The 2022 Sundance Film Festival announced the Beyond Film lineup produced by the Festival, all of which are free to the public. These thought provoking and entertaining talks and events will include three conversation series (Power of Story, Cinema Cafe, and The Big Conversation) and more. The Festival takes place from January 20 – 30, 2022 on an enhanced online platform at Festival and in person at seven Satellite Screens venues around the country during the Festival’s second weekend.
From artist talks to daily meetups and immersive experiences, these Beyond Film events will include artists from this year’s program including Eva Longoria Bastòn, Karen Gillan, Dakota Johnson, Keke Palmer, Amy Poehler, and Emma Thompson, bringing the art and craft of storytelling from the screen to wherever Festival audiences gather. Additional Beyond Film speakers include actor Roberta Colindrez, African American Policy Forum’s Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, director Cheryl Dunye, playwright Jeremy O. Harris, showrunner Sterlin Harjo, producer Lisa Joy, leading climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate, and climate legal advisor Farhana Yamin.
Additional Beyond Film programming includes a daily talk show (“How to Fest: Daily”); a solo performance with multiple Emmy Award–winning artist, Lynette Wallworth; a sneak peek and conversation with the directors of Oscar’s Comeback about black film pioneer, Oscar Micheaux; Artist Spotlights with XR/VR/new media creators showing work in the New Frontier section; a conversation around the climate crisis; and more. In addition to the Sundance programming, our Satellite Screen partners will have conversations (in-person and online) running the last weekend of the Festival (Jan 28 – 30.) The Festival Village also launches today, full of partner–produced cultural programming in our online “main street” and community hub. As part of that, the Sundance ASCAP Music Café will also return for its 24th year.
BEYOND FILM LINE-UP
POWER OF STORY
The Sundance Film Festival’s Power of Story events look to deepen public engagement with the art of storytelling, delve into cinema culture, and celebrate artists whose work propels and reinvents the form as we know it. Presented by Netflix
ARTISTS UNBOUND
Sunday, January 23, 3-4:30 p.m.
Exciting boundaryless artists from a wide cross section of creative practices join us to make sense of the boxes artists can be confined to, how the culture shapes these boxes, and the freedom found in exploding them. The fearlessness of these transgressive visionaries is a testament to creative integrity and its unbreakable link to independence. Presented by Netflix.
Featuring: Jeremy O. Harris (Zola), Roberta Colindrez (Vida), and Zackary Drucker (Framing Agnes)
Moderated by Alex Jung (Vulture)
CINEMA CAFE
Saturday, January 22–Tuesday, January 25
A series of informal chats brings together special guests for thought-provoking encounters.
Presented by Audible.
CINEMA CAFE: Karen Gillan (Dual) and Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande). Moderated by Shirley Li (The Atlantic)
Saturday, January 22, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
CINEMA CAFE: Eva Longoria Bastón (La Guerra Civil) and Amy Poehler (Lucy & Desi)
Moderated by Mandalit del Barco (NPR)
Sunday, January 23, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
CINEMA CAFE: Dakota Johnson (Cha Cha Real Smooth, Am I Ok?) and Keke Palmer (Alice)
Moderated by Hannah Giorgis (The Atlantic)
Monday, January 24, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
CINEMA CAFE: Fresh Faces
John Early (My Trip to Spain), Lily McInerny (Palm Trees and Power Lines), and Donald Elise Watkins (Emergency)
Moderated by Joey Soloway (Transparent)
Tuesday, January 25, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
THE BIG CONVERSATION
The Big Conversation tackles science, art, culture, and the movements that are fueling the imaginations of today’s independent artists. A compelling selection of speakers discuss topics centered on the themes of this year’s program and explore broader trends in art and culture around the world. In considering how artists — through their practice and their work — make meaning of the world, we’re reminded that it’s the big conversation that connects us to the big ideas.
ACOUSTIC RANGE
Saturday, January 22, 2-3:30 p.m.
Reflecting on how artists respond to what’s happening around the world, this conversation focuses on electrifying musicians and their creative process heightening the cinematic story through music and ambience. With origins in live performance, this group has expanded their reach to composing for feature length films, animation and musicals, and will be discussing their work premiering at Sundance and beyond.
Featuring: Daniel Hart (The Green Knight), Saul Williams (Neptune Frost), and Drum & Lace (Summering)
Moderated by Dan Wilcox (KCRW)
FOUR HISTORIES OF REBEL ART
Sunday, January 23, 2-2:30 p.m.
At this special event celebrating Sundance Institute’s 40th anniversary, we take a joyous look into the rebel histories of award-winning, renowned filmmakers who premiered their shorts and debut films at the Festival. We’ll explore what their stories mean for the future of Sundance, consequent trailblazers, and independent cinema.
