2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces 91 Projects Selected For 40th Edition

2024-Sundance-Film-Festival-91-Projects-For-40th-Edition

Top L–R: Girls State, Seeking Mavis Beacon, The American Society of Magical Negroes, Layla.
Center L–R: Being (the Digital Griot), Freaky Tales, Love Me, Presence.
Bottom L–R: Porcelain War, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, In the Land of Brothers, A Real Pain.

Yesterday, the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 82 films, eight episodic titles, and a New Frontier interactive experience selected for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from January 25–28, 2024. This year marks the 40th edition of the Festival, bringing together audiences in Utah and beyond to celebrate Sundance’s rich history of supporting engaging new stories and groundbreaking independent artists. In-Person Ticket Packages and Passes and Online Ticket Packages and Passes are currently on sale and single film tickets go on sale January 11 at 10 a.m. MT.

To kick things off, the Festival will begin at noon MT on January 18 with premieres in Park City, showcasing the range of offerings in this year’s lineup across categories. Adding to the festivities, on the evening of January 18, the Institute will host the Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®. The fundraiser will benefit the year round artist support work of the Sundance Institute.

Films will debut in Park City starting January 18, with additional showings in Park City and Salt Lake City over the course of the Festival. Select titles also become available online beginning January 25, including all Competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT), as well as additional selections from the feature, episodic, and shorts programs. Audiences can experience the curated online selection exclusively via festival.sundance.org. The online program, as noted below per listing, will allow fans of independent storytelling across the country to enjoy a sampling of the Festival lineup from wherever they are. The short film selections and 40th edition programming for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival will be announced on December 12.

“From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. “It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program.”

“The Institute takes great pride in the role the Festival plays in advancing our mission to support artists creating audacious work,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “This year is especially significant as we look back on our history of showcasing stories that surprise and delight, spark empathy and reflection, and honor our shared humanity. We’re all thrilled for this opportunity to celebrate the power of storytelling as we gather in January to introduce captivating works from acclaimed filmmakers and discover more new voices.”

“Sundance’s passion and power shines through its programming. Curation is Sundance’s secret sauce and we’re energized by the range of films, stories, and artists we’ve watched and selected from around the world,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “This Festival has had a vital history of first impressions: introductions to new talent, new friends, new worlds — our commitment to our artists and our audiences is fundamental to our work. Our programming team, lead by Kim Yutani, has curated 11 days of exciting new voices and stories for the many audiences we serve whether they’re joining us in Utah or experiencing the Festival offerings from afar. Sundance 2024 will be a special year for discovery and community.”
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“Fireline” Opening On Digital Platforms On December 5

Fireline was directed by Tylor Norwood and produced by Ben Sinclair. Gravitas Ventures has recently released the trailer for the documentary film.

The film focuses on three firefighters from the Cal Fire Lassen-Modoc Unit, and their harrowing experience fighting a megafire for 36 emotional hours.

The filmmakers also worked with The California Fire Foundation, which provides emotional support to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect.

The movie takes viewers into the spectacle and drama of a megafire, alongside a firefighting team struggling to save anything they can while protecting each other.

It takes audiences into the firescape, to feel for the first time what those fighting these blazes face, especially as climate change makes megafires larger and more frequent. It’s an intimate portrait of a system stretched to its breaking point, revealing the friendship, heartbreak, and exhilaration experienced by those who go to war against this elemental force.

Gravitas Ventures will release the film on digital platforms on December 5, 2023. The film has a running time of 82 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.

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The Job of Songs – Embrace the Power of Irish Music Documentary Sets Release

Tourists flock to the west coast of Ireland to take in the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, but the real treasure lies in the soulful, acoustic sounds wafting out of pubs and living rooms of Doolin, County Clare. The denizens of this unspoiled coastal village of tight-knit neighbors and unlocked doors revel in the passion and history of their traditional folk songs, using music as a thread through generations to create community, connection, and joy.

THE JOB OF SONGS was made by a crew of three women, who are first time feature filmmakers: LILA SCHMITZ (director, producer, editor), ANIKA KAN GREVSTAD (director of photography, producer), and FENGYI XU (producer). The film was made with the support of acclaimed documentarians double Oscar-winning writer-producer-director Bill Guttentag and Emmy and Grammy Award winning documentarian Doug Pray. The film has screened at numerous prestigious International Film Festivals including DOC NYC, Galway Film Fleadh, Newport Beach Film Festival, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, Milwaukee Film Festival, and many others. It won Best International Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh.

