The Kindergarten Teacher[/caption]
The 2018 Sundance Film Festival returns to Park City, Salt Lake City and at Sundance Mountain Resort, from January 18 to 28, and today announced the feature films lineup showcasing bold, independent storytelling.
For the 2018 Festival, 110 feature-length films were selected, representing 29 countries and 47 first-time filmmakers, including 30 in competition.These films were selected from 13,468 submissions including 3,901 feature-length films and 8,740 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 1,799 were from the U.S. and 2,102 were international. One-hundred feature films at the Festival will be world premieres
Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, said, “The work of independent storytellers can challenge and possibly change culture, illuminating our world’s imperfections and possibilities. This year’s Festival is full of artfully-told stories that provoke thought, drive empathy and allow the audience to connect, in deeply personal ways, to the universal human experience.”
Sundance Film Festival
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2018 Sundance Film Festival Unveils Feature Film Lineup of 110 Films
[caption id="attachment_25705" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Kindergarten Teacher[/caption]
The 2018 Sundance Film Festival returns to Park City, Salt Lake City and at Sundance Mountain Resort, from January 18 to 28, and today announced the feature films lineup showcasing bold, independent storytelling.
For the 2018 Festival, 110 feature-length films were selected, representing 29 countries and 47 first-time filmmakers, including 30 in competition.These films were selected from 13,468 submissions including 3,901 feature-length films and 8,740 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 1,799 were from the U.S. and 2,102 were international. One-hundred feature films at the Festival will be world premieres
Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, said, “The work of independent storytellers can challenge and possibly change culture, illuminating our world’s imperfections and possibilities. This year’s Festival is full of artfully-told stories that provoke thought, drive empathy and allow the audience to connect, in deeply personal ways, to the universal human experience.”
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2018 Sundance Film Festival Unveils New Graphics, Programming, Award
The 2018 Sundance Film Festival is exactly six months away, and perfect time to start drumming up excitement. The festival today introduced the official graphics, along with a standalone Episodic section, the return of ‘The New Climate’ strand of environmental work and a new award. The 2018 Festival takes place January 18 to 28 in Park City, Salt Lake City and Sundance, Utah.
‘Indie Episodic’ section: After several years of programming episodic content in the ‘Special Events’ section — where selections included O.J.: Made in America, Transparent, Top of the Lake, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, Animals, Gente-fied, The Chances and Strangers — the 2018 Festival will have an ‘Indie Episodic’ section specifically for stories told in multiple installments, with an emphasis on independent perspectives. In addition to episodic work, the Festival showcases feature films, documentaries, short films and New Frontier storytelling. Episodic creators can submit their work to the Festival now.
‘The New Climate’ continues: In 2017 the Festival hosted The New Climate strand of feature films, documentaries, Virtual Reality experiences and high-profile panels exploring the environment and climate change, and it will extend this strand through 2018. Creators of new work on these topics can submit to the Festival now.
‘Festival Favorite’ award: New for 2018, all feature films will be eligible for a ‘Festival Favorite’ Award to be determined by audience ballots across all Festival screenings. Similar to the Festival’s longstanding Audience Awards for each Competition section, the award will designate the feature film from any of the Festival’s sections that best connects with audiences.
2018 Graphics Designed with Students at ArtCenter College of Design: The 2018 Festival graphics were developed in collaboration with ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. The concept was led by a group of students including Andy Gutierrez, Michelle Lee and Charles Lin and came out of a three-day brainstorm and creation session last Spring with 15 students and three faculty members. Their concept reflects the idea that the Festival is a “disruptive celebration of imperfection,” using bold color and language to highlight the very human emotions we experience through storytelling. The entirely text-based campaign opens up interactivity with audiences, and the colors signify the heat the Festival brings to Winter.
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COLUMBUS and UNREST Selected for Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Fellowship
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Unrest[/caption]
Sundance Institute has selected two acclaimed works from the 2017 Sundance Film Festival: Columbus, from director and screenwriter Kogonada, and Unrest, a documentary directed by Jennifer Brea for its Creative Distribution Fellowship. The fellowship is a new initiative to support filmmaking teams seeking a more entrepreneurial approach to the release of their work.
Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “Columbus and Unrest are perfect examples of the creative spirit of independent filmmaking, and this new Fellowship will provide them with resources, mentorship and tactical support to pioneer independent pathways to audiences. This entrepreneurial approach to marketing, distribution and audience building empowers independent filmmakers to release their own films, on their own terms, while retaining their rights.”
The Creative Distribution Fellowship, inspired by Sundance Institute’s long-standing Labs, will provide Columbus and Unrest with tools, resources and exclusive distribution deals in an immersive and nurturing environment. Each film will receive grants to fund marketing and distribution expenses. The Institute is working closely with the film teams to devise and execute tactics that will allow them to connect with their audiences in new and innovative ways. The filmmakers will serve as their own distributors, working with a network of professional vendors and digital retailers, with all theatrical and digital revenue flowing back to them. As a core part of the Fellowship, the producers of Columbus and Unrest are committed to sharing lessons learned from their creative distribution. These lessons will create “best practices” to help guide future independent filmmakers.
The Institute has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and build audiences for Columbus and Unrest, which is open through Thursday, June 1.
Danielle Renfrew Behrens, producer of Columbus, said, “Many films have attempted to self-release over the years, but until recently filmmakers haven’t had the tools needed to reach their targeted audience. We’ve turned down more traditional distribution offers in the hopes of determining if this is a viable way forward for indie films with identifiable niche audiences. We’re thrilled to have Sundance Institute’s aid and guidance in navigating this new terrain, and hopefully creating a guide that other independent films can follow.”
Jennifer Brea, producer/director of Unrest, said, “We can’t wait to connect our film directly with its audience, combining a bespoke theatrical release with innovative ways of reaching those who would not be able to see the film in theaters. With the aid of the Creative Distribution Fellowship we’ll be able to actively engage with our viewers, encouraging an experience that will last far beyond the end of the film.”
Columbus stars John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey, Rory Culkin and Michelle Forbes and world premiered in the NEXT section at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Casey (Richardson) lives with her mother in a little-known Midwestern town haunted by the promise of modernism. Jin (Cho), a visitor from the other side of the world, attends to his dying father. Burdened by the future, they find respite in one another and the architecture that surrounds them. Vanity Fair wrote that Columbus “is a clever and compelling exploration into how physical structures can come to represent emotional landmarks in our personal lives, and the drive we have to share them with others.” Columbus will be released, starting theatrically, in August.
Unrest chronicles director and Harvard PhD student Jennifer Brea, who was struck down at 28 by a fever that left her bedridden. Doctors told her it’s “all in your head.” Determined to live, she sets out on a virtual journey to document her story—and four other families’ stories—fighting a disease medicine forgot. The film will have a theatrical release prior to airing as part of PBS’s ‘Independent Lens’ series in 2018.
The Creative Distribution Fellowship is part of Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Program. Founded in 2011, the Program has empowered filmmakers navigating the changing business of independent film with online resources, live workshops and a network of allied organizations. Films it has supported include Upstream Color (Director: Shane Carruth), BURN (Directors: Brenna Sanchez and Tom Putnam), Cronies (Director: Michael Larnell), Western (Directors: Bill Ross and Turner Ross), First Girl I Loved (Director: Kerem Sanga), NUTS! (Director: Penny Lane) and HITS (Director: David Cross).
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Watch Trailer for BURNING SANDS from Sundance 2017, Set to Premiere on Netflix on March 10
[caption id="attachment_19877" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Malik Bazille, Trevor Jackson, Tosin Cole, Octavius Johnson and DeRon Horton appear in Burning Sands by Gerard McMurray, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. © 2016 Sundance Institute | photo by Isiah Donté Lee.[/caption]
Netflix has released the trailer for Burning Sands, a powerful, coming-of-age drama that explores the bonds of fraternity and exposes how far some are willing to go in the name of brotherhood.