Featuring Christine Choy (The Exiles), Cheryl Dunye (Greetings from Africa), Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs)
Moderated by Eugene Hernandez (Deputy Executive Director of Film at Lincoln Center)
THE STORY OF US: RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE
Monday, January 24, 2-3:30 p.m.
Legal Scholar and civil rights advocate Kimberlé W. Crenshaw returns to the Sundance Film Festival to moderate a conversation interrogating how censorship, legislation, and storytelling are creating a distorted national narrative, and the crucial role of new cinematic genres in challenging these myths.
Featuring: CJ Hunt (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah), David Blight (Sterling professor of American History, Yale University), Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny), Việt Thanh Nguyễn (Pulitzer Prize-winning writer)
Moderated by Kimberlé W. Crenshaw (Executive Director, African American Policy Forum)
MACHINE YEARNING
Tuesday, January 25, 2-3:30 p.m.
Cinema’s fascination with robots and machine intelligence goes back almost as far as cinema itself, even if some of film and television’s greatest characters might not pass the Turing test (though, eerily, others would). Today’s study of robotics, engineering, artificial intelligence, neural networks , etc. yields an array of fascinating applications, new technologies, and complex questions, and the artificial beings once so fanciful to Fritz Lang or Philip K. Dick now involve as much science as fiction. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Featuring: Cynthia Breazeal (Associate Director, MIT Media Lab), Lisa Joy (Westworld), Kogonada (After Yang)
HOW TO FEST: DAILY
Consider this a new part of your morning routine — a way to get your mind right and set the tone for your Festival adventures ahead. Our host, Festival director Tabitha Jackson, will bring together artists, programmers, and film lovers to explore themes that are driving the festival and the projects featured in it. Daily from January 21-25 at 10 a.m. MT on festival.sundance.org.
Presented by Acura
BEYOND FILM PRESENTS
HOW TO LIVE (After you Die)
Monday, January 24, 9-11 p.m.
Renowned for her crystalline, deeply humane reflections on spirituality, technology, and the natural world, multiple Emmy Award-winning artist Lynette Wallworth turns the lens on herself in the solo performance HOW TO LIVE (After You Die). With tenderness, intimacy, and wry humor, Wallworth recounts her coming-of-age in a radical Christian community and, by travelling through her acclaimed works, charts an artist’s journey to reclaim her voice. This presentation will be followed by a live conversation with Lynette Wallworth and moderated by Tabitha Jackson.
Performance by Lynette Wallworth
OSCAR’S COMEBACK
Monday, January 24, 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Director Lisa Collins and Co-Director Mark Schwartzburt have created an epic that brilliantly transports black film pioneer Oscar Micheaux into our politically polarized present. Seventeen years in the making, Oscar’s Comeback, features profoundly resonant themes and an incredible kaleidoscope of characters, including Micheaux as the godfather of independent cinema. This special showcase will include a lively conversation with the creators and a sneak peek at scenes from the 5 hour film.
Featuring: Lisa Collins, Mark Schwartzburt (Oscar’s Comeback)
In conversation with: Jacqueline Stewart (Chief Artistic and Programming Officer, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures)
SUNDANCE COLLAB AT THE FESTIVAL
Sundance Collab is a digital destination for independent artists at all stages of their creative journeys to learn and connect. This global community is a safe and nurturing space of inclusion and belonging.
SUNDANCE COLLAB ROUNDTABLE: MY SHORT FILM’S LONG JOURNEY TO SUNDANCE
Friday, January 21, 4:30-6 p.m. MT
A candid roundtable discussion with Festival filmmakers about the process of getting their short films made and seen, from conception through Sundance exhibition, and a sneak peek at their films playing at this year’s Festival. Following the conversation, we invite attendees to stay for casual networking in breakout rooms.
Featuring: Olive Nwosu (Egungun), William David Caballero (Chilly and Milly), and Sky Hopkina (Kicking the Clouds) Moderated by Liz Nord (Director of Content, Sundance Collab)
SUNDANCE COLLAB CREATOR MEETUP: NAVIGATING YOUR FIRST MAJOR FILM FESTIVAL
Thursday, January 27, 2022, 10-11:30 a.m. MT
Creator Meetups feature candid discussions with artists and media professionals around timely and critical issues in the film and television industry, followed by breakout groups where creators can meet and continue their conversations. Join us for a discussion with Sundance filmmakers on how to prepare for, and make the most out of, your first major film festival experience.
Featuring: Kara Durrett (Producer, Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul) and Chase Joynt (Director, Framing Agnes)
Moderated by Abiram Brizuela (Director, Sundance Artist Community)
DAILY ARTIST MEETUPS
Presented by the Sundance Collective
The Festival’s Daily Artist Meetups provide an opportunity for Festivalgoers to meet independent storytellers from the Sundance Institute artist community and beyond. Each session is preceded by a thought-provoking conversation between Sundance Artists and leads from various Institute programs.