Gravitas Ventures will release the film on digital platforms on November 21, 2023. The film has a running time of 74 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.

See the official trailer below:

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Platoon To Release THE PIGEON TUNNEL—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Available Digitally October 20

Platoon is set to release The Pigeon Tunnel – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, an original score from composer Philip Glass and Paul Leonard-Morgan composed for Errol Morris’ documentary THE PIGEON TUNNEL. In the film, AcademyAward-winning documentarian Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of former British spy David Cornwell—better known as John le Carré, author of such classic espionage novels as “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “The Constant Gardener.”

The soundtrack will release October 20th, timed to the theatrical release and global launch on Apple TV+, and will be available on all digital platforms including Apple Music. The soundtrack has been nominated by the Critics Choice Association Documentary Awards for Best Score.

The film is produced by Errol Morris, Dominic Crossley-Holland, Steven Hathaway, Simon Cornwell and Stephen Cornwell, Hossein Amini, P.J. van Sandwijk, Michael Lesslie, Joe Tsai, Arthur Wang, Michele Wolkoff and Katherine Butler serve as Executive Producers on the film.

“It is our pleasure to share The Pigeon Tunnel soundtrack,” say Philip Glass and Paul Leonard-Morgan. They add, “The orchestral journey this score took us on, combining the cimbalom of 60’s espionage soundtracks with symphonic orchestral work, led to 80 minutes of score, almost the entirety of the film.”
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Official Trailer for “The Lady Bird Diaries”, A Groundbreaking Documentary Film Released

A groundbreaking documentary film that uses Lady Bird’s audio diaries to tell the story of one of the most influential and least understood First Ladies in history has released an official trailer.

The powerful and award-winning all-archival new documentary is from acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter.

The Lady Bird Diaries”is set for release on November 13, 2023 on Hulu.

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SFFILM Announces 2023 Doc Stories Program

American Symphony, Courtesy of Netflix; Copa 71, Courtesy of New Black Films and Dogwoof; Anselm, Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

Ninth Annual documentary showcase runs November 2–5 in San Francisco and online. This year’s lineup features filmmakers including Lisa Cortés, Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss, Kaouther Ben Hania, Roger Ross Williams, dream hampton, and many more.

Today, SFFILM announced the program for their ninth annual documentary film showcase Doc Stories. The four-day program runs November 2–5, 2023 and includes 10 features, two shorts programs, and a very special tribute to the late trailblazing filmmaker, Julia Reichert. Several films will also be available for a limited streaming window November 6–7.

“This year’s line-up explores the powerful effects of institutional erasure and the unlimited possibilities of human determination,” said Jessie Fairbanks, the Director of Programming at SFFILM. “Documentaries offer a critical space in which audiences can contemplate challenging world issues, core ideological beliefs, and stories of inspiration. We are elated to host so many formidable documentarians who craft nuanced and thrilling stories that encompass these complex topics, while continuing to evolve the form of non-fiction storytelling.”

The 2023 Doc Stories selections explore a wide range of topics—professional and creative triumph, personal hardship and frailty, and the multi-generational impacts of human-made systems of control—through the most thrilling and incisive narrative nonfiction filmmaking this year. Opening Night is Matthew Heineman’s highly acclaimed American Symphony, featuring an intimate look into Grammy-winning musician, singer, and songwriter Jon Batiste. The Centerpiece film Copa 71 comes in hot off its debut at TIFF, telling the lost story of the first Women’s World Cup in soccer. Closing Night marks Wim Wenders return to SFFILM with his latest work Anselm, a 3-D presentation of the life’s work of astounding contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer. SFFILM is thrilled to welcome celebrated documentary filmmakers like Lisa Cortés, Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss, Kaouther Ben Hania, Roger Ross Williams, dream hampton, and many more.
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“The Youtube Effect” Documentary Set For Streaming On August 8th

The feature documentary from Director, Alex Winter explores the ascension and acceleration of YouTube, a video-sharing website that started with humble origins and has gone on to change how we experience the world. With exclusive access to some of YouTube’s biggest stars, the film presents an eye-opening and troubling look at the platform now so powerfully embedded in our lives.

The doc will be available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu & more.

