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Ahead of its 30th anniversary, Slamdance is still making the same first impression.

Shaggy yet shiny, the indie film festival was forged in the shadow of Sundance after its founders were rejected from the prestigious Park City showcase during the mid-nineties. Now, the Slamdance Group aims to be ahead of the game — having already moved from Utah and made its West Coast debut at the Director’s Guild of America on December 9 with the first-ever Indie Awards.

“I don’t feel like it’s being dramatic or over-dramatizing it to say that independent film is at stake,” said Slamdance Festival Director Taylor Miller during her opening remarks. “There is so much going on that this is the best place to be and to have these awards. Los Angeles is where so much is changing week in and week out.”

Also known as The Indies, the event was designed to “not...

With many annual awards ceremonies, even those that brand themselves celebrators of indie filmmaking, seemingly highlighting films that don’t necessarily need the boost, it’s refreshing when one truly highlights the indie spirit. Enter The Indie Awards, “an annual event dedicated to celebrating the spirit of truly independent filmmaking,” backed by Slamdance. Ahead of a ceremony taking place on December 9, 2024, at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Los Angeles, they’ve now unveiled their nominees.

Among a few picking up multiple nominations are Ryan Martin Brown’s Free Time and Vera Drew’s The People’s Joker, two stellar films we recently named among the best of 2024. Also nominated in the Best Narrative Feature section is Chloé Leriche’s Atikamekw Suns.

Co-founded by Ben Umstead, Paul Rachman, and Peter Baxter, the pool of films being considered could not have their premieres at some of the bigger “indie” festivals but...

The folks at Slamdance have announced The Indie Awards, "an annual event dedicated to celebrating the spirit of truly independent filmmaking". The awards focus on US and Indigenous films that are either overlooked by film festivals or go unnoticed during award season. Screen Anarchy alumnus Ben Umstead is one of the co-founders of this new event. along with Paul Rachman and Peter Baxter.   Three current Anarchists also featured in this inaugural edition. Shelagh, Olga and Anki participated in two of the nomination committees, the documentary and narrative features selections. All the nominees are announced below. One title that pops out and should be familiar to our readers in Vera Drew's The People's Joker.   The Indie Awards will be presented at the DGA Theater, Los...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Slamdance announced last week that the Slamdance Film Festival will move from Park City, Utah, where it’s been since its founding in 1995, to Los Angeles beginning with next year’s edition. The dates will shift slightly to February 20-26, and the move will afford the festival bigger and more professional screening facilities, including at Landmark Theatres and the DGA Theater complex. As Slamdance co-founder and President Peter Baxter notes in our interview below, Slamdance has long had a Los Angeles presence, through both its year-round office but also through its summer Agbo+Slamdance Summer Showcase. About the move, filmmakers and Agbo […]

The post “When We First Started It Was a Variation of the Salon des Refusés…”: Slamdance President Peter Baxter on Accessibility, Community and Moving to L.A. first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Slamdance announced last week that the Slamdance Film Festival will move from Park City, Utah, where it’s been since its founding in 1995, to Los Angeles beginning with next year’s edition. The dates will shift slightly to February 20-26, and the move will afford the festival bigger and more professional screening facilities, including at Landmark Theatres and the DGA Theater complex. As Slamdance co-founder and President Peter Baxter notes in our interview below, Slamdance has long had a Los Angeles presence, through both its year-round office but also through its summer Agbo+Slamdance Summer Showcase. About the move, filmmakers and Agbo […]

The post “When We First Started It Was a Variation of the Salon des Refusés…”: Slamdance President Peter Baxter on Accessibility, Community and Moving to L.A. first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

This January’s Slamdance Film Festival — Park City, Utah’s other film festival that, for nearly 30 years, shared the mountain town and an early winter date with Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival — enjoyed record attendance, up 18 percent from 2023. And yet, even with that high watermark, their 30th anniversary ahead of them, and Sundance contemplating leaving for greener pastures, Slamdance is packing it up and moving West.

Slamdance 2025 will call West Hollywood, California its new home — permanently — and the festival that for years lived in Sundance’s shadow will now try and make it on its own.

If you ask Peter Baxter, the founder of Slamdance and its president, it was just time to move on from Park City. The news of the festival’s relocation came as a surprise earlier this week, but it’s something they’ve considered for the past several years. And, unlike Sundance, which has...

