When Joana Vicente was a producer and later an independent film executive, she would take her young children with her to Sundance so they could learn to ski while she saw the latest movies. The pla…
. In 2023, despite a new subvariant and chatter about a “tripledemic” involving not just COVID, but also RSV and the flu, Sundance is finally returning in-person. It is the last of the major film festivals to do so, and its revival comes with Vicente at the helm, having been named CEO of the Sundance Institute in 2021.
“It’s not that audiences aren’t coming out, it’s just that the people who are showing up may be different and the kind of movies that appeal to them may have changed,” says Arianna Bocco, president of IFC Films. “It’s more of a ‘smart house’ crowd, one that’s younger than the traditional arthouse audience of over 50. But I don’t think the content we’re making has caught up with that.
More controversially, the festival has opted to retain a virtual component. The bulk of the movies at Sundance will screen through the festival’s online hub as early as 24 hours after they premiere. Some sales agents are unhappy with the decision, believing it will make it more difficult to generate excitement around their films.
“I can live with it, but I don’t love it,” he says. “You can’t replicate the feeling that happens when you have a room full of buyers seeing and feeling how an audience of real people is going to react to a film.” For its part, Sundance says it has heard the concerns of sales agents, but believes that there needs to be a role for virtual screenings in the festivals of the future. To alleviate concerns, the festival has allowed films to opt out of a virtual component — but more than 80 movies will be made available digitally to passholders.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Skinamarink is the latest horror film to make a big box-office returnLike underdog predecessors Terrifier 2, Kyle Edward Ball's experimental horror film benefited from viral support and deliciously polarizing reviews
Read more »
UN secretary-general says 'Big Oil' peddles 'big lie,' should be 'held to account' like tobaccoU.N. Secretary-General António Guterres accused the fossil fuel industry of participating in a 'big lie' to cover up oil's connection to climate change.
Read more »
UN leader attacks fossil fuel companies in Davos for sowing doubt on climate changeUnited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres slammed fossil fuel companies, singling out ExxonMobil, in a grim table-setting speech at the World Economic Forum.
Read more »
EU Readies Subsidy Response to U.S. Clean-Tech Tax BreaksEurope aims to provide more support to its domestic clean-tech industry in a push to counter subsidies from the U.S. and China, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Read more »
20 Sundance films that changed the game for HollywoodHere are the most transformative titles from almost 40 years of the Sundance Film Festival, from Blood Simple to Get Out
Read more »