The film was selected for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival US Dramatic Competition and will be available to Netflix members worldwide on Friday, March 10.
Burning Sands stars Trevor Jackson (ABC’s American Crime) in a breakout performance, along with Alfre Woodard, Steve Harris, Trevante Rhodes, Tosin Cole, DeRon Horton, Imani Hakim and Serayah. It is directed and co-written by Gerard McMurray (producer, Fruitvale Station).
The film was produced by Stephanie Allain (Beyond the Lights), Jason Michael Berman (Birth of a Nation), Reginald Hudlin (Django Unchained) and Mel Jones (Dear White People). Common also contributed an original song, “The Cross”.
Burning Sands takes you on a raw, voyeuristic journey of fraternity pledging through the eyes of one favored pledgee, who is torn between honoring a code of silence or standing up against the intensifying violence of underground hazing. Led by a breakthrough performance by Trevor Jackson, director Gerard McMurray’s feature directorial debut brings an emotional honesty to the classic tale of “rites of passage” and the complicated bonds of brotherhood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t-ZivjczEs
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‘The Birth of a Nation’ ‘Sonita’ Win Top Sundance Film Festival Awards
The 2016 Sundance Film Festival announced the winners of the feature filmmaking awards , with top honors going to Between Sea and Land, The Birth of a Nation (pictured above), First Girl I Loved, Jim: The James Foley Story, Sand Storm, Sonita and Weiner. The Birth of a Nation and Sonita won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for their respective sections, marking the third time in Festival history two films have done this in the same year, and continuing a four-year streak of at least one film winning both awards for its section.
2016 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Louis Psihoyos to: Weiner / U.S.A. (Directors: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg) — With unrestricted access to Anthony Weiner’s New York City mayoral campaign, this film reveals the human story behind the scenes of a high-profile political scandal as it unfolds, and offers an unfiltered look at how much today’s politics is driven by an appetite for spectacle.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Franklin Leonard to: The Birth of a Nation / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nate Parker) — Set against the antebellum South, this story follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. After witnessing countless atrocities against fellow slaves, Nat devises a plan to lead his people to freedom. Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, Mark Boone Jr.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Asif Kapadia to: Sonita / Germany, Iran, Switzerland (Director: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami) — If 18-year-old Sonita had a say, Michael Jackson and Rihanna would be her parents and she’d be a rapper who tells the story of Afghan women and their fate as child brides. She finds out that her family plans to sell her to an unknown husband for $9,000.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Apichatpong Weerasethakul to: Sand Storm / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Elite Zexer) — When their entire lives are shattered, two Bedouin women struggle to change the unchangeable rules, each in her own individual way. Cast: Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal-Asfour, Hitham Omari, Khadija Alakel, Jalal Masrwa.
The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was presented by Matt Ross to: Jim: The James Foley Story / U.S.A. (Director: Brian Oakes) — The public execution of American conflict journalist James Foley captured the world’s attention, but he was more than just a man in an orange jumpsuit. Seen through the lens of his close childhood friend, Jim: The James Foley Story moves from adrenaline-fueled front lines and devastated neighborhoods of Syria into the hands of ISIS.
The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was presented by Matt Ross to: The Birth of a Nation / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nate Parker) — Set against the antebellum South, this story follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. After witnessing countless atrocities against fellow slaves, Nat devises a plan to lead his people to freedom. Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, Mark Boone Jr.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Rose McGowan to:Sonita / Germany, Iran, Switzerland (Director: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami) — If 18-year-old Sonita had a say, Michael Jackson and Rihanna would be her parents and she’d be a rapper who tells the story of Afghan women and their fate as child brides. She finds out that her family plans to sell her to an unknown husband for $9,000.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Rose McGowan to: Between Sea and Land / Colombia (Director: Carlos del Castillo, Screenwriter: Manolo Cruz) — Alberto, who suffers from an illness that binds him into a body that doesn’t obey him, lives with his loving mom, who dedicates her life to him. His sickness impedes him from achieving his greatest dream of knowing the sea, despite one being located just across the street. Cast: Manolo Cruz, Vicky Hernandéz, Viviana Serna, Jorge Cao, Mile Vergara, Javier Sáenz.
The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was presented by Taika Waititi to: First Girl I Loved / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kerem Sanga) — Seventeen-year-old Anne just fell in love with Sasha, the most popular girl at her L.A. public high school. But when Anne tells her best friend, Clifton—who has always harbored a secret crush on her—he does his best to get in the way. Cast: Dylan Gelula, Brianna Hildebrand, Mateo Arias, Jennifer Prediger, Tim Heidecker, Pamela Adlon.
The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Amy Ziering to: Roger Ross Williams for his film Life, Animated/ U.S.A. (Director: Roger Ross Williams) — Owen Suskind, an autistic boy who could not speak for years, slowly emerged from his isolation by immersing himself in Disney animated movies. Using these films as a roadmap, he reconnects with his loving family and the wider world in this emotional coming-of-age story.
The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Mark Adams to: Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan for their film Swiss Army Man / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan) — Hank, a hopeless man stranded in the wild, discovers a mysterious dead body. Together the two embark on an epic journey to get home. As Hank realizes the body is the key to his survival, this once-suicidal man is forced to convince a dead body that life is worth living. Cast: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Mila Aung Thwain to: Michal Marczak for his film All These Sleepless Nights / Poland (Director: Michal Marczak) — What does it mean to be awake in a world that seems satisfied to be asleep? Kris and Michal push their experiences of life and love to a breaking point as they restlessly roam the city streets in search of answers, adrift in the euphoria and uncertainty of youth.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Randall Poster to: Belgica / Belgium, France, Netherlands (Director: Felix van Groeningen, Screenwriters: Felix van Groeningen, Arne Sierens) — In the midst of Belgium’s nightlife scene, two brothers start a bar and get swept up in its success. Cast: Stef Aerts, Tom Vermeir, Charlotte Vandermeersch, Hélène De Vos.
The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Lena Dunham to: Chad Hartigan for Morris from America / U.S.A., Germany (Director and screenwriter: Chad Hartigan) — Thirteen-year-old Morris, a hip-hop loving American, moves to Heidelberg, Germany, with his father. In this completely foreign land, he falls in love with a local girl, befriends his German tutor-turned-confidant, and attempts to navigate the unique trials and tribulations of adolescence. Cast: Markees Christmas, Craig Robinson, Carla Juri, Lina Keller, Jakub Gierszał, Levin Henning.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented by Jill Lepore to: Penny Lane and Thom Stylinski for NUTS! / U.S.A. (Director: Penny Lane) — The mostly true story of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, an eccentric genius who built an empire with his goat-testicle impotence cure and a million-watt radio station. Animated reenactments, interviews, archival footage, and one seriously unreliable narrator trace his rise from poverty to celebrity and influence in 1920s America.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for For Social Impact Filmmaking was presented by Simon Kilmurry to:
Trapped/U.S.A. (Director: Dawn Porter) — American abortion clinics are in a fight for survival. Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws are increasingly being passed by states that maintain they ensure women’s safety and health, but as clinics continue to shut their doors, opponents believe the real purpose of these laws is to outlaw abortion.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Writing was presented by Shola Lynch to: Kate Plays Christine / U.S.A. (Director: Robert Greene) — This psychological thriller follows actor Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares to play the role of Christine Chubbuck, a Florida television host who committed suicide on air in 1974. Christine’s tragic death was the inspiration for Network, and the mysteries surrounding her final act haunt Kate and the production.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Vérité Filmmaking was presented by Shola Lynch to: The Bad Kids / U.S.A. (Directors: Keith Fulton, Lou Pepe) — At a remote Mojave Desert high school, extraordinary educators believe that empathy and life skills, more than academics, give at-risk students command of their own futures. This coming-of-age story watches education combat the crippling effects of poverty in the lives of these so-called “bad kids.”