Weeks after the Sundance Film Festival announced that is was opening up exploratory conversations about leaving its longtime home of Park City, the Slamdance Film Festival has announced that its 2025 fest will not be taking place in the Utah resort town.

Next year’s Slamdance — the more indie cousin of Sundance — will take place in Los Angeles, from Feb. 20 to 26. “The festival aims to be financially accessible,” said today’s announcement, addressing an oft cited concern that the festival’s Park City location has too high of a price point for the indie filmmaking community.

The fest will take place in venues in and surrounding Hollywood, including the Landmark Theatres and the DGA Theater Complex, with in-person passes starting at $50.00 and many programs free to the public. Panasonic Lumix will be the official sponsor of the 2025 fest; additional industry partners include the DGA, Landmark Theatres, and Joe and Anthony Russo’s Agbo.

Slamdance Film Festival is relocating from Park City, Utah, to Los Angeles starting in 2025.

The next iteration running February 20-26, 2025, will take place at venues in and surrounding Hollywood including Landmark Theatres Sunset and the DGA Theater Complex, which is also on Sunset Boulevard. Additional locations will be announced.

Festival heads said the move “will allow for the continued growth of Slamdance’s year-round mission to provide an accessible and dynamic community for truly independent, visionary filmmakers and creators”.

The festival said it aims to be financially accessible with in-person passes starting at $50 and many programmes free to the public.

Slamdance said Tuesday that its annual film festival will move to Los Angeles starting in February 2025. The move, organizers said, will allow for the continued growth of the festival’s year-round mission to provide an accessible community for independent filmmakers and creators.

The 2025 festival will run February 20-26 at venues in and surrounding Hollywood including the Landmark Theatres and the DGA Theater complex, with more locations to be announced. The festival aims to be financially accessible, with in-person passes starting at $50 and many programs free to the public.

Existing and new programs will be featured at the festival including Polytechnic, Slamdance’s free education endeavor; ’6ixty’, a series of one-minute short films made on any format; Next Wave LA, a program of new media work made by L.A.-based artists; and the experiential Dig program.

Panasonic Lumix will be the official sponsor of the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Barking Dogs Never Bite

Slamdance Film Festival has announced it is going to move to Los Angeles from Utah in 2025.

The festival, which started off on the fringes of Sundance Film Festival in 1995, has since grown to a force to be reckoned with in its own right, with films getting their break there including Christopher Nolan's Following, Bong Joon-ho's Barking Dogs Never Bite and Matt Johnson's The Dirties.

It has traditionally run alongside Sundance in Park City, Utah, this year noticeably taking on a much more central and larger venue for its screenings. The switch saw an 18% rise in ticket sales. The festival said in a statement that the LA move will "allow it to expand its mission of supporting truly independent filmmakers" while giving better accessibility to attendees.

Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter Founder and president of the festival Peter Baxter said: “Slamdance is coming to Los Angeles!

Looks like it’s not just Sundance that could be on the move. The Slamdance Film Festival, the smaller, independent stepsister festival to Sundance, has announced it will be leaving its long-time home of Park City, Utah and will relocate to Los Angeles beginning in 2025.

Next year’s Slamdance, which enters its 30th year after being founded in 1995, will take place in Los Angeles’ West Hollywood neighborhood at the Landmark Theatres Sunset and the DGA Theater Complex. The festival also traditionally runs in late January, generally around the same time as Sundance, but will now be scheduled for February 20-26, 2025.

Slamdance believes being in LA will offer the festival to continue to grow, and it shouldn’t hurt to be out of Sundance’s shadow.

“Slamdance is coming to Los Angeles! Building upon our success in Utah, we will grow the festival with greater accessibility in Los Angeles and continue...

In a major change of pace, this year’s Sundance Film Festival will open with 19 films on its opening day, Thursday, January 18, including the first of the Shorts programs, all starting as early as noon Mountain Time.

That’s a lot of movies, and it’s a reminder that for many industry folks this year, they can’t take that morning flight from Los Angeles into Salt Lake City on the first day and expect not to miss anything.

