FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2017
Media Contact:
Spencer Alcorn
310.360.1981
[email protected]
Live, from Park City, Utah: It’s the 2017 Sundance Film Festival!
Watch 13 Festival Panels, Three Short Films and One Special Event Online
Full Music and Panels Lineup Announced Today, Including Art of Film Weekend (January 26-28)
Special Edition of Annual Celebration of Music and Film on January 21
Live Stream Events with Former Vice President Al Gore, Jon Hamm, Sam Elliott, Common,
Ava DuVernay, Jenny Slate, Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae, John Cho, Nick Offerman and More
at sundance.org/festival
Park City, UT — The excitement of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival happens both on-screen and off,
with a robust slate of panels and music performances, many of which are free and live streamed so
independent film and music fans can tune in from anywhere.
John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “The conversations that start at the Festival
and spread well beyond the mountain can now do so in realtime. Thanks to our live streams, fans of
independent film and the latest in storytelling can connect with creative minds, get stories from behind the
screen, and add context to the work we showcase.”
The Festival will live stream both panels in its longstanding Power of Story series. Power of Story: The
New Climate, announced previously, will convene former Vice President of the United States Al Gore,
global entrepreneur and philanthropist Jeff Skoll, scientist and broadcaster Dr. David Suzuki, former
President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, filmmaker Heather Rae, and moderator Amy Goodman.
As part of the Festival’s Art of Film Weekend (January 26-28), which celebrates the art and craft of
creative storytelling, Power of Story: Art of Episodic Writing will gather Gina Prince-Bythewood and
Reggie Rock Bythewood (Shots Fired), Larry Karaszewski (The People v. O.J. Simpson), Marti Noxon
(To the Bone), Issa Rae (Insecure), Jill Soloway (Transparent), and moderator Michelle Satter (Founding
Director, Sundance Institute Feature Film Program). Also in the Art of Film Weekend, the live-streamed
Creative Tensions: Empathy will explore the forces that shape how and why we say we care for others.
A Celebration of Music and Film, hosted annually by the Sundance Institute Film Music Program as the
centerpiece of its music programming at the Festival, returns this year with a special edition centered
around the theme “There is a Crack In Everything / That's How the Light Gets In,” based on lyrics by
Leonard Cohen. The evening will feature music and readings that celebrate free speech, diverse voices,
and the power of art to unite us and propel us forward. Featuring a wide range of artists, including
Common, Jim James, Andra Day, Jenny Slate, Nick Offerman, Hunter Hayes, Ava DuVernay and Gael
Garcia Bernal, the event will be streamed in 360-degree virtual reality from Festival Base Camp
presented by Canada Goose to Festival Village presented by Acura.
Live music at the Festival includes performances at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café (free and open to
all Festival credential holders 21 and older) by Michael Franti, Rooney, Clare Bowen, Josh Kelley and
Andy Shauf, and performances at Festival Base Camp presented by Canada Goose by Thundercat,
R.LUM.R, Chrome Canyon and live DJ set by Elijah Wood, Samora Pinderhughes, Lalah Hathaway,
Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal as well as the first-ever local music showcase, featuring Talia Keys,
Joshy Soul & The Cool, Bboy Federation Performers. The annual BMI Snowball Showcase will feature
Angela McCluskey, Paul Cantelon, Sean McConnell, The National Parks, Rachel Crow, and The
Hearings.
Other noteworthy live streamed conversations at the Festival include the Cinema Café daily series of
informal chats, which this year will include conversations between Jon Hamm and Sam Elliott, Kumail
Nanjiani and John Cho and others; more conversations will appear on sundance.org/program shortly.
Three short films from the 2017 Festival are available online: Dear Mr Shakespeare, an exploration of
Shakespeare's intentions when writing Othello; Deer Squad: The Movie, one filmmaker’s story of going
viral after befriending a group of wild deer in his backyard; and Project X, an undercover journey to the
site of a hidden partnership, based on NSA documents. From the Special Events section, the pilot of I
Love Dick is available on Amazon.
For dates, times, locations and ticket information for these and other offscreen events, including panels
and live music hosted by our sponsors, visit sundance.org/festival.
Day One Press Conference (streaming live)
Thursday, January 19, noon PT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 3:00 p.m. ET
Sundance Institute President & Founder Robert Redford will participate in a conversation with Institutesupported artists Sydney Freeland (Deidre and Laney Rob a Train) and David Lowery (A Ghost Story),
moderated by John Horn of KPCC-FM “The Frame,” followed by a Q&A with press in attendance with
Redford, Institute Executive Director Keri Putnam and Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper.
Cinema Cafe: Jon Hamm and Sam Elliott (streaming live)
Saturday, January 21, 10:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 1:30 p.m. ET
Post-Truth and Consequences (streaming live)
Saturday, January 21, 1:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. ET
The film community shares a basic tenet of journalism in questioning society and challenging political
orthodoxies. But how do we contend with a post-truth society? Lacking a fact-based shared reality, can
media speak across the divide? Journalist David Folkenflik (NPR), filmmaker Peter Nicks (The Force),
filmmaker Laura Poitras (Project X) and journalist James Risen (New York Times) explore how we relegitimize truth.
