The 2008 Sundance Film Festival, which runs from 17 to 27 Janurary in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah will debut the work of 51 first timers from 24 countries.
Founded by Robert Redford and tagged as the premier showcase for the best new work by American and international independent filmmakers, some 121 features, including 81 world premieres, make up the 2008 Sundance programme. The films were selected from 3,624 feature film submissions composed of 2,021 US and 1,603 international feature-length films. These numbers represent an increase from 2007 when 1,852 US and 1,435 international feature-length films were considered.
Says Geoffrey Gilmore, director, Sundance Film Festival: “This year we are seeing a convergence of storytelling and art that truly illustrates the spectrum of what is possible in film.’
Programme director John Cooper adds: “The creativity, urgency and passion of this year’s filmmakers are palpable, proving that independent filmmaking is alive and well not only in the US but throughout the world. The amount of high-quality work submitted from a diverse range of filmmakers made our jobs difficult this year. The Competition programme is funny, spirited, human, and at times uncharacteristically optimistic about the world we live in.’
For list of films in competition visit www.sundance.org