Because so many films are packed into that first day, the festival is also compressing all those movies, at least on the 18th, into a handful of Park City venues: the Eccles, the Egyptian, The Ray, the Library Center, and Prospector Square. Throughout the festival, attendees and press can also see movies at the Holiday Village Cinemas, the Redstone Cinemas multiplex outside of town, and The Park.

But in past years,...

Exclusive: Taylor Miller has been appointed as Festival Director for the Slamdance Film Festival, Deadline has learned.

Miller’s first festival as director will be its 30th anniversary edition taking place in January 2024. She joins Slamdance’s festival producer Michael Morin in preparation of the Park City showcase and will also lead the festival’s year-round programs, including the Screenplay Competition and exhibition events, reporting to President and Co-Founder Peter Baxter.

Miller has served Slamdance’s community as a festival programmer for over 13 years, coming to her new role following her 2020 co-founding of Slamdance’s Unstoppable, a filmmaking showcase created for and by filmmakers with visible and non-visible disabilities. She the following year produced the inaugural Slamdance Miami, which focused on emerging filmmakers from Latin America and Florida, in collaboration with Slamdance alumni and Miami’s arts leaders. During this time, Miller and Baxter created the “Slamdance Index,” an equitable...

The Slamdance Film Festival has announced the winners of their 2023 Jury and Audience Awards. In the Narrative Feature category, “Waiting for the Light to Change” took the top honor, while “Starring Jerry as Himself” pulled double duty as the winner of both Narrative and Jury prizes in the documentary category. The film’s own Jerry Hsu was awarded the festival’s Outstanding Acting Award.

Other Jury prizewinners include “The Underbug” for Breakouts Feature, “Palookaville” for Episodes, and “Millstone” in the Unstoppable program.

“Honeycomb” won the Audience Award for Episodes, and “American Pot Story: Oaksterdam” took home the prize for the Unstoppable competition.

This year’s Agbo Fellowship, presented by 2022 recipient and current Slamdance jury member Ethan Eng, was awarded to Tij D’Oyen. His short film “Lollygag” was featured as part of the Narrative Shorts competition.

Also Read:

Sundance 2023 Portrait Gallery: Jonathan Majors, Daisy Ridley, Sofia Coppola and More (Exclusive Photos...

Slamdance Film Festival has revealed the winners of its annual Sparky Awards, with “Waiting for the Light to Change” and “Where the Road Leads” taking home the narrative feature grand jury prize and audience award, respectively.

Directed by Linh Tran, narrative feature grand jury prize winner “Waiting for the Light to Change” is an “exceptional act of patience, restraint, courage and authenticity,” according to the jury. “Filmmaker Linh Tran paints a remarkably honest portrait of vulnerability that breaks open the heart of its audience, demanding sincerity and drawing deep reflection of the fractured nature of ourselves and the complex, human spaces between each of us.”

The Agbo Fellowship, which includes a 25,000 scholarship and mentorship from Slamdance alumni Joe and Anthony Russo, was awarded to Tij D’Oyen. He presented his narrative short film, “Lollygag,” during the festival.

“Tij expertly crafted a bold and original cinematic piece, showcasing himself as a unique...

Festival ran in Park City, Salt Lake City from January 20-29.

Linh Tran’s Waiting For The Light To Change and Law Chen’s Starring Jerry As Himself have won the 2023 Slamdance grand jury narrative and documentary awards this week.

The 2023 Slamdance Unstoppable Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Peter Hoffman Kimball’s, while the Breakouts Feature Grand Jury Prize went to Shujaat Saudagar’s The Underbug (India), and the 2023 Episodes Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Theodore Collatos’s Palookaville.

The Agbo Fellowship, presented by 2022 recipient and current Slamdance jury member Ethan Eng, went to Tij D’Oyen at the January 26 ceremony.

The year is 1995, and you’ve submitted your film to the Sundance Film Festival, and they’ve said no. What do you do? Are you disappointed? Yes. Do you feel lost or defeated? Maybe. Do you give up? No. That is the origin story of the Slamdance Film Festival, which happens every year in Park City, Utah, at the same time as the Sundance Film Festival. Unwilling to take “no” for an answer, Dan Mirvish, Jon Fitzgerald, Shane Kuhn, Peter Baxter, and Paul Rachman created the Slamdance Festival to give independent filmmakers a voice.

