Category Archives: Film Festivals

Comedy Drama “Winner” Premieres At Sundance 2024

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By Armando

emilia jonesThe black comedy drama “Winner” premiered today at Sundance Film Festival. The film stars Emilia Jones as Reality Winner, a U.S. Air Force veteran and former NSA translator that is the subject of the film.

The unconventional whistleblower’s biopic is directed by Susanna Fogel (The Spy Who Dumped Me) from a script by Kerry Howley.

Also in the film are Kathryn Newton, Averie Peters, Connie Britton, Zach Galifianakis, Danny Ramirez and Shannon Berry.

See photos below from “Winner” premiere at The Ray during the Sundance Film Festival 2024.

Photos: AIPImaging.com
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Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Merata Mita Fellow and Inaugural Graton Fellow

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Libby-Hakaraia-and-Tazbah-Rose-ChavezToday the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the filmmakers selected to receive the 2024 Merata Mita Fellowship and the inaugural Graton Fellowship for Artists from California-Based Tribes. The Merata Mita Fellowship is an annual fellowship named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942–2010) to support Indigenous women-identified artists endeavoring to direct their first feature film. This year’s Merata Mita Fellowship will go to Libby Hakaraia (Ngati Kapu, Ngati Raukawa au ki te tonga). The recently announced Graton Fellowship, created to support Indigenous artists from California-based tribes, both federally and non federally recognized, will go to Tazbah Rose Chavez (Dinè, Nüümü, San Carlos Apache). Both fellows were recognized at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Native Forum Celebration Presented by NBCUniversal Launch and Nia Tero at The Park in Park City, Utah.

“It feels incredibly meaningful to have Libby and Tazbah as the recipients for the Merata Mita and Graton Fellowships respectively this year. It’s also a bit of a spiritual homecoming too,” said Adam Piron, Director, Sundance Institute Indigenous Program. “Both are established artists with deep ties to their communities, the histories that these fellowships are rooted in, and we’re thrilled  to be  supporting their upcoming projects with these incredible opportunities and I’d also like to thank Chairman Greg Sarris, the community of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and our donors for making this possible”
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Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2024 Lineup Released

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sbiff2024The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) announced today the highly anticipated lineup for the 39th edition, which will run February 7 to 17, 2024. The festival will showcase 45 world premieres and 77 U.S. premieres from 48 countries, along with tributes featuring the year’s top talent, panel discussions, and free community education and outreach programs.

“We have a wonderfully eclectic program this year from 48 countries around the world,” said Claudia Puig, Programming Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. “We are especially proud that half of our slate of films are directed by women, and a large percentage by under-represented filmmakers. We know there will be something for everyone at our festival– and likely quite a lot for most. Nearly three-quarters of the films we’re showcasing have never been seen before in the US. We’re excited to introduce these films to audiences and thrilled that filmmakers from nearly every continent will be on hand to meet those attending SBIFF, and share in the communal love of film.”

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Sundance 2024: Top Ten Feature Films From Its First Four Decades

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before-sunriseZero to oneToday, in advance of the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicking off on January 18, the nonprofit Sundance Institute is commemorating the four decades of extraordinary independent filmmaking presented at the Festival with the results of a survey taken by the filmmaking communities on their top ten feature films that have screened at the Festival since it began in 1985. 

In honor of this milestone Festival, filmmakers, critics, and industry members shared their personal top 10 lists. Over 500 people participated — pouring over the nearly 4,000 feature films that have been presented at the Festival — and below is the collective top 10 list of the Sundance Film Festival films that have touched hearts and changed lives. 

The 2024 Sundance Film 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. Tickets are on sale now at festival.sundance.org. 

What from the 2024 Festival will make the top ten list in the future? 

40th Edition All Time Top Ten Films Selected by the Filmmaking Community

10. Blood Simple (1985), Joel and Ethan Coen
9. Y tu mamá también (2002), Alfonso Cuarón
8. Boyhood (2014), Richard Linklater
7. Before Sunrise (1995), Richard Linklater
6. sex, lies and videotape (1989), Steven Soderbergh
5. Memento (2001), Christopher Nolan
4. Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
3. Get Out (2017), Jordan Peele
2. Reservoir Dogs (1992), Quentin Tarantino
1. Whiplash (2014), Damien Chazelle
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Cinema Tropical Awards: Argentina’s TRENQUE LAUQUEN Named Best Latin American Film of the Year

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cinema-tropical-awardsThe Argentine feature Trenque Lauquen by Laura Citarella was announced as the winner of the top award for Best Latin American Film of the Year at the 14th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards, which were announced this evening in a special event at Film at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The Chilean filmmaker Manuela Martelli was the winner of the Cinema Tropical Award for Best Director for her debut feature Chile ‘76, while the Costa Rican feature, I Have Electric Dreams (Tengo sueños eléctricos) by Valentina Maurel was announced winner of the award for Best First Film. The jury gave the award for Best Documentary to The Trial (El juicio) by Ulises de la Órden.

