Sundance Film Festival Rolls In
The movies. The celebrities and PIBs. The all out take over of Main Street. It’s here and WE LOVE IT! For 50 weeks out of the year, Park City is a slice of heaven for avid outdoor enthusiasts. However, for the next 2 weeks, the Sundance Film Festival dominates every conversation, every hotel, and every location with a movie screen in northern Utah. The local population explodes to over 30,000 and nature takes a back seat to our addiction to the cinematic arts.
40 Years Of A Great Idea
In 1978, the Utah/US Film Festival was founded with the goal of creating a cinematic hub near Redford’s Sundance Resort. The creators wanted to offer a helping hand to up and coming filmmakers who were having a difficult time getting their work in front of the pubic. In 1991 the name of the festival was changed to the Sundance Film Festival, and the organization and event has grown exponentially every year since then. Robert Redford 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.”
Lights, Camera, Action
With 110 Independent Films From 29 Countries ranging in genre from documentaries to experimental short films, creativity and artistic expression will be flooding the 2018 Festival. Unlike the movies you have to experience it live to comprehend the excitement of it all. One of the most talked-about installations at this year’s Festival is the expansion of the New Frontiers program. Trough a transformation that only Hollywood could pull off, a huge space that used to be a sporting goods store will showcase some of the most innovative independent production and experimentation at the crossroads of film, art and technology. As the intersection of art and technology grows more blurred, New Frontiers features cutting-edge independent experimental media works by creators who are pushing the artistic development of the new mediums of VR, AR, mixed reality (MR) and AI.
Just Another Park City Tradition
Sundance Film Festival is a Park City tradition with roots just as deep as skiing, the Kimball Arts Festival, or Miner’s Day Parade. Every January we get a big dose of Hollywood glamor, big city bustle, and over-the-top events. All the international media coverage puts our hometown in the spotlight and we’re reminded of what a special place we live in. “Sundance is one of the many reasons why I love this town so much,” said Dena Fleming. “It proves that we’re equally comfortable with the rich and famous as we are with our hometown, down-to-earth neighbors. Whoever comes, we welcome them with small-town warmth and cosmopolitan grace.”