Friday, January 21, 11:30-1:00 PM.
Daily Artist Meetup: Welcome To The 2022 Sundance Film Festival
Featuring: Tabitha Jackson (Director, Sundance Film Festival & Public Programs), Gina Duncan (Producing Director, Sundance Institute), Shari Frilot (Chief Curator, New Frontier and Sr. Film Programmer, Sundance Film Festival), Karim Ahmad (Director, Outreach & Inclusion, Sundance Institute), Brenda Coughlin (Director, Engagement & Advocacy, Sundance Institute)
Saturday, January 22, 11:30-1:00 PM.
Daily Artist Meetup: The Leap From Short To Feature
Featuring: Francisca Alegría (Writer/Director, The Cow Who Sang A Song Into the Future), Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny)
Sunday, January 23, 11:30-1:00 PM.
Daily Artist Meetup: Cinema from Kahiki to Kaimukī
Featuring: Alika Maikau Tengan (Writer/Director, Every Day In Kaimukī)
Moderator: Cheryl Hirasa, (Interim Executive Director, Pacific Islanders in Communications)
Monday, January 24, 11:30 – 1:00 PM.
Daily Artist Meetup: Creative Financing, A Case Study on Jockey
Featuring: Clint Bentley (Writer/Director/Producer) and Greg Kwedar (Writer/Producer)
Tuesday, January 25, 11:30 – 1:00 PM.
Daily Artist Meetup: The Future Of Streaming
Featuring: Leaders from top streaming services.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS: THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS RECRUITING
Presented by Women at Sundance
Friday, January 21, 2-3:30 p.m.
Artists are urgently needed to interpret the present crisis and imagine a climate-just future. Hear from our recruiters: youth and Indigenous movement leaders, policymakers, and scientists, and join the discussion about how we can work together collectively like never before.
Recruiters: Andrea Ixchíu Hernández (Maya K’iche’ leader and filmmaker, Guatemala), Geeta Persad (climate scientist, USA), Vanessa Nakate (climate justice activist, Uganda), Farhana Yamin (climate legal advisor, UK)
Moderated by Megha Agrawal Sood (Head of Climate Story Unit, Doc Society), Emily Wanja (Global Community Manager, Climate Story Unit, Doc Society)
RESTORING THE FUTURE
Saturday, January 22, 4-6:00 p.m.
The past two years have incubated new and evolving movements in the media arts system, creating pathways to a radically aspirational future. In this participatory worldbuilding experience, step into a portal to that future with artists, activists, and industry members. Together they will share prototypes, provocations, and artifacts from an imagined future media-arts ecosystem centered in justice, abundance, and joy.
Featuring: Sabrina Schmidt Gordon (Producer, To The End), Andria Wilson Mirza (Director, ReFrame), Yasmin Dunn (Director of Education & Outreach, Hollywood Commission)
Facilitated by: Karim Ahmad (Director, Outreach & Inclusion, Sundance Institute), Brenda Coughlin (Director, Engagement & Advocacy, Sundance Institute), Tony Patrick (Artist, Beyond the Breakdown, Sundance ‘21)
NEW FRONTIER ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ON THE SPACESHIP
Our Artist Spotlight series brings New Frontier artists into conversation with audiences about their provocative works and artistic practice in stimulating, informative, and engaging ways.
Online, The Spaceship’s Cinema House will host Artist Spotlight presentations by each of the New Frontier artist teams. Afterward, artists will be available to mingle and engage in conversation with audiences.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: This is Not a Ceremony
Friday, January 21, 1 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: ATUA
Friday, January 21, 4 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: The Inside World
Saturday, January 22, noon
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: On The Morning You Wake (To the End of the World)
Saturday, January 22, 7 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: Child of Empire
Sunday, January 23, noon
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: Suga’- A Live Virtual Dance Performance
Monday, January 24, 7 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: The State of Global Peace
Tuesday, January 25, 6 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: They Dream in My Bones – Insemnopedy II
Wednesday, January 26th, noon
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: Diagnosia
Wednesday, January 26th, 2 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: Gondwana
Wednesday, January 26, 8 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: Seven Grams
Thursday, January 27, 2 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: Surrogate
Thursday, January 27th, 7 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: 32 Sounds
Wednesday, January 27, 9 p.m.
New Frontier Artist Spotlight: Flat Earth VR
Friday, January 28th, noon
Web 3.0 / NFT Meetups
Saturday, January 22, 2 p.m., Online
Sunday, January 23, 2 p.m., Online
Friday, January 28, 2 p.m, Online
Facilitated by Amelia Winger-Bearskin (Banks Preeminence Chair AI & the Arts, University of Florida) & Jesse Damiani (Founder, Postreality Labs)
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