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award was presented by Lena Dunham to: As You Are / U.S.A. (Director: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Screenwriters: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, Madison Harrison) — As You Are is the telling and retelling of a relationship between three teenagers as it traces the course of their friendship through a construction of disparate memories prompted by a police investigation. Cast: Owen Campbell, Charlie Heaton, Amandla Stenberg, John Scurti, Scott Cohen, Mary Stuart Masterson.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance was presented by Avy Kaufman to: Joe Seo for Spa Night/U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Ahn) — Los Angeles’s Korean spas serve not only as meeting places but also as a bridge between past and future for generations of immigrant families. Spa Night explores one Korean American family’s dreams and realities as each member struggles with the overlap of personal desire, disillusionment, and sense of tradition. Cast: Joe Seo, Haerry Kim, Youn Ho Cho, Tae Song, Ho Young Chung, Linda Han.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Individual Performance was presented by Jon Hamm to: Melanie Lynskey in The Intervention / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Clea DuVall) — A weekend getaway for four couples takes a sharp turn when one of the couples discovers the entire trip was orchestrated to host an intervention on their marriage. Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Cobie Smulders, Alia Shawkat, Clea DuVall, Natasha Lyonne, Ben Schwartz.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Individual Performance was presented by Jon Hamm to: Craig Robinson in Morris from America / U.S.A., Germany (Director and screenwriter: Chad Hartigan) — Thirteen-year-old Morris, a hip-hop loving American, moves to Heidelberg, Germany, with his father. In this completely foreign land, he falls in love with a local girl, befriends his German tutor-turned-confidant, and attempts to navigate the unique trials and tribulations of adolescence. Cast: Markees Christmas, Craig Robinson, Carla Juri, Lina Keller, Jakub Gierszał, Levin Henning.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Debut Feature was presented by Asif Kapadia to: Heidi Brandenburg and Mathew Orzel for their film When Two Worlds Collide / Peru (Directors: Heidi Brandenburg, Mathew Orzel) — An indigenous leader resists the environmental ruin of Amazonian lands by big business. As he is forced into exile and faces 20 years in prison, his quest reveals conflicting visions that shape the fate of the Amazon and the climate future of our world.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography was presented by Mila Aung Thwain to: Director and cinematographer Pieter-Jan De Pue for his film The Land of the Enlightened / Belgium (Director: Pieter-Jan De Pue) — A group of Kuchi children in Afghanistan dig out old Soviet mines and sell the explosives to child workers in a lapis lazuli mine. When not dreaming of an Afghanistan after the American withdrawal, Gholam Nasir and his gang control the mountains where caravans are smuggling the blue gemstones.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented by Asif Kapadia to: Mako Kamitsuna and John Maringouin for We Are X / United Kingdom, U.S.A., Japan (Director: Stephen Kijak) — As glam rock’s most flamboyant survivors, X Japan ignited a musical revolution in Japan during the late ’80s with their melodic metal. Twenty years after their tragic dissolution, X Japan’s leader, Yoshiki, battles with physical and spiritual demons alongside prejudices of the West to bring their music to the world.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting was presented by Fernanda Solórzano to: Vicky Hernandéz and Manolo Cruz in Between Sea and Land / Colombia (Director: Carlos del Castillo, Screenwriter: Manolo Cruz) — Alberto, who suffers from an illness that binds him into a body that doesn’t obey him, lives with his loving mom, who dedicates her life to him. His sickness impedes him from achieving his greatest dream of knowing the sea, despite one being located just across the street. Cast: Manolo Cruz, Vicky Hernandéz, Viviana Serna, Jorge Cao, Mile Vergara, Javier Sáenz.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting was presented by Randall Poster to: Ana Katz and Inés Bortagaray in Mi Amiga del Parque / Argentina, Uruguay (Director: Ana Katz, Screenwriters: Ana Katz, Inés Bortagaray) — Running away from a bar without paying the bill is just the first adventure for Liz (mother to newborn Nicanor) and Rosa (supposed mother to newborn Clarisa). This budding friendship between nursing mothers starts with the promise of liberation but soon ends up being a dangerous business. Cast: Julieta Zylberberg, Ana Katz, Maricel Álvarez, Mirella Pascual, Malena Figó, Daniel Hendler.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Unique Vision and Design was presented by Fernanda Solórzano to: Agnieszka Smoczyńska for The Lure / Poland (Director: Agnieszka Smoczynska, Screenwriter: Robert Bolesto) — Two mermaid sisters, who end up performing at a nightclub, face cruel and bloody choices when one of them falls in love with a beautiful young man. Cast: Marta Mazurek, Michalina Olszanska, Jakub Gierszal, Kinga Preis, Andrzej Konopka, Zygmunt Malanowicz.
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Thunder Road Wins Best Short Film at Sundance Film Festival
The 2016 Sundance Film Festival announced the winners of the jury prizes in short filmmaking, with the Short Film Grand Jury Prize going to Thunder Road by director and screenwriter Jim Cummings.
This year’s Short Film jurors are: star and co-creator of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele, Keegan-Michael Key; development executive at Amazon Studios, Gina Kwon; and chief film critic for MTV, Amy Nicholson.
2016 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Awards:
The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to: Thunder Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jim Cummings) — Officer Arnaud loved his mom.
The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was presented to: The Procedure / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder) — A man is captured and forced to endure a strange experiment.
The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was presented to: Maman(s) / France (Director and screenwriter: Maïmouna Doucouré ) — Life is disrupted for eight-year-old Aida when her father returns with a young Senegalese woman, Rama, whom he introduces as his second wife. Sensitive to her mother’s distress, Aida decides to get rid of the new visitor.
The Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction was presented to: Bacon & God’s Wrath / Canada (Director: Sol Friedman) — A 90-year-old Jewish woman reflects on her life experiences as she prepares to try bacon for the first time.
The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to: Edmond / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Nina Gantz) — Edmond’s impulse to love and be close to others is strong—maybe too strong. As he stands by a lake contemplating his options, he reflects on his defining moments in search of the origin of his desires.
A Short Film Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance was presented to: Grace Glowicki for her performance in Her Friend Adam.
A Short Film Special Jury Award for Best Direction was presented to: Peacock / Czech Republic (Director: Ondřej Hudeček, Screenwriters: Jan Smutny, Ondřej Hudeček) — A twisted queer romance set in picturesque 19th-century Bohemia tells the true story of the birth of one of the nation’s most influential writers, with suspense, laughter, violence, hope, nudity, sex, and a happy ending—mostly a happy ending.
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Lena Dunham, Jon Hamm Among Jury Selected for Sundance Film Festival, Taika Waititi to Host Awards Ceremony
23 film, theatre, culture and science experts have been selected for jury duty to award 27 prizes at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival taking place January 21 to 31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.
Filmmaker and Sundance Institute alum Taika Waititi (pictured above) will host the feature film Awards Ceremony on Saturday, January 30 at 7:00 p.m. MT, which will be live streamed at sundance.org. Waititi will be premiering his latest film Hunt for the Wilderpeople at the Festival, has written and directed What We Do in the Shadows (2015), BOY (2010) and Eagle vs. Shark (2007) and he will direct the upcoming Thor 3. His previous films have been supported by Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters and Directors Labs as well as its Native American and Indigenous Film Program. Hailing from the sub-sub-tropical continent of New Zealand, Oscar-losing director Waititi says he invented the sideways “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout?” look.
U.S. Documentary Jury
Simon Kilmurry
Simon Kilmurry is the executive director of the International Documentary Association (IDA). He joined IDA in 2015 and currently oversees all of its programs, including filmmaker services, educational programs, the IDA Awards, and advocacy. From 1999 to 2015, Kilmurry worked in various roles at POV—the long-running PBS documentary series—including that of executive producer from 2006 to 2015. He has received 15 Emmy Awards, more than 60 Emmy nominations, 5 Peabody Awards, and 4 duPont Columbia Awards. He also served as CEO of American Documentary (AmDoc), POV’s nonprofit parent organization, where he developed America ReFramed, a documentary series on the WORLD Channel. Kilmurry has worked with a wide range of emerging and established filmmakers, including Laura Poitras, Marshall Curry, Yung Chang, Yoruba Richen, Natalia Almada, and Jennifer Fox.
