It’s almost time again for Utah’s premiere film festival in Park City. The 2016 Sundance Film Festival will be held January 21st through January 31st, with independent film screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden. Tickets are on sale now, and you can purchase them online from the Festival’s webpage here: https://titanweb2.sundance.org/Membership/Membership/SelectMembership
Founded in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1978, the Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the United States. It showcases long and short independent films produced all over the world. Established and spearheaded by Robert Redford’s company, the festival is named after Redford’s character from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).[1]
The Sundance Film Festival is the centerpiece of the Sundance Institute’s year-long public programs to support new and developing film artists. The institute also hosts 24 residency labs for independent artists in film, theater, episodic content, and new media, and it offers more than $2.5 million in grants each year. Thousands of films were submitted this year and the festival has just announced the 65 films selected for the U.S. Competition, World Competition, and out-of competition NEXT. Each category is divided into dramatic and documentary films. There are a wide variety of offerings this year and you can view them here: http://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/competition-and-next-films-announced-for-2016-festival[2]
A number of festival pass and ticket packages are available and can be found here: http://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival/get-tickets Discounts are available for students and locals, but quantities are limited. In addition to ticketed events and screenings, a number of free events are open to the public, including: film panels, concerts, and cutting-edge media installations. These events run all day at a number of venues, including: Filmmaker Lodge, Festival Co-op, the Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe, and New Frontier.
The New Frontier exhibition this year is especially noteworthy. It includes immersive cinematic works, virtual reality installations, documentary and narrative mobile VR experiences, and an inside look at innovations in world-leading media labs. New Frontier will also include three feature films and a live performance. For more information you can visit: http://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/new-frontier-projects-and-films-announced-for-2016-festival
Don’t miss the festival this year! It has showcased some of the biggest independent films over the years, including Blackfish, and local favorites like the award-winning Saints and Soldiers. For information on lodging and travel, visit: http://www.sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival/attend#lodging
[1] Sundance Film Festival. Wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundance_Film_Festival
[2] ‘Sundance Institute Announces Films in Competition and Next for 2016 Sundance Film Festival’. Sundance.org. http://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/competition-and-next-films-announced-for-2016-festival 12/2/15