In the U.S. Latinx Cinema competition, the winner of the award for Best Film was the fiction film Story Ave, the debut feature by Aristotle Torres.

The Latin American winners of this year’s Cinema Tropical Awards were selected by a jury panel composed of Mónica Castillo, Senior Film Programer Curator at the Jacob Burns Film Center; Mara Fortes, Senior Curator at the Telluride Film Festival; María Paula Lorgia, Artistic Director of the San Diego Latino Film Festival; Marian Luntz, Film Curator at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and Manuel Santini, Senior Manager, Programming at Film at Lincoln Center.
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2024 Sundance Film Festival Adds The Greatest Night in Pop to the Feature Film Program and Reveals Beyond Film Lineup

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sundance-beyond-film-lineupToday the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the addition of the documentary The Greatest Night in Pop to the 2024 Sundance Film Festival film program and the lineup for the Festival’s Beyond Film programming. In addition to the three annual series — Power of Story, Cinema Café presented by Audible, and The Big Conversation — this year’s lineup also includes a New Frontier conversation about artificial intelligence and special 40th Edition Celebration events. With the exception of Power of Story, the sole ticketed event, all Beyond Film events are free and open to the public. Supplementing the Festival experience, Beyond Film provides a community hub for Festivalgoers through artist conversations, talks with filmmakers and experts across the fields of art and science, and audience discourse. The events will take place in person from January 19–26, 2024, with select Beyond Film offerings available beginning January 25, 2024, to audiences across the country on the online Festival Platform. Other in-person and online events announced today include talks hosted by Festival partners and Sundance Collab, the digital arm of Sundance Institute that provides an online learning platform and community space for creators.

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. Single film tickets go on sale January 11 at 10 a.m. MT.

“We’re thrilled to be adding to our program a special screening of The Greatest Night in Pop, taking us behind the scenes of how “We Are the World” came together, followed by a conversation with Lionel Richie, filmmaker Bao Nguyen, and producer Julia Nottingham,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “Our robust film lineup will be rounded out by a wide range of conversations touching upon themes in the programming and featuring some of today’s most inspiring creators and leaders.”
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Jeffrey Wright To Receive 39th Annual SBIFF Montecito Award

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Jeffrey-Wright-SBIFFJeffrey Wright will be honored with the Montecito Award at the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Wright will receive the award on Thursday, February 15th, 2024 at an in-person conversation about his career leading up to this year’s performance in Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios’ AMERICAN FICTION, written and directed by Cord Jefferson. Wright has received lead actor nominations from the Gotham Awards, Spirit Awards, Golden Globe Awards and the Critics Choice Awards thus far for his wonderful performance as protagonist, ‘Thelonious “Monk” Ellison.’

“I’ve been a fan of Mr. Wright since I first saw him in 1993 in the original Broadway production of ANGELS IN AMERICA. I’ve since admired that he brings a high level of class and integrity to every role he does. Yet, no film had capitalized on his extraordinary range and virtuosity until AMERICAN FICTION. It is about time.” SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling stated.

Jeffrey Wright is a Tony, Emmy, AFI, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor who has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning the worlds of theatre, film, and television. Wright was most recently seen in the critically acclaimed role of ‘Bernard Lowe’ in HBO’s WESTWORLD, for which he earned three Emmy nominations.
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Kristen Stewart to Be Honored With Visionary Award at 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala

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Kristen Stewart to Be Honored With Visionary Award at
2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®
Tables and Tickets Available Now: Annual Event Recognizes Outstanding Independent Storytellers and Raises Funds to Support Nonprofit’s Year-Round Programs

Kristen-Stewart SundanceThe nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today that Academy Award–nominated actress Kristen Stewart will be honored with the Visionary Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®, which will take place on January 18, 2024, at the DeJoria Center in Utah. The annual gala enables the nonprofit to raise critical funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists globally. The 2024 event is made possible with the generous support of Chase Sapphire®, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Acura, and Google TV. The upcoming Sundance Film Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as online from January 25–28.

Kristen Stewart will receive the Visionary Award in recognition of her work as an uncompromising artist and contributions to the field of independent film. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Princess Diana in Spencer and was the first American actress to receive a César Award for her role in Clouds of Sils Maria. Stewart’s profound work as an actor has exemplified the bold, risk-taking storytelling that Sundance has championed for many years. Throughout her impressive career, she has had 10 films screen at the Festival, including The Runaways, Adventureland, and Lizzie. She made her directorial debut with Come Swim at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. For the upcoming 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Stewart will be returning with Love Me, premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section and the recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, and Love Lies Bleeding, premiering in the Midnight section.