Jill Lepore
Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and is also a staff writer at The New Yorker. Much of her research, teaching, and writing explores absences and asymmetries of evidence in the historical record. As an essayist, she writes about American history, law, literature, and politics. Her many books include The Name of War (1998), winner of the Bancroft Prize; New York Burning (2005), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; Book of Ages (2013), a finalist for the National Book Award; and The Secret History of Wonder Woman (2014), a New York Times bestseller and winner of the American History Book Prize. Her next book, Joe Gould’s Teeth, will be published in 2016.
Shola Lynch
Shola Lynch is a documentary filmmaker based in Harlem, New York City. She is best known for Chisholm ’72—Unbought & Unbossed, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and Free Angela and All Political Prisoners, which sold worldwide and won numerous awards, including the 2013 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary. Lynch is the curator of the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a position that fulfills her other passion—collecting, archiving, and preserving history. Lynch is an alumna of the Sundance Institute’s Women Filmmakers Initiative. Her current project, The Outlaw—her first feature narrative based on a true story—recently received a Creative Capital award.
Louie Psihoyos
Louie Psihoyos is the Academy Award-winning director of The Cove (2009). His most recent film, Racing Extinction (2015), premiered on the Discovery Channel in an unprecedented global broadcast—220 countries and territories saw the film within 24 hours. Psihoyos is the executive director of the Oceanic Preservation Society, a nonprofit that educates, inspires, and empowers the global community to become change agents actively engaged in saving and preserving the oceans, endangered species, and our planet through the use of film, photography, social media, and collaboration. Prior to his filmmaking career, Psihoyos was a still photographer for National Geographic for 18 years. He is currently in production on a documentary film about plant-based super athletes.
Amy Ziering
Amy Ziering is a two-time Emmy Award–winning and Academy Award–nominated documentary filmmaker. Her most recent film, The Hunting Ground—a piercing, monumental exposé of rape culture on college campuses—premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, was released by Radius/The Weinstein Company and CNN, and was recently nominated for the 2016 Producers’ Guild of America’s Best Documentary Award. Her previous film, The Invisible War—a groundbreaking investigation into the epidemic of rape in the U.S. Military—won the Audience Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, two 2014 Emmy Awards for Best Documentary and Outstanding Investigative Journalism, and the 2013 Peabody, and it was nominated for an Academy Award. The film spurred Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to announce significant policy changes and catalyzed the passing of 35 pieces of reform legislation in Congress.
U.S. Dramatic Jury
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham is the creator and star of the HBO series Girls. She has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards and has won two Golden Globe Awards, all for her work on Girls. In 2010, she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for her feature Tiny Furniture. In 2013, Dunham became the first female to win a DGA Award in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series category. In 2015, Lena and Jenni Konner launched LENNY, a feminist newsletter featuring original editorial content on politics, art and culture, health and wellness, sex and relationships, and style (LennyLetter.com). An accomplished author, Dunham’s book of personal essays, Not That Kind of Girl, was a number-one New York Times best seller. She is also a frequent contributor to The New Yorker.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm’s nuanced portrayal of the high-powered advertising executive Don Draper on AMC’s Mad Men firmly established him as one of Hollywood’s most talented and versatile actors. He has earned numerous accolades, including the 2015 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. In 2015, Hamm loaned his voice to the wildly successful Universal Pictures animated feature, Minions. He recently completed production on BB Film’s Marjorie Prime and will be seen starring in 20th Century Fox’s Keeping Up with the Joneses, both due out this year. Hamm has appeared in films such as Bridesmaids, The Town, Million Dollar Arm, Friends with Kids, Kissing Jessica Stein, and Howl, which played at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Hamm received his Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Avy Kaufman
Casting director and proud mother of two sons Avy Kaufman has worked with directors Ang Lee, Robert Redford, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Mann, Ira Sachs, Tom Tykwer, Lars von Trier, and Wes Craven on such acclaimed films as Life of Pi, The Conspirator, Lincoln, Prometheus, Public Enemies, American Gangster, and others. Kaufman was honored in 2005 as the Casting Director of the Year at the Hollywood Film Festival, and in 2013 received the Angela Award for lifetime achievement at the Subtitle European Film Festival in Ireland. She won an Emmy Award in 2008 for her work on the pilot of Showtime’s Damages. She was also the recipient of several Artios Awards from her colleagues and is featured in Helena Lumme’s book Great Women of Film.
Franklin Leonard
Franklin Leonard is the founder of the Black List, the yearly publication and company that highlights Hollywood’s most popular unproduced screenplays. Over 250 Black List scripts have been produced, earning a total of 45 Academy Awards—including three of the last seven Best Picture winners and eight of the last sixteen Best Screenplay winners—and 225 nominations. Franklin has worked in development at Universal Pictures and the production companies of Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, Will Smith, and Leonardo DiCaprio. He has been named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s “35 Under 35,” Black Enterprise’s “40 Emerging Leaders for Our Future,” and Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business.” Franklin was also awarded the 2015 African-American Film Critics Association’s Special Achievement Award for career excellence.
Randall Poster
Over the last twenty years, Randall Poster has supervised the music in over 100 feature films. Best known for his collaborations with director Wes Anderson, Poster also works regularly with directors Harmony Korine, Todd Haynes, Richard Linklater, Todd Phillips, Martin Scorsese, Sam Mendes, and Jason Reitman. His recent credits include Haynes’ Carol, Nancy Meyers’ The Intern, Alfonso Gomez- Rejon’s Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Max Joseph’s We Are Your Friends. Upcoming projects include Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some, Jodie Foster’s Money Monster, Todd Phillips’ Arms and the Dudes, Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and Robert Schwentke’s Allegiant. Poster has won two Grammy Awards: one for his work on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and the other for producing the soundtrack to The Grand Budapest Hotel.
World Cinema Dramatic Jury
Mark Adams
Mark Adams is the artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and was recently the chief film critic for film trade paper Screen International, as well as film critic for the Sunday Mirror in the UK. He attends most of the key international film festivals and for 25 years has written as a film journalist and reviewer for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Moving Pictures International, as well as many national newspapers in the UK. Adams has worked extensively in the film industry, including as head of programming at the National Film Theatre for six years and director of cinema at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, both in London. He has consulted for various organizations and has programmed for film festivals around the world.
Fernanda Solorzano
Fernanda Solórzano is the chief film critic for Letras Libres magazine, where she has written since 2001. Before that, she was chief film critic for the “Sábado” supplement of the Unomásuno newspaper, Cambio journal, and the “Confabulario” supplement of the El Universal newspaper. Her film articles have appeared in many Mexican print outlets, as well as foreign publications, including the “Atlas du cinéma” supplement of Cahiers du Cinéma, Caimán Cuadernos de Cine, and Sight & Sound. She has hosted television programs on film analysis, including Filmoteca 40, Confabulario, Encuadre, and Plano Abierto. Along with her regular writing, Solórzano is currently working on a Mexican film production dictionary and is a member of the Morelia International Film Festival official selection committee. She lives in Mexico City.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1970. His nonlinear films, lyrical and mysterious, deal with memory and subtly invoke politics and social issues. His first feature film, Mysterious Object at Noon, is a conceptual documentary that debuted in 2000. His next film, Blissfully Yours, won the Prize Un Certain Regard at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, and is the first part of a trilogy, followed by Tropical Malady and Syndromes and a Century. In 2010 Weerasethakul won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, and in 2015, he released Cemetery of Splendour, as well as a projection-performance piece, Fever Room. He currently lives and works in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
World Cinema Documentary Jury
Mila Aung-Thwin
Mila Aung-Thwin is a Montreal-based director and producer. He is the co-founder of EyeSteelFilm, a company that specializes in feature documentaries. Aung-Thwin has produced more than 20 feature documentaries, including Up the Yangtze, RiP! A Remix Manifesto, Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam, China Heavyweight, and the Emmy-winning Last Train Home. He served for five years as the president of Montreal’s international documentary film festival, RIDM, and is currently directing a film on the subject of nuclear fusion and a film about young people in Yangon, Myanmar.
