The Sundance Film Festival, often simply referred to as the Sundance Film Festival or the Sundance Film Festival is an annual independent film festival held every January in Park City, Utah, United States.
It is the largest independent film festival in the United States.
The festival has grown from a two-day event with fewer than 50 films to a four-week event with over 100 films. The festival has also held non-film events, such as theatre productions, to increase its profile.
In 2002, the Sundance Institute began organizing the Independent Filmmaker Labs, which became a part of the official program in 2004; and has since been held at various locations through Park City and Salt Lake City.
Where Is The sundance film festival
What Is The sundance film festival?
The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States.
Each year, the festival takes place in Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Resort, the Basin Recreation Fieldhouse and other neighboring theaters, beginning with a press conference, and ending with the prize ceremony in the evening.
The history of the Sundance Film Festival began in 1978. Robert Redford, famous American actor, producer and director invited several friends to his house in Utah to celebrate his birthday.
On this occasion, he also asked them to watch some of his favorite movies that he had collected over a number of years. Redford felt that these movies deserved more attention than they had received and wanted to find some way for these works to be seen by wide audiences.
That’s how Redford came up with the idea of an independent film festival that would showcase new works by promising young directors from all over the world.
On July 27, 1981, Redford founded The Sundance Institute with a mission to nurture and encourage independent filmmakers and introduce them to potential financiers.
The first edition of The Sundance Film Festival was held two years later in 1983.
What Is The Sundance Film Festival?
The festival’s main focus is on American independent filmmakers, but it also features several films each year that stem from other countries.
Films at the festival are shown in several different venues:
- Sundance Resort (the Center Cinemas and other theater spaces)
- Treasure Mountain Inn (the Egyptian Theatre)
- off-site locations (such as Snow Basin Ski Area)
- Salt Lake City, Utah (the Tower Theatre)
The festival is a qualifying event for the Academy Awards.
The Sundance Festival was created by Sterling Van Wagenen and Alfred R. Kelcher in 1981.
They used to be part of a non-profit group called Utah/US Film Institute, which no longer exists.
The first festival was held in Salt Lake City in 1978, but it wasn’t until 1985 that it became an annual occurrence.
The festival has been known to draw big names in Hollywood including George Clooney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brad Pitt and many more. Sundance Film Festival takes place each year around the end of January.
Utah, Home Of The Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival held in and around Park City, Utah.
As the largest independent film festival in the US, it draws filmmakers and movie stars from around the world.
Tucked in the heart of Utah, Park City is a year-round destination for mountain bikers, skiers, and snowboarders, as well as movie lovers who flock here each January.
As the home of the Sundance Film Festival, Park City has become increasingly known as one of the best places to immerse yourself in indie films and meet fellow cinephiles. So how did this small town in a state not known for its filmmaking become a hotbed for independent films?
The first thing to know about Utah’s capital is that it’s much more than just ski resorts. Sure, there are plenty of those—the area is home to dozens of downhill ski resorts including Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort—but with a population of less than 30,000 people (and just 2,000 year-round residents), Park City still feels very small.
The city has managed to retain its quaint character despite being host to thousands of tourists every year who flock here for the Sundance Film Festival.
When Is The Sundance Film Festival
When is the Sundance Film Festival? The Sundance Film Festival is held annually in the state of Utah, United States. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States and one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.
The festival has grown from a gathering of a few hundred people in 1978 to a record-breaking event with more than 50,000 attendees, screenings and workshops in 2013. The festival is held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City and Ogden.
The first Festival was held from September 18-26, 1979. For this edition, Robert Redford was selected as president of the organization committee. The iconic actor had already founded Sundance ski resort four years earlier but he wanted to move on to a new project that would combine art and commerce.
During his presidency, it became clear that there was no longer any need for distribution companies: all films were sold prior to screening and they were returned to their owners once they had been seen. The great success of this system led to its adoption by other festivals such as Cannes or Venice.
The next edition of the Sundance Film Festival took place from January 27 to February 3, 1980, with Robert Redford again at its head. It included 15 features.
Filmed In Utah: Explore The Settings Of Sundance Movies
If you love independent film and feel right at home in Park City, Utah, then you might already know that the small town has become a hotbed for Hollywood-quality movies and television. Tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, Park City offers an idyllic location for filmmakers to set their scenes and provides plenty of inspiration for aspiring writers, directors and producers.
In fact, this small mountain town has long been recognized as the Sundance Film Festival’s premier venue. Over the years, countless films have been filmed in Park City, with many of them using its natural beauty as a backdrop for memorable scenes.
With that said, here are five popular Sundance films that were filmed entirely or partially in Park City: Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – The quirky comedy starring Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin and Steve Carell is memorable for its Oscar-winning song by the same name.
Set in the 1960s, Little Miss Sunshine follows a family that travels across the country to compete in a beauty pageant. This is one of those rare films where everything goes right — even when it seems like everything is going wrong. If you’re looking for a good laugh, check out this Sundance hit today!