Producers include: Winter (Trouper Productions), Gale Anne Hurd (Valhalla Entertainment, Mankiller, The Terminator Trilogy and “The Walking Dead”), and Glen Zipper (Zipper Bros. Films, Undefeated, Challenger: Final Flight, What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali, Zappa). Executive Producers include Michael Cho, Mimi Rode and Tim Lee of Olive Hill Media, Michael Y. Chow and Sue Turley of XRM Media, Kevin Lin of Metatheory and Ian Orefice, Rebecca Teitel and Mike Beck for TIME Studios.

Those featured in the doc include: Caleb Cain, Steve Chen, Hany Farid, Carrie Goldberg, Ian Hecox, Loann Kaji, Ryan Kaji, Shion Kaji, Talia Lavin, Dave Lauer, Becca Lewis, Anthony Padilla, Andy Parker, Nitasha Tiku Tyler, Susan Wojcicki, Brianna Wu, Natalie Wynn and Jillian C. York.

The documentary features an innovative electronic score from Emmy-nominated composer Paul Haslinger. Node Records, a subsidiary of Wise Music Group, will release the soundtrack album on July 7.

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Gravitas Ventures Sets Release Of Documentary “Sorry We’re Closed”

Gravitas Ventures has set the release of its documentary “Sorry We’re Closed” on demand on August 8th.

Do”Sorry We’re Closed” takes a look into the personal trauma, mental health, and livelihood of some of the best chefs during the hardest time of their careers.

In the summer of 2020, when restaurants are doubly hit hard by Covid-19 and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, Chef Elizabeth Falkner sets out across the country to check in with her renowned chef and restaurateur colleagues to find out how they are coping with the impossible task of keeping their doors open.The film explores how chefs pivoted, trying to stay afloat through new take-out menus and pop-up grocery stores.

Innovations abounded and yet the cracks in the system loomed large. What if all of our ‘go-to’ places were gone? What if we were permanently told, “Sorry, We’re Closed”?

The documentary is executive produced by Raymond Esposito with subjects featured Chef Elizabeth, Dominique Crenn, Nancy Silverton, Ann Kim, Gerald Sombright, Maneet Chauhan, and many more chefs from around the nation.

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IMAX And Oscar-Nominated Filmmker Nathaniel Kahn Join Forces On “Deep Sky”, A Documentary On NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and Crazy Boat Pictures Ltd., together with Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn, today announced that they’ve completed production on “Deep Sky”, a new documentary on NASA’s Webb Telescope (JWST). The 40-minute short film is narrated by Oscar®-nominated actress Michelle Williams, and is currently slated for release across IMAX’s institutional theater network in October 2023.

This announcement was made today at the National Academy of Science in Washington, D.C., as part of the one-year anniversary of the release of the first images from JWST.

“‘Deep Sky’ represents an exciting return to form for IMAX Documentaries and our long tradition of immersive space films,” said John Turner, Head of Documentaries for IMAX. “Nathaniel Kahn’s Oscar-nominated documentary ‘My Architect’ is iconic and his Emmy-winning ‘The Hunt for Planet B’ served as the fascinating first step in telling the story of the people who built this telescope. Now we get to see the breathtaking images brought to life in a way that no one has ever seen before.”
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“RISE – The Siya Kolisi Story” Documentary Slated For World Premiere At 2023 Tribeca Film Festival

Today, award-winning athlete, entrepreneur and philanthropist Siya Kolisi announced that his documentary “RISE – The Siya Kolisi Story,” which chronicles his journey as the first black, South African rugby captain who overcame the odds to lead his national team to win the 2019 World Cup, is set to world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12.

The documentary is more than a sports story and pulls back the curtain on Kolisi’s tumultuous upbringing in South Africa, where he navigated through poverty, systemic racism from apartheid, neighbourhood violence and a complex relationship with his father.

Rugby became Kolisi’s refuge as he honed his craft, becoming the first-ever, Black captain of South Africa’s national team in its 126-year history as well as one of the greatest superstars of his generation. In the process, Kolisi’s leadership on and off the pitch inspired a country that had been plagued by decades of segregation and injustice.

“I’m truly honored to be sharing my story with millions around the world,” said Siya Kolisi. “I hope my journey inspires people to chase their dreams and reminds others to never allow adverse circumstances to define our lives. We are more than products of our environments and we have the potential to change our respective narratives.”

See the trailer here.
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