Tine Fischer
Tine Fischer is the founder and director of the international film festival CPH:DOX, the talent development and production program CPH:LAB, and the co-production and financing forum CPH:FORUM. She has previously worked at the Danish Film Institute and has been actively involved in the contemporary art scene, including as partner in the leading Scandinavian art gallery Andersen’s Contemporary and as curator of exhibitions focused on art-based film practices. Tine is a graduate of the European producer program EAVE and is the owner of the film production company Fischer Film, which specializes in the crossover between film and contemporary art. She produced Accidentes Gloriosos (2011) and executive-produced Killing Strangers (2013), La Ultima Pelicula (2013), Solecito (2013), Stranded in Canton (2015), and several film projects with Icelandic/Danish artist Olafur Eliasson.
Asif Kapadia
Director, writer, and producer Asif Kapadia first gained recognition in 1998 for his student film The Sheep Thief, which won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. His debut feature, The Warrior, received two awards and one nomination at the BAFTAs, and his feature documentary SENNA, the story of Brazilian racing legend Ayrton Senna, was a multiple award–winner and a breakout hit at the UK box office. AMY, premiered at Cannes in 2015, tells the story of Amy Winehouse in her own words; the film is an international hit and has been nominated for a European Film Award and five BIFA awards. Kapadia’s next film is Ali and Nino, an adaptation of the epic novel by Kurban Said.
Short Film Jury
Keegan-Michael Key
Emmy nominee, Peabody Award winner, and one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Keegan-Michael Key is the star and co-creator of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele. He gained further acclaim when he performed his character Luther the anger translator with President Obama at the 2015 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. A veteran of Detroit and Chicago’s The Second City Theater, Key was a series regular on MADtv and had recurring roles on Fargo, Parks and Recreation, and Playing House. His film credits include Wanderlust, Role Models, Afternoon Delight, Due Date, The Lego Movie, Let’s Be Cops, Horrible Bosses 2, Pitch Perfect 2, Tomorrowland, and Vacation. In spring 2016, Keegan can be seen opposite Jordan Peele in New Line’s Keanu.
Gina Kwon
Gina Kwon is a development executive at Amazon Studios in half-hour TV, where she oversees the series Transparent, One Mississippi and Z: The Beginning of Everything. A veteran independent film producer, her credits include Michel Franco’s Chronic, winner of the Prix du Scénario at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival; Peter Sattler’s Camp X-Ray; Miguel Arteta’s The Good Girl; and Miranda July’s debut feature, Me and You and Everyone We Know, winner of the Caméra d’Or at Cannes in 2005. Kwon has served as a mentor to numerous Sundance Institute and Film Independent producing fellows, and she was an advisor at Sundance Institute’s 2015 Creative Producing Lab. She won the Bravo/American Express Producers Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in 2005.
Amy Nicholson
Amy Nicholson is the chief film critic of the L.A. Weekly. Her reviews and stories appear in the Village Voice and all Voice Media Group publications, and she co-hosts the weekly podcast The Canon. Nicholson holds a double BA in film studies and anthropology from the University of Oklahoma as well as a master’s degree in professional writing from USC. Her criticism has been recognized by the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, and her first book, Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor, was recently published by Cahiers du Cinéma. Starting February 1, Nicholson will be the chief film critic for MTV News. Reach her on Twitter @theamynicholson.
Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize Jury
Kerry Bishé
Kerry Bishé is a theatre, film, and television actor. She can be seen in Steven Shainberg’s upcoming film Rupture as well as Kevin Smith’s Red State and Ben Affleck’s Academy Award–winning Argo. She has appeared on Broadway in Pygmalion and off Broadway in the one-woman play My Name Is Rachel Corrie. Bishé also plays computer engineer Donna Clark on the AMC series Halt and Catch Fire.
Mike Cahill
Writer/director/producer Mike Cahill has presented two films at the Sundance Film Festival, Another Earth (2011) and I Origins (2014), with the former winning the Special Jury Prize and both being awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. Upon playing the Festival, both films were then acquired and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. From New Haven, Connecticut, Mike fell in love with filmmaking at a very early age, and it remained his hobby through college at Georgetown, where he studied economics. After graduating, Mike started working as a field producer, cinematographer, and editor for National Geographic, where he made films about marine animals. Most recently Cahill directed two pilots, The Magicians (Syfy, 2016) and The Path (Hulu, 2016). He is passionate about stories involving science, spirituality, and the question of what defines the self.
Shane Carruth
Shane Carruth is a filmmaker. He wrote and directed Upstream Color (2013) and Primer (2004).
Clifford Johnson
Clifford V. Johnson’s work in science ranges from teaching and research as a professor at the University of Southern California to public engagement efforts in putting science back into the general culture. He helps artists, writers, and filmmakers incorporate science into their work, appears on several TV and online shows, and participates in other science-illuminating events. Johnson is co-director of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities and also writes about science; he is currently writing and drawing a graphic novel–style book featuring science. Johnson’s research is part of the international effort to understand and describe the origin and evolution of the universe and its fundamental constituents. He works mainly on superstring theory, quantum gravity, and M-theory, studying the physics of black holes, quarks, the Big Bang, and more.
Ting Wu
Ting Wu is based at Harvard Medical School, where she is a professor of genetics, director of space genetics, and director of the Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd.org). Her group studies how genetic information is passed from parent to child (emphasizing the weirder aspects of inheritance), develops technologies that enable the highest resolution images of the genome thus far, and explores a mysterious set of sequences (ultraconserved elements) that may enable the body to cull damaged genomes. In addition, she oversees an initiative addressing the medical challenges of space travel. Wu also directs pgEd, which raises public awareness of personal genetics through classrooms, congressional briefings, film and television, and an online tool (Map-Ed.org) that lets players pin themselves on a world map of genetic awareness.
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Spike Lee Documentary MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL to Debut on Showtime
The Spike Lee documentary, MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL, will make it’s television premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, February 5th at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The documentary film which will World Premiere at the upcoming 2016 Sundance Film Festival, focuses on a rarely examined chapter of Jackson’s career as he evolves from the lead singer of Jackson 5 to a solo artist recording what will become his breakthrough, seminal 1979 pop record, Off The Wall.
Audiences will travel with the global superstar as he strikes a new path with CBS Records, first with his brothers as The Jacksons and then stepping out on his own to create his own music with his own team. This illuminating portrait traces how an earnest, passionate, hard-working young man becomes the “King of Pop.”
MICHAEL JACKSON’S JOURNEY FROM MOTOWN TO OFF THE WALL contains a wealth of footage, including material from Michael’s personal archive, and in his own words. The documentary also includes interviews with prominent entertainment and sports stars including Lee Daniels, The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams, Kobe Bryant, Misty Copeland, Mark Ronson, John Legend, Questlove, L.A. Reid, and more, as well as his parents Katherine and Joe Jackson, and his brothers Jackie and Marlon Jackson. Off The Wall created a whole new category in pop music. Written by Michael Jackson, the first single from Off The Wall, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” earned Jackson his first Grammy(R) and was his first single to hit No. 1 in the U.S. and internationally as a solo artist. The album was an enormous commercial success; as of 2014 it is certified eight times platinum in the United States and has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Off The Wall not only “invented pop music as we know it,” wrote Rolling Stone, it transcended music and entertainment altogether, becoming an important moment in African-American history.
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JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY Documentary to World Premiere at Sundance Film Fest and Debut on HBO
Brian Oakes’ documentary JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY, about the life, death and legacy of journalist James Foley, who was murdered by ISIS in 2014, will have its world premiere in the U.S. Documentary Competition of the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, and will debut Saturday, February 6 on HBO.