“We are thrilled to honor the immensely talented Kristen Stewart at our Opening Night Gala,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “Kristen’s captivating performances across a wide, diverse body of work make her a truly unique talent. With over 10 Sundance films under her belt, she has always remained committed to the art of independent cinema. We are excited to welcome her back to the Festival and can’t wait to see what she has in store for our 40th year.”

“Sundance’s purity, lack of fussy pretension, and its commitment to supporting independence in an industry that doesn’t always value the radical or the sidelined is what makes it by far the homiest place for me to go see, discuss, and present films,” said Kristen Stewart. “Truly honored to be acknowledged by this beloved institution.”

As previously announced, Christopher Nolan will be honored with the inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award, recognizing an artist’s unwavering dedication and notable contributions to the field of independent film. The annual Vanguard Awards, presented by Acura, honor artists whose work highlights the art of storytelling and creative independence in both nonfiction and fiction. The Vanguard Award for Fiction will be presented to Celine Song, director and writer of Past Lives, and the Vanguard Award for Nonfiction will go to Maite Alberdi, director of The Eternal Memory. Award-winning journalist and producer Pat Mitchell will receive the Vanguard Award for Philanthropy in recognition of her exemplary commitment to the Institute’s support and to philanthropy for social impact. For more information about tables and tickets, please visit festival.sundance.org/opening-night-gala or contact openingnight@sundance.org.

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2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Films Lineup

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2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Films Lineup and 40th Edition Programming
53 Shorts and Eight 40th Edition Celebration Screenings

sundance-short-films-2024
Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the Short Films and 40th Edition Celebration Screenings and Events that will be a part of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival programming. 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. The Festival will introduce new short films for 2024 across eight curated programs. Special 40th Edition Celebration Screenings and Events are set for the second half of the Festival and kick off on January 23, 2024, with a slate of retrospective programming that will bring alumni artists together for conversations and gatherings, while also allowing audiences to revisit iconic films from Sundance history through archive screenings followed by Q&As with members of the films. In-Person Ticket Packages and Passes and Online Ticket Packages and Passes, including a special short films online pass, are currently on sale and single film tickets go on sale January 11 at 10 a.m. MT.

The 40th Edition Celebration Screenings and Events will run from Tuesday, January 23 through Friday, January 26. The Festival will debut brand-new 4K restorations of Napoleon Dynamite (20th anniversary) Go Fish (30th anniversary), Three Seasons (25th anniversary), and an extended version of DIG! (20th anniversary), featuring over 30 minutes of additional footage, titled DIG! XX. Also showing will be The Babadook and Pariah, and restorations of Mississippi Masala and The Times of Harvey Milk. The upcoming Festival will also see the return of acclaimed artist alumni. Talks with notable alumni will take place, including a panel titled Power of Story: Four Decades of Taking Chances about the legacy of independent storytelling featuring Miguel Arteta, Richard Linklater, Dawn Porter, and Christine Vachon; a screening of seminal short films from Sundance’s history hosted by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass; and a workshop for emerging creators with Carlos López Estrada and others. Other special events include alumni social gatherings and a 40th Edition trivia night.
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30th Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2024 Lineup

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30th-Slamdance-Film-FestivalThe 30th Slamdance Film Festival, the artist-led “by filmmakers for filmmakers” organization, has announced its full film lineup for 2024. Celebrating 30 years of discovering industry-changing talent, the festival will come full circle, returning to the Yarrow Hotel in Park City, where it all started.

Kicking off with a screening of Oscar-winning filmmaker Carol Dysinger’s epic documentary One Bullet, this year’s festival will showcase an accessible lineup of 32 features, of which 17 are World Premieres, 75 shorts, and five episodics. On-site screenings and events will be held in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah from January 19-25th and online screenings will be available on the Slamdance Channel from January 22-28th.

“Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said Festival Director Taylor Miller. “Their raw passion and risk-taking echo our commitment to exploring uncharted territories of cinematic expression. This year, we proudly host the most inclusive and accessible festival we’ve ever had, staying true to the core objectives I aimed to cultivate with our programmers when I took this job.”

A celebration of emerging filmmaking talent from around the world, this year’s lineup consists of 113 films – 17 of which are World Premiere features – hailing from 20 countries including Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Palestine, Russia, and the UK (United Kingdom) among others. The 2024 programming was selected from more than 9,000 submissions, 1,729 of which were features. As in previous years, all films selected in the Narrative Features and Documentary Features competition categories are directorial debuts without U.S. distribution, with budgets of less than $1 million.
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