by Hillary Busis

The good news: Sundance is holding a second film festival this year. The better news: For once, attendees can leave their fashionable parkas at home.

The Sundance Institute announced today that it will be hosting a four-day summer film festival called Next Weekend in Los Angeles this August. Next Weekend will be an extension of Sundance proper’s “Next” section, which launched in 2010 and features “stylistically adventurous films that take a bold approach to storytelling,” such as Zal Batmanglij’s sound of my voice and Mike Birbiglia’s Sleepwalk With Me.

Next Weekend will run Aug. 8-11 and includes screenings of eight features, a shorts program, a panel discussion, and ShortsLab: Los Angeles, the Institute’s annual short-filmmaking workshop. “The best part of independent filmmaking is the freedom to tell your stories your own way, to take risks and not be beholden to convention of any kind,” Sundance president and founder Robert Redford said in a statement. “At the core of Next Weekend are artists that are taking risks and pushing boundaries. As such, it’s fitting that Sundance Cinemas will be the home for this festival and these films.”

The mini-fest’s schedule will be announced this summer.

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