On Thanksgiving Day 2012, American photojournalist James “Jim” Foley was kidnapped in Syria and went missing for two years before the infamous video of his public execution sent shockwaves and introduced much of the world to ISIS. JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY, by close childhood friend Brian Oakes, tells the story of his life through intimate interviews with his family, friends and fellow journalists – while fellow hostages reveal never-before-heard details of his captivity with a chilling immediacy that builds suspense. Made with unparalleled access, JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY is a harrowing chronicle of bravery, compassion and pain at the dawn of America’s war with ISIS.
“I made this film to carry on the stories that Jim needed us to know,” says director Brian Oakes. “It’s important that we understand the significant role of today’s conflict journalists and why they risk their lives to tell the world how bad it can be.”
The film will include the original song “The Empty Chair,” by Academy Award(R)-nominated artists J. Ralph and Sting.
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7 New Films and Events Added to 2016 Sundance Film Festival
Two new feature films, two special events and three archive films have been added to the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.
With these additions, the 2016 Festival will present 123 feature-length films, representing 37 countries and 49 first-time filmmakers, including 30 in competition. These films were selected from 12,793 submissions, including 4,081 feature-length films and 8,712 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 1,972 were from the U.S. and 2,109 were international. 103 feature films at the Festival will be world premieres.
The three archive films are selections from The Sundance Collection at UCLA, a film preservation program established in 1997. The Collection is specifically devoted to the preservation of independent documentaries, narratives and short films supported by Sundance Institute and has grown to nearly 2,300 holdings representing 1,800 titles, including recent additions such as Paris is Burning, El Mariachi, Winter’s Bone, Johnny Suede, Working Girls, Crumb, Groove, Better This World, The Oath and Paris, Texas. Titles are generously donated by individual filmmakers, distributors and studios.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Tickled / New Zealand (Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve) — A journalist stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition. As he delves deeper into the event, he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn’t stop him from getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction. World Premiere
DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
Becoming Mike Nichols / U.S.A. (Director: Douglas McGrath) — This intimate portrait of director, producer, and improvisational comedy icon Mike Nichols shows his final and historic interviews filmed just months before his death. Director Douglas McGrath documents Nichols’s early life, as he opens up to his friend and director Jack O’Brien about the storied beginnings of his career. World Premiere
SPECIAL EVENTS
American Epic / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Bernard MacMahon) — Take a journey across time to the birth of modern music, when the musical strands of a diverse nation were first combined, thereby sparking a cultural revolution that forever transformed the future of music and the world. The event will include clips of the film, an extended conversation with the creators including executive producers Robert Redford, T Bone Burnett and Jack White, and live performances featuring The Avett Brothers and other special music guests.
Dazed and Confused with live commentary by Richard Linklater and Jason Reitman / U.S.A. (Director: Richard Linklater) — Get insider information on one of the most quotable films of all time, which boasted an incredible cast of mostly unknowns who later went on to become household names. As the film screens, Richard Linklater and Jason Reitman will share fun stories, behind-the-scenes details, and filmmaker insights in real time.
FROM THE COLLECTION
City of Hope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: John Sayles) — A city pulses with racial problems, political corruption, and small-time crime in this ambitious microcosm of urban life. Nick Rinaldi seeks a sense of control and a way out of the network of greed and influence surrounding an urban development plan, which affects the innocent and guilty alike. Cast: Vincent Spano, Tony Lo Bianco, Joe Morton, Todd Graff, David Strathairn, Anthony John Denison. Premiered at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival. Digitally preserved by Sony Pictures Entertainment in conjunction with Sundance Institute and the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
River of Grass / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt) — River of Grass, Kelly Reichardt’s debut feature, chronicles the misadventures of disaffected housewife Cozy and her lover, the aimless layabout Lee. Reichardt describes the film, shot on 16mm, as “a road movie without the road, a love story without the love, and a crime story without the crime.” Cast: Lisa Bowman, Larry Fessenden, Dick Russell, Stan Kaplan, Michael Buscemi. Premiered at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. Preserved by Sundance Institute, Oscilloscope Laboratories, the UCLA Film & Television Archive and TIFF.
Walking and Talking / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicole Holofcener) — Laura and Amelia are best friends living in New York City. When Laura gets engaged, they must navigate the realities of marriage versus independence, loyalty, and the sometimes rough terrain of an evolving but enduring friendship. This hilarious, touching film explores love, friendship, and the relationships that can come in between. Cast: Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Todd Field, Liev Schreiber, Kevin Corrigan.Premiered at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival. New print created by Sundance Institute and the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Shown by permission of Miramax.
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72 Short Films on Lineup for 2016 Sundance Film Festival
The 2016 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 21 to 31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Sundance and Ogden, Utah, announced its full lineup of 72 short films. Among the short films the Festival has shown in recent years are World of Tomorrow, Whiplash, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom and Fishing Without Nets. This year’s short film lineup will include both a Midnight and a New Frontier section, tying into the Festival’s other programmatic strands.
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2016 Sundance Film Festival Completes Lineup with Premieres, Documentary Premieres, Spotlight, Sundance Kids and Special Events
The 2016 Sundance Film Festival completed its feature film lineup with the highly anticipated narratives, documentaries, episodic work and events in the Premieres, Documentary Premieres, Spotlight, Sundance Kids and Special Events sections. The Festival takes place January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Sundance and Ogden, Utah.
Sophie and the Rising Sun directed by Maggie Greenwald has been selected as the Salt Lake City Gala Film, and the festival will close with the World Premiere of The Fundamentals of Caring directed by Rob Burnett and starring Selena Gomez (pictured above).
Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Many of our selections this year reveal that what resides at the core of captivating stories are fascinating, and at times heroic, characters. In shining light on these people, independent filmmakers are doing what they’ve always done best: connecting the dots of human existence with a deeply charged emotional current.”
PREMIERES
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated narrative films of the coming year.