Sundance Helps Independent Films Find An Audience
For many years, the Sundance Film Festival has served as a launchpad for independent films that go on to find large audiences. But this year, filmmakers are finding that the festival’s primary benefit is no longer its ability to help them gain exposure by bringing their work to a wide audience, but rather its ability to help them create an audience.
Sundance, which begins on Thursday in Park City, Utah, has become known for high-profile premieres of movies like “Boyhood,” “Whiplash” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” But with the rise of online streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, there are fewer opportunities for independent films to achieve mainstream success.
While major studios still spend millions on marketing campaigns for big-budget films like “Star Wars” or “The Martian,” the economics of independent filmmaking have changed dramatically. It’s no longer enough for a film to premiere at a prominent film festival. Now, it must also generate buzz through social media and other forms of digital outreach.
And that’s where programs like Sundance’s New Frontier Lab come in. New Frontier is part art installation and part film festival within the larger film festival. It highlights virtual reality projects and other immersive forms of storytelling. This year’s program includes a virtual reality adaptation.
Sundance Isn’t Just About Buying And Selling Movies
For a film festival, Sundance is actually pretty old-fashioned. It’s not just a trade show, where studios shop movies around to each other. It’s a place where the public gets to see what they’re paying for — and there’s a lot of it.
Over the course of 11 days, there are 125 feature films, including 18 world premieres and 35 US premieres. More than half of them will be distributed theatrically, either in the United States or overseas. The rest will go to cable television or streaming services.
Sundance is often called “the premier” festival, but that’s not true any more: There are more than 50 film festivals around the world that attract buyers and sellers from all over the globe. But Sundance remains the most important marketplace for independent movies in North America.
Along with the movies, there are panels in which stars talk about their craft and insights into how Hollywood works; concerts with performers who aren’t yet famous; parties hosted by brands like Vimeo, Acura and Stella Artois; and social gatherings hosted by studios like Netflix and A24 Films. Sundance has now become part of Park City real estate as well.
The Sundance Film Festival is one of the biggest celebrations of independent film in the entire world. In recent years, ithas become a significant showcase for online video as well.
Sundance Started As A Way To Promote American Independent Film
The first Sundance Film Festival took place in Salt Lake City, Utah–the home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). The idea for it came from Sterling Van Wagenen and other members of the church who wanted to draw attention to movies made by Americans that were not being shown in theaters.
The festival’s first year included 32 short films and 12 feature films. It was attended by 3,000 people. In 1985, Robert Redford joined the festival as president and has been involved with it ever since.
He has helped make the festival one of the most important showcases for independent filmmaking in America. Today, Redford is chairman of the Sundance Institute, which produces and presents new independent works at festivals all over the world.
Because the festival takes place around the time that studios release their Oscar hopefuls, it can be an important venue for these movies to show their talent to audiences and win awards.
“Pulp Fiction” won both audience awards at Sundance in 1994 before going on to win an Oscar for best screenplay.
Sundance Tells Observers A Lot About What’s Next In Movies
The Sundance Film Festival is under way, which means that the next two weeks will produce a lot of ink about films, their makers and the industry. But it’s also a great opportunity for predictions about what’s going to happen in movies over the next year or so.
Telling people how to predict the future is an old trick. The ancient Chinese kept a book called “I Ching” – The Book of Changes.
It was a guide to interpreting changes in nature – the flight of birds, changes in weather, and even the state of rivers. By studying these things and linking them to human behavior, they sought to predict outcomes.
The festival presents many opportunities for interesting observations that might help predict what’s going to happen in movies in 2016 and beyond. Here are some that I noticed this week:
The latest technology is here! More than ever before, filmmakers are using drones to get shots instead of using cranes or dollies. Also, 3-D printing is becoming more commonplace as a tool for making small objects used in films like props and jewelry.
Wearable technology and virtual reality are being used by some filmmakers to make films you can experience yourself as you watch them on your phone or computer.
Sundance Is Trying To Lead The Pack In Diversifying The Film Industry
Sundance has a problem. Most of the films it screens are made by and for white people, with few stories about people of color, particularly women. This has been an open secret for years. “We’re all very aware that we have a significant diversity problem,” said Trevor Groth, director of programming for the festival.
“We’re also aware that it’s not just a Sundance problem, but we have a responsibility as a leading global film festival to be a leader in addressing this issue.” Sundance is trying to lead the pack in diversifying the film industry. It’s starting next year by adding “diverse” to its list of words used to describe films.
The move follows similar efforts in recent years to broaden the types of films accepted by Sundance and other festivals, including one by the Los Angeles Film Festival that included both “women” and “diverse” on its submission forms. The hope is that including “diverse” will lead filmmakers to think more broadly about who sits on their film crews and casts.
Sundance is partnering with Creative Coalition, a nonprofit arts advocacy group founded by actor William Baldwin, his brother Daniel Baldwin and conservative pundit Ben Shapiro.