A Celebration of Music and Film
Saturday, January 21, 6:00-9:00 p.m. PT / 7:00-10:00 p.m. MT / 9:00 p.m.-midnight ET
Centered on the theme “There is a Crack in Everything / That’s How the Light Gets In” based on lyrics by
Leonard Cohen, join us for an evening of music and readings celebrating free speech, diverse voices,
and the the power of art to unite us and propel us forward. Musical performances from Common, Andra
Day, Hunter Hayes, Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and Rotana Tarazbouni with speakers including
Gael Garcia Bernal, Ava DuVernay, Jenny Slate, Rory Kennedy, Nick Offerman and more to be
announced.
Power of Story: The New Climate (streaming live)
Sunday, January 22, 1:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. ET
We are living in a new climate, and not just the one created by global warming. As our political outlook
shifts toward deeper denial, and corporate interests work to obscure the story and the science, how can
visual storytellers create new narratives that change the conversation, the culture, and possibly the
world? Former Vice President Al Gore, global entrepreneur and philanthropist Jeff Skoll, scientist and
broadcaster Dr. David Suzuki, former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, filmmaker Heather
Rae, and moderator Amy Goodman discuss how filmmakers can elevate understanding and urgency
among policymakers and the public alike.
Cinema Cafe: Kumail Nanjiani and John Cho (streaming live)
Monday, January 23, 10:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 1:30 p.m. ET
Women in Science (streaming live)
Tuesday, January 24, 1:00 p.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. MT / 4:00 p.m. ET
Although women have conducted pioneering scientific work for centuries, their stories are too seldom
told. Why are there still relatively few female scientists, in the real world and on screen? How are they
depicted in film? Join cognitive neuroscientist Heather Berlin (Science Goes to the Movies), systems
engineer Tracy Drain (NASA Jet Propulsion Lab), screenwriter Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the
Galaxy), filmmaker Jennifer Phang (Advantageous), and moderator Nell Greenfieldboyce (NPR).
Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Power of Story: Art of Episodic Writing (streaming live) — ART OF FILM WEEKEND
Thursday, January 26, 1:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. ET
The episodic storytelling landscape continues to evolve, inspiring groundbreaking work populated by
unforgettable characters. No longer limited by traditional production or distribution platforms, independent
artists and media outlets are exploring how to reach and sustain audiences in changing times. Join Gina
Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood (Shots Fired), Larry Karaszewski (The People v.
O.J. Simpson), Marti Noxon (To the Bone), Issa Rae (Insecure), Jill Soloway (I Love Dick), and
moderator Michelle Satter (Sundance Institute) in conversation about creating and navigating the future
of episodic storytelling.
Look Over Here: Crafting VR Narratives — ART OF FILM WEEKEND
Thursday, January 26, 3:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. MT / 6:30 p.m. ET
Lynette Wallworth (Collisions) and Saschka Unseld (Dear Angelica) are at the forefront of an emerging
medium. Wallworth frequently explores environmental and social justice themes in her work, and Unseld
is creating a collection of VR films with emotions at their core. In this fireside chat, the filmmakers will
compare notes on writing and directing for a 360-degree screen.
Creative Tensions: Empathy (streaming live) — ART OF FILM WEEKEND
Friday, January 27, 2017, 9:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. MT / noon ET
This is not your typical panel. Join us for Creative Tensions: Empathy to explore the forces that shape
how and why we say we care for others. In a conversation expressed through movement, participants
reveal their stance on issues by where they stand in the room. Can art make people more tolerant? Is it
possible to empathize with those who don’t share our core values? Where do you "stand" on the purpose
of art? Presented by the Sundance Institute Theatre Program, in partnership with IDEO.
Producers Confidential — ART OF FILM WEEKEND
Friday, January 27, 1:00 p.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. MT / 4:00 p.m. ET
Producers are often seen as a film’s construction foreman—asked to find financing and to stay on budget
and on time. But rarely are they recognized as artists. Join producers Alix Madigan-Yorkin (L.A. Times)
and Joslyn Barnes (Strong Island) in an intimate conversation with moderator Anne Lai (Sundance
Institute) to hear about their toughest failures, their proudest moments, and what continues to inspire
each of them as a creative force.
Vision Builders: The Art of Production Design — ART OF FILM WEEKEND
Saturday, January 28, 1:00 p.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. MT / 4:00 p.m. ET
Production designers' work extends far beyond building sets. They shape storyworlds, creating intricate
environments that unfold narratives, develop characters, and articulate themes. But how do you build an
entire world (on a budget)—and incorporate emotion, psychology, and other intangibles? Production
designers David Gropman (Fences), Jeannine Oppewall (L.A. Confidential) and Inbal Weinberg (Blue
Valentine) explore how concepts become reality.
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 non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2017 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors –
Acura, SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire®, and Canada Goose; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, AT&T,
DIRECTV, Omnicom, Stella Artois® and YouTube; Sustaining Sponsors – American Airlines, Canon
U.S.A., Inc., Creators League Studio, Daydream, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, GEICO, The Hollywood
Reporter, IMDb, Jaunt, Kickstarter, Oculus 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
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.
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Editor’s note: For images, visit sundance.org/images or image.net (registration free but required).