Agnus Dei / France, Poland (Director: Anne Fontaine, Screenwriters: Sabrina N. Karine, Alice Vial, Pascal Bonitzer) — 1945 Poland: Mathilde, a young French doctor, is on a mission to help World War II survivors. When a nun seeks her assistance in helping several pregnant nuns in hiding, who are unable to reconcile their faith with their pregnancies, Mathilde becomes their only hope. Cast: Lou de Laâge, Agata Kulesza, Agata Buzek, Vincent Macaigne, Joanna Kulig, Katarzyna Dabrowska. World Premiere
Ali & Nino / United Kingdom (Director: Asif Kapadia, Screenwriter: Christopher Hampton) — Muslim prince Ali and Georgian aristocrat Nino have grown up in the Russian province of Azerbaijan. Their tragic love story sees the outbreak of the First World War and the world’s struggle for Baku’s oil. Ultimately they must choose to fight for their country’s independence or for each other. Cast: Adam Bakri, Maria Valverde, Mandy Patinkin, Connie Nielsen, Riccardo Scamarcio, Homayoun Ershadi. World Premiere
Captain Fantastic / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Ross) — Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and re-enter society, beginning a journey that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent. Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, George MacKay, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn, Ann Dowd. World Premiere
Certain Women / U.S.A. (Director: Kelly Reichardt, Screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt based on stories by Maile Meloy) — The lives of three woman intersect in small-town America, where each is imperfectly blazing a trail. Cast: Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, James Le Gros, Jared Harris, Lily Gladstone. World Premiere
Complete Unknown / U.S.A. (Director: Joshua Marston, Screenwriters: Joshua Marston, Julian Sheppard) — When Tom and his wife host a dinner party to celebrate his birthday, one of their friends brings a date named Alice. Tom is convinced he knows her, but she’s going by a different name and a different biography—and she’s not acknowledging that she knows him. Cast: Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, Danny Glover. World Premiere
Frank & Lola / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Ross) — A psychosexual noir love story—set in Las Vegas and Paris—about love, obsession, sex, betrayal, revenge and, ultimately, the search for redemption. Cast: Michael Shannon, Imogen Poots, Michael Nyqvist, Justin Long, Emmanuelle Devos, Rosanna Arquette. World Premiere
The Fundamentals of Caring / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rob Burnett) — Having suffered a tragedy, Ben becomes a caregiver to earn money. His first client, Trevor, is a hilarious 18-year-old with muscular dystrophy. One paralyzed emotionally, one paralyzed physically, Ben and Trevor hit the road, finding hope, friendship, and Dot in this funny and touching inspirational tale. Cast: Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Ehle, Megan Ferguson, Frederick Weller. World Premiere. CLOSING NIGHT FILM
The Hollars / U.S.A. (Director: John Krasinski, Screenwriter: Jim Strouse) — Aspiring New York City artist John Hollar returns to his Middle America hometown on the eve of his mother’s brain surgery. Joined by his girlfriend, eight months pregnant with their first child, John is forced to navigate the crazy world he left behind. Cast: John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Margo Martindale, Richard Jenkins, Sharlto Copley, Charlie Day. World Premiere
Hunt for the Wilderpeople / New Zealand (Director and screenwriter: Taika Waititi) — Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive in this heartwarming adventure comedy. Cast: Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House, Oscar Kightley. World Premiere
Indignation / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James Schamus) — It’s 1951, and among the new arrivals at Winesburg College in Ohio are the son of a kosher butcher from New Jersey and the beautiful, brilliant daughter of a prominent alum. For a brief moment, their lives converge in this emotionally soaring film based on the novel by Philip Roth. Cast: Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy Letts, Linda Emond, Danny Burstein, Ben Rosenfield. World Premiere
Little Men / U.S.A. (Director: Ira Sachs, Screenwriter: Mauricio Zacharias) — When 13-year-old Jake’s grandfather dies, his family moves back into their old Brooklyn home. There, Jake befriends Tony, whose single Chilean mother runs the shop downstairs. As their friendship deepens, however, their families are driven apart by a battle over rent, and the boys respond with a vow of silence. Cast: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, Paulina Garcia, Theo Taplitz, Michael Barbieri. World Premiere
Love & Friendship / Ireland, France, Netherlands (Director and screenwriter: Whit Stillman) — From Jane Austen’s novella, the beautiful and cunning Lady Susan Vernon visits the estate of her in-laws to wait out colorful rumors of her dalliances and to find husbands for herself and her daughter. Two young men, handsome Reginald DeCourcy and wealthy Sir James Martin, severely complicate her plans. Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Xavier Samuel, Emma Greenwell, Tom Bennett, Stephen Fry. World Premiere
Manchester by the Sea / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenneth Lonergan) — After his older brother passes away, Lee Chandler is forced to return home to care for his 16-year-old nephew. There he is compelled to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his family and the community where he was born and raised. Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler. World Premiere
Mr. Pig / Mexico (Director: Diego Luna, Screenwriters: Augusto Mendoza, Diego Luna) — On a mission to sell his last remaining prize hog and reunite with old friends, an aging farmer abandons his foreclosed farm and journeys to Mexico. After smuggling in the hog, his estranged daughter shows up, forcing them to face their past and embark on an adventurous road trip together. Cast: Danny Glover, Maya Rudolph, José María Yazpik, Joel Murray, Angélica Aragón, Gabriela Araujo. World Premiere
Sing Street / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: John Carney) — A boy growing up in Dublin during the ’80s escapes his strained family life and tough new school by starting a band to win the heart of a beautiful and mysterious girl. Cast: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen, Mark McKenna. World Premiere
Sophie and the Rising Sun / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Maggie Greenwald) — In a small Southern town in the autumn of 1941, Sophie’s lonely life is transformed when an Asian man arrives under mysterious circumstances. Their love affair becomes the lightning rod for long-buried conflicts that erupt in bigotry and violence with the outbreak of World War ll. Cast: Julianne Nicholson, Margo Martindale, Lorraine Toussaint, Takashi Yamaguchi, Diane Ladd, Joel Murray. World Premiere. SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM
Wiener-Dog / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Todd Solondz) — This film tells several stories featuring people who find their life inspired or changed by one particular dachshund, who seems to be spreading comfort and joy. Cast: Greta Gerwig, Kieran Culkin, Danny DeVito, Ellen Burstyn, Julie Delpy, Zosia Mamet. World Premiere
DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
Renowned filmmakers and films about far-reaching subjects comprise this section highlighting our ongoing commitment to documentaries.
Eat That Question—Frank Zappa in His Own Words / France, Germany (Director: Thorsten Schütte) — This entertaining encounter with the premier of sonic avant-garde is acidic, fun-poking, and full of rich and rare archival footage. This documentary bashes favorite Zappa targets and dashes a few myths about the man himself. World Premiere
Film Hawk / U.S.A. (Directors: JJ Garvine, Tai Parquet) — Trace Bob Hawk’s early years as the young gay child of a Methodist minister to his current career as a consultant on some of the most influential independent films of our time. World Premiere
LO AND BEHOLD, Reveries of the Connected World / U.S.A. (Director: Werner Herzog) — Does the internet dream of itself? Explore the horizons of the connected world. World Premiere
Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures / U.S.A. (Directors: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato) — This examination of Robert Mapplethorpe’s outrageous life is led by the artist himself, speaking with brutal honesty in a series of rediscovered interviews about his passions. Intimate revelations from friends, family, and lovers shed new light on this scandalous artist who ignited a culture war that still rages on. World Premiere
Maya Angelou And Still I Rise / U.S.A. (Directors: Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack) — The remarkable story of Maya Angelou — iconic writer, poet, actress and activist whose life has intersected some of the most profound moments in recent American history. World Premiere
Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall / U.S.A. (Director: Spike Lee) — Catapulted by the success of his first major solo project, Off the Wall, Michael Jackson went from child star to King of Pop. This film explores the seminal album, with rare archival footage and interviews from those who were there and those whose lives its success and legacy impacted. World Premiere
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You / U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — How did a poor Jewish kid from Connecticut bring us Archie Bunker and become one of the most successful television producers ever? Norman Lear brought provocative subjects like war, poverty, and prejudice into 120 million homes every week. He proved that social change was possible through an unlikely prism: laughter. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM
Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper / U.S.A. (Director: Liz Garbus) — Gloria Vanderbilt and her son Anderson Cooper each tell the story of their past and present, their loves and losses, and reveal how some family stories have the tendency to repeat themselves in the most unexpected ways. World Premiere
Resilience / U.S.A. (Director: James Redford) — This film chronicles the birth of a new movement among pediatricians, therapists, educators, and communities using cutting-edge brain science to disrupt cycles of violence, addiction, and disease. These professionals help break the cycles of adversity by daring to talk about the effects of divorce, abuse, and neglect. World Premiere
Richard Linklater—dream is destiny / U.S.A. (Directors: Louis Black, Karen Bernstein) — This is an unconventional look at a fiercely independent style of filmmaking that arose in the 1990s from Austin, Texas, outside the studio system. The film blends rare archival footage with journals, exclusive interviews with Linklater on and off set, and clips from Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Boyhood, and more. World Premiere
Under the Gun / U.S.A. (Director: Stephanie Soechtig) — The Sandy Hook massacre was considered a watershed moment in the national debate on gun control, but the body count at the hands of gun violence has only increased. Through the lens of the victims’ families, as well as pro-gun advocates, we examine why our politicians have failed to act. World Premiere
Unlocking the Cage / U.S.A. (Directors: Chris Hegedus, Donn Alan Pennebaker) — Follow animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans. By filing the first lawsuit of its kind, Wise seeks to transform a chimpanzee from a “thing” with no rights to a “person” with basic legal protection. World Premiere
SPOTLIGHT
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
Cemetery of Splendor / Thailand (Director and screenwriter: Apichatpong Weerasethakull) — A lonesome middle-aged housewife tends to a soldier with sleeping sickness and falls into a hallucination that triggers strange dreams, phantoms, and romance. Cast: Jenjira Pongpas, Banlop Lomnoi, Jarinpattra Rueangram.
