FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2017
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2017 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES DAY ONE
WITH AN ARTIST AT THE TABLE BENEFIT FOR SUNDANCE INSTITUTE
Top Chef Winner Richard Blais & Preeminent Local Chefs to Prepare Exclusive Menu
in Partnership with James Beard Foundation’s Celebrity Chef Tour
Kenny Loggins to Perform Soundtrack Hits At Annual Event for Festival Artists and
Institute Supporters
Event Takes Place January 19 in Park City, UT
Park City, UT – Sundance Institute revealed the program elements for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival’s
annual Day One celebration, An Artist at the Table, to be held on Thursday, January 19. The seated dinner
will feature entertainment from Kenny Loggins, a multi-course gourmet meal from the James Beard
Foundation’s Celebrity Chef Tour and a celebrated Sundance Institute artist at each table.
An Artist at the Table provides a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with Sundance Institute artists
while contributing to the Institute’s mission of championing the bold vision of those creating independent film
and theatre. The evening will feature a screening of the Festival’s Day One film, An Inconvenient Sequel — the
follow-up to watershed environmental documentary An Inconvenient Truth — at the Eccles Theatre, followed
by a private reception including a cocktail hour and dinner, prepared in partnership with the James Beard
Foundation’s Celebrity Chef Tour, at the DeJoria Center.
It was also announced that in partnership with the James Beard Foundation’s Celebrity Chef Tour, Chef
Richard Blais will be joined by preeminent local chefs Shirley Butler-Bordas, Briar Handly, David Mullen
and Justin Rogers to prepare an exclusive multi-course gourmet meal menu curated to bring a taste of what
happens at the James Beard House in New York City to Park City.
In partnership with Billboard, American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins will perform for the 450 Institute
supporters and artists. Loggins, known as the “King of the Movie Soundtrack,” has a longstanding relationship
with the Institute, and will generously donate this performance of his legendary soundtrack hits to support its
year-round programs for independent artists. Loggins is also known for his environmental activism, including
the song “Conviction of the Heart.”
For tickets, updates and additional information on the event, visit Sundance.org/an-artist-at-the-table. For more
information on the James Beard Foundation’s Celebrity Tour, visit JamesBeard.org/celebrity-chef-tour.
Information on Kenny Loggins and each of the featured chefs is below.
Kenny Loggins: Kenny Loggins has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, has won two Grammy®
Awards, and co-wrote the book The Unimaginable Life: Lessons Learned on the Path of Love. His songs have
been hits over the last four decades, including “This Is It,” “I’m Alright,” “Footloose," “Danger Zone,” and so
many more. In addition to his string of successful recordings, both solo and as a member of the famed duo
Loggins & Messina, Kenny became the first major rock star to dedicate himself to recording music for children
and families. His album Return to Pooh Corner remains the best-selling children’s album of the last 20 years.
In 2016, he released his latest children’s project, the book Footloose (Moondance Press, an imprint of Quarto
Publishing Group USA, October 17, 2016), inspired by his 1985 Oscar® nominated and Grammy® Awardwinning “Song of the Year.” This summer, he was a recipient of the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award
at the annual Chapin Awards hosted by WhyHunger.
Chef Richard Blais: Maybe most recognizable as the winner of Bravo's Top Chef All-Stars, Richard Blais has
played an influential role in hospitality and food television for the last 15 years. His wildly creative approach to
cooking and cuisine led to the establishment of Trail Blais, his forward-thinking culinary consulting company.
He has designed and operated some of the country's most-popular eateries, including most recently, Juniper &
Ivy in San Diego and multiple outposts of Crack Shack and Flip Burger Boutique. Richard appears regularly on
the Food Network, Rachael Ray and the FYI network and made his feature film debut in Why Him? this winter.
Chef Briar Handly: Executive Chef/Partner, HANDLE & HSL, Park City, Utah. Chef and restaurant owner
Briar Handly has a heart for sustainability, sourcing local food, fostering community and mentoring local rising
talent. Chef Handly served as a judge and advisor for the latest generation of young chefs on the televised
Utah ProStart Teen Chef Masters, where his team won the final competition. A graduate of the New England
Culinary Institute, Handly honed his craft at top eateries in Bermuda, Atlanta and Colorado. After successfully
creating Handle in Park City, Utah, Chef Handly opened HSL in Salt Lake City, which is an intimate eatery that
shares the same guiding principles of fresh sourcing, frequent foraging, and local loyalty. Handle was named
one of Salt Lake Magazine’s Best Restaurants, and has also received mentions in The New York Times,
Forbes, Food & Wine, The James Beard Foundation and City Weekly’s Reader’s Choice for top Park City
dining.With wife Melissa and their two very spoiled dogs, Handly spends his free time mountain biking,
snowboarding, racing motorcycles and foraging in the Wasatch Mountains.
