards will be announced the evening of January 30 at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony, to be hosted by David Hyde Pierce at the Park City Racquet Club.