Embrace of the Serpent / Colombia (Director: Ciro Guerra, Screenwriters: Ciro Guerra, Jacques Toulemonde Vidal) — This blistering, poetic story is inspired by the original journals of scientists Theodor Koch-Grünberg and Richard Evans Schultes, who meet lone survivor Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman. Over 40 years, they develop a friendship while traveling through the Colombian Amazon in search of the sacred, psychedelic yakruna plant. Cast: Jan Bijvoet, Brionne Davis, Antonio Bolivar, Nilbio Torres, Miguel Dionisio Ramos.
Green Room / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier) — This wickedly fun horror-thriller tells a story about the owner of a neo-Nazi club who squares off against an unsuspecting but resilient young punk band after they witness a horrific act of violence. Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, Patrick Stewart.
Land of Mine / Denmark (Director and screenwriter: Martin Zandvliet) — At the end of World War II, a group of young German POWs captured by the Danish army are forced to defuse and clear landmines from the Danish coastline with no training. Inspired by real events, the film exposes the untold story of one tragic moment in Denmark’s history. Cast: Roland Møller, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Louis Hofmann, Joel Basman, Emil Belton, Oskar Belton. U.S. Premiere
The Lobster / Ireland, United Kingdom, Greece, France (Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, Screenwriters: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou) — In a dystopian near future, single people are obliged to find a mate in 45 days or else be transformed into an animal of their choice and be released into the woods. Cast: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman.
Maggie’s Plan / U.S.A. (Director: Rebecca Miller, Screenwriters: Rebecca Miller, based on a story by Karen Rinaldi) — A young woman’s determination to have a child catapults her into a nervy love triangle with a heart-throb academic and his eccentric critical-theorist wife. Cast: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel.
Miles Ahead / U.S.A. (Director: Don Cheadle, Screenwriters: Don Cheadle, Steven Baigelman) — Inspired by events in Miles Davis’s life, this is a wildly entertaining, impressionistic, no-holds-barred portrait of one of twentieth-century music’s creative geniuses. Cast: Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lakeith Lee Stanfield, Michael Stuhlbarg.
Rams / Iceland (Director and screenwriter: Grímur Hákonarson) — In a remote Icelandic farming valley, two brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years have to come together to save what’s dearest to them—their sheep. Cast: Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theodór Júlíusson.
Viva / Ireland (Director: Paddy Breathnach, Screenwriter: Mark O’Halloran) — In contemporary Cuba, a father and son struggle to escape from each other’s expectations, duty, and the burden of past sins. Cast: Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García.
SUNDANCE KIDS
This section of the Festival is especially for our youngest independent film fans. Programmed in cooperation with Utah Film Center which presents the annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival, Utah’s premiere film festival for children and youth.
The Eagle Huntress / U.S.A. (Director: Otto Bell) — Step aside, Daenerys and Katniss—Aisholpan is a real-life role model on an epic journey in a faraway world. Follow this 13-year-old nomadic Mongolian girl as she battles to become the first female to hunt with a golden eagle in 2,000 years of male-dominated history. World Premiere
Little Gangster / Netherlands (Director: Arne Toonen, Screenwriter: Lotte Tabbers) — Rik Boskamp wants a life where he’s not constantly bullied. When he and his family move, the people in their new town think his father is a Mafia boss, and everybody treats them with respect—until a bully from Rikkie’s past turns up. How long can he keep up his lie? Cast: Thor Braun, Henry Van Loon, Rene Van ‘T Hof, Meral Polat, Fedja Van Huêt, Maas Bronkhuyzen. North American Premiere
Snowtime! / Canada (Directors: Jean-François Pouliot, François Brisson, Screenwriters: Normand Canac-Marquis, Paul Risacher) — To amuse themselves during their winter break from school, the kids in a small village have a massive snowball fight. But what starts out as pure youthful fun and enthusiasm deteriorates into a more serious conflict as the children learn the role that love and friendship play in their lives. Cast: Sandra Oh, Ross Lynch, Angela Gallupo, Lucinda Davis, Don Shepherd, Sonja Ball. North American Premiere
SPECIAL EVENTS
One-of-a-kind moments highlighting new independent works that add to the unique Festival experience. An evolving section, this year includes episodic work, short films and live post-screening discussions.
11.22.63 / U.S.A. (Director: Kevin Macdonald, Screenwriter: Bridget Carpenter, Executive Producers: J.J. Abrams, Stephen King, Kevin Macdonald, Bridget Carpenter, Bryan Burk) — On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy was killed, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Take a journey to find out in this genre-busting, epic new nine-hour event series. The Festival will debut the two-hour premiere of the series, followed by an extended Q&A. Cast: James Franco, Sarah Gadon, Daniel Webber, George MacKay, Josh Duhamel, Chris Cooper. World Premiere
Behind the Scenes of Anomalisa / U.S.A. (Directors: Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson, Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman) — Michael Stone—husband, father and respected author—is crippled by the mundanity of his life. On a business trip, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. He’s amazed to discover a possible escape from his desperation in an unassuming woman, who may or may not be the love of his life. The Festival will present a screening of the film followed by a Q&A with the creators. Separately, they will speak on a Festival panel explaining their creative process and how they brought their extraordinary film to life. Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan, David Thewlis.
Chelsea Does / U.S.A. (Director: Eddie Schmidt) — This four-part documentary series features Chelsea Handler as she explores topics of personal and universal fascination: marriage, racism, Silicon Valley, and drugs. The Festival will premiere one installment of the series with clips from the other three installments, followed by an extended Q&A with Chelsea Handler, Director Eddie Schmidt, and Executive Producer Morgan Neville. World Premiere
The Girlfriend Experience / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Lodge Kerrigan, Amy Seimetz, Executive Producers: Steven Soderbergh, Philip Fleishman, Lodge Kerrigan, Amy Seimetz, Gary Marcus, Jeff Cuban) — Law student Christine Reade is introduced to the world of transactional relationships in this original anthology series. Providing “The Girlfriend Experience” (an emotional and sexual relationship offered at a high price) gives Christine a rush of control and intimacy, but she soon finds herself juggling two very different lives. The Festival will premiere four episodes of the series, followed by an extended Q&A. Cast: Riley Keough, Paul Sparks, Mary Lynn Rajskub, James Gilbert, Kate Lyn Sheil. World Premiere
The New Yorker Presents / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Alex Gibney, Kahane Cooperman, Showrunner: Kahane Cooperman) — A groundbreaking new series that brings America’s most award-winning magazine, The New Yorker, to the screen with documentaries, short narrative films, comedy, poetry, animation, and cartoons from the hands of acclaimed filmmakers and artists. The Festival will premiere the first two episodes of the series, followed by an extended Q&A. World Premiere
O.J.: Made in America / U.S.A. (Director: Ezra Edelman) — This is the story of O.J. Simpson, one of the most polarizing people of the twentieth century, and the city in which he lived for much of his life, Los Angeles. The film explores Simpson’s rise and fall, centered around two of America’s greatest fixations—race and celebrity. The Festival will premiere the full 7.5-hour documentary, followed by an extended Q&A. World Premiere
The Skinny / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jessie Kahnweiler) — Follow feminist and wannabe YouTube star Jessie as she struggles to live, love, and get over her bulimia. The Festival will premiere six 10-minute episodes, followed by an extended Q&A with Kahnweiler. Cast: Jessie Kahnweiler, Illeana Douglas, Spencer Hill, Ryan Pinkston, Megan Ferguson, Sadie Calvano.World Premiere
United Shades of America / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Jimmy Fox, W. Kamau Bell, Star Price) — Political comedian W. Kamau Bell explores the racial subcultures of America. In this original series premiere, he uses humor to challenge Klansmen looking to rebrand their message. The screening will include an extended Q&A. World Premiere