Chef David Mullen: David grew up in Central California, immersed in different cultures, foods, flavors and
techniques. After graduating from the California Culinary Academy, Mullen completed his apprenticeship
under Julian Serrano at Masas. This began a career path that would see David work with some of the biggest
names in the contemporary American dining including, Laurent Gras, Laurent Tourondel, Wylie Dufresne, and
Daniel Boulud. In late, 2006 Mullen took the Chef de Cuisine position at the Angle at the Ritz-Carlton, Palm
Beach, where his exquisite dishes derived from a serious culinary pedigree earned him a 2008 StarChefs.com
South Florida Rising Stars Award. The same year, Mullen took over as Executive Chef at Miami's Michael
Mina Bourbon Steak. Prior to Sundance, Mullen was Chef de Cuisine of the prestigious Montage Deer Valley
Resort where he received Forbes Four Stars for Apex restaurant. Executive Chef, Sundance Resort
Chef Justin Rogers: Justin Kristopher Rogers coming from Mesa, Arizona began his culinary career as a
busser in an Italian restaurant in southern Utah. He quickly progressed to the Sous Chef were he resided for
six years. Justin was then offered an opportunity to cook under John Murcko in Park City and moved the next
day with only suitcase of clothes. After Opening the Alpine House and Red Tail Grill Justin then became
Executive Chef at Talisker Club where he expressed his passion for food over the next four years. Justin got
the opportunity to stag for John Madriaga the Executive Chef of Spruce in San Francisco. This experience
deeply impacted Justin in his daily cooking techniques and culinary imagination. Executive Chef Dejoria
Center.
Pastry Chef Shirley Butler-Bordas: Having grown up in the English countryside, fresh ingredients were
abundant for Shirley Butler. Year round, she and her family handpicked Brussels sprouts and potatoes, hunted
rabbits and caught pheasants, and preserved rhubarb and jams. While nannying in London, Paris, Italy, and
Switzerland, Shirley fell in love with baking. She also became a dynamic entertainer, famous for gorgeous
table settings and stunning meals. She ventured to Manhattan to hone her skills, both as a personal chef and
in De Gustibus classes taught by well-known chefs including Jonathan Waxman. So for Shirley, the job of head
pastry chef at a real farm-to-table restaurant (Tupelo) is an essential return to roots.
About The Sundance Film Festival®
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the
past three decades, including Boyhood, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn,
Twenty Feet from Stardom, Life Itself, The Cove, The End of the Tour, Blackfish, Me and Earl and the Dying
Girl, Super Size Me, Dope, Little Miss Sunshine, sex, lies, and videotape, Reservoir Dogs, Hedwig and the
Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious and Napoleon Dynamite. The Festival is a program of the nonprofit Sundance Institute®. 2017 Festival sponsors to date include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura,
SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire®, and Canada Goose; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, AT&T, DIRECTV, and
YouTube; Sustaining Sponsors – American Airlines, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Francis Ford Coppola Winery,
GEICO, Google VR, The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb, Jaunt, Kickstarter, Omnicom, Stella Artois® and the
University of Utah Health. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor's Office of
Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations
helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute's year-round programs for independent artists. Look
for the Official Sponsor seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival
About Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and
preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and new media to create and thrive. The Institute's signature
Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in
the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to
artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent
storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station,
Sin Nombre, The Invisible War, The Square, Dirty Wars, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and
Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
About the James Beard Foundation (JBF)
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation celebrates, nurtures, and honors America's diverse culinary
heritage through programs that educate and inspire. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic
knowledge about food, the late James Beard was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and
mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome,
healthful, and delicious food. Today JBF continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse
programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students,
publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic
James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For
more information, please visit jamesbeard.org. Get food news, recipes, and more at the James Beard
Foundation’s blog. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Suggested Tweet: .@sundancefest & @beardfoundation Celebrity Chef Tour partner for @sundanceorg benefit feat.
@RichardBlais and more bit.ly/2j94RwZ