Continue reading ‘Mad Cats’ Trailer: Director Reiki Tsuno Says “No More Depressing Films” & Tries To Supercharge Japanese Cinema [Slamdance Exclusive] at The Playlist.

Slamdance announced the winners of its 2022 screenplay competition, with the grand prize going to writer Gabriel Malasig for his screenplay titled “American Retail.” The screenplay follows a Black woman as she struggles to supplement her music career through a dead-end retail job at a superstore.

Additional prizes were awarded during a live ceremony that took place at the Nuart Theatre and co-presented by the Writers Guild of America West and Landmark Theatres on Sunday. Slamdance recognizes writers in its feature film, horror/thriller, TV pilot, short film and mentorship categories. More than 18,000 in prizes, in addition to various industry services, are awarded to winners across all categories.

“We received over 4,200 screenplay submissions this year,” said festival manager Lily Yasuda. “Our readers were blown away by the quality of scripts this year, and our winners exemplify everything we look for in a screenplay: bold, original and unafraid to tackle complex social issues head-on.

Last Friday, Netflix released a fun vampire slayer action flick called Day Shift (you can read our 7/10 review Here)… and if you watched the movie, you may have noticed that it had a goofy end credits song called “Mowing Down Vamps”, which built a tune around a line spoken by the character played by Dave Franco (The Disaster Artist). The song around Franco’s line was performed by The Bsb Boys (J Young Mdk and Sam Pounds) alongside the film’s star Jamie Foxx (Spider-Man: No Way Home) – and now Foxx has released a video for the song.

The music video, directed by Taylor Chien, features Foxx, Franco, some vampire fights, and a good dose of silliness. You can check it out at the bottom of this article.

Day Shift marks the feature directorial debut of stunt coordinator and second unit director J.J. Perry. It was also the first produced screenplay for Tyler Tice,...

David Birney, who starred on the first season of the buzzy medical drama “St. Elsewhere,” as well as the short-lived, controversial sitcom “Bridget Loves Bernie” — about a Catholic woman marrying a Jewish man — has died at 83. His life partner Michele Roberge confirmed the news to The New York Times, and said he died due to Alzheimer’s disease at his home in Santa Monica.

Birney’s nearly-40 year television career began with a part in the 1969 series “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing,” all the way through to a guest appearance in “Without a Trace” in 2007. He also had roles and recurring spots on many classic TV shows, including “Murder, She Wrote,” “The Love Boat” and “Hawaii Five-0.”

Yet his best-know parts were Dr. Ben Samuels on the first season of the 1982 drama “St. Elsewhere,” which he had to leave because of a Broadway commitment, and a lead role on the 1972 sitcom “Bridget Loves Bernie.

The 2022 Slamdance Film Festival has announced the winners of their annual Sparky Awards.

The film festival focused on the works of emerging artists began its 28th edition on Jan. 27, hosting 23 premieres of films chosen from over 8,000 submissions. The awards were announced at a virtual awards ceremony on Friday, with the winning films available for viewing on the official virtual Slamdance channel until midnight on Feb. 6.

The Slamdance Jury awarded the best narrative feature prize to “Hannah Ha Ha,” from directors Jordan Tetewsky and Joshua Pikovsky, and the best documentary feature prize to “Forget Me Not” from director Olivier Bernier. In addition to winning one of the top overall prizes, “Hannah Ha Ha” star Hannah Lee Thompson also nabbed the festival’s acting award. The other two grand jury prizes for features were presented to “Straighten Up and Fly Right” (in the unstoppables category) and “Killing the Eunuch Khan” (in the...

The 28th Slamdance Film Festival today announced its winners, with the Audience Awards going to The Civil Dead, directed by Clay Tatum, for Narrative Feature; Iron Family, directed by Patrick Longstreth winning the Audience Award for Documentary Feature and The Ember Knight Show: “Getting Mad” directed by Bobby McCoy taking home the Audience Award in the Episodes subcategory.

The Narrative Feature Grand Jury prize was awarded to Hannah Ha Ha (USA) directed by Joshua Pikovsky and Jordan Tetewsky. A statement from the jury called it “a beautiful film in the vein of the American working-class cinema from the ’70s and ’80s…chosen for its incredible lead actor and its sensitive portrayal of the quiet eradication of a community by powers beyond their control.”

The Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize was awarded to director Olivier Bernier’s Forget Me Not which the jury said used “intimate moments in a family’s...

The 28th Slamdance Film Festival announced its awards winners on Friday, with Grand Jury Awards going to “Hannah Ha Ha” for Narrative Feature, “Forget Me Not” for Documentary Feature, “Killing the Eunuch Khan” for Breakout Feature and “Straighten Up and Fly Right” for Unstoppable Feature.

The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “The Civil Dead,” while “Iron Family” scooped up the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. “The Ember Knight Show: ‘Getting Mad'” received the Audience Award for Episodes.

“We congratulate the winners of Slamdance 2022 and every one of our filmmakers who together created a showcase that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in storytelling,” said Slamdance President and Co-founder Peter Baxter. “The future of film depends on these unique voices who defy simple classification and transcend analytics. Key to supporting this endeavor is accessibility and the major growth of our online audience who’ve tuned into the new Slamdance Channel.

All winners will continue to play on Slamdance Channel until midnight February 6.

Hannah Ha Ha directed by Joshua Pikovsky and Jordan Tetewsky earned the Narrative Feature Grand Jury prize, while the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Olivier Bernier’s Forget Me Not.

In other awards announced on Friday (4) the 2022 Slamdance Unstoppable Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Straighten Up And Fly Right by Steven Tanenbaum and Kristen Abate and the George Starks Spirit of Slamdance Award, voted on by filmmakers and given to the filmmaker who best embodies the spirit of the Festival, went to Sasha Levinson,...

Like its Park City counterpart, the Slamdance Film Festival has pivoted to an all-virtual affair this year, but it will now get underway Jan. 27, one week after Sundance, its proudly DIY spirit intact. The 28th edition of Slamdance boasts 23 premieres — 13 world, six North American and four U.S. debuts — and sections such as Department of Anarchy and Experimental Shorts, along with Blockchain Fairy Tales, a collaborative storytelling experiment.

“On one hand you can say it’s bad and disappointing when we cannot gather in Park City, but we see the good — the opportunity to reenvision what a festival can be, what Slamdance can be,” says Peter Baxter, Slamdance president and co-founder. “Our new Slamdance Channel, which will host the festival this year, fits into the bigger picture of a decentralized media future.”

Buzzy titles include Clay Tatum’s comedy “The Civil Dead” and Kristen Abate and Steven Tanenbaum’s existential...

Update, December 29: The Palm Springs International Film Festival has canceled its entire event for 2022, meaning screenings will not take place this January 7-17 as planned. The news follows after, earlier this month, Palm Springs called off its awards gala due to rising Covid concerns. See the festival’s statement below:

“Based on the current rise of Covid cases, the Palm Springs International Film Society has announced that the Film Festival will not take place this year from January 7-17. This follows the cancellation of the January 6 Film Awards. After thoughtful consideration, the Film Society feels this is the most responsible decision to ensure the safety of our patrons, filmmakers, and staff. Those who have purchased festival tickets and passes will receive a refund. For most, the refund will be returned to their original method of payment.

“At this time Palm Springs ShortFest is scheduled to return June 21-27, 2022. The...

The Slamdance Film Festival has pushed back its 2022 start date by a week and eliminated in-person plans for its annual indie-focused fest, becoming the latest industry event to pull back in the face of the rising omicron variant of Covid.

Slamdance had been schedule to run January 20-23 as a hybrid event in Park City but will now kick off January 27-February 6. Organizers said Thursday that its screenings, events and live Q&As will now shift to virtual presentations.

“Although we are disappointed that we won’t be able to participate in the communal, in-person experience, we know we can create a unique festival experience for all of our filmmakers through Slamdance’s online platform,” said Peter Baxter, Slamdance president and co-founder. “We are looking forward to utilizing the expertise we’ve already gained in attracting a global audience, building upon our accessibility goals and pushing the boundaries of what a decentralized festival can be.

Festival proceeding online a week late, January 27-February 6, 2022.

Slamdance Film Festival hierarchy have switched next month’s event to entirely virtual in light of the Omicron variant surge and have called off the in-person portion of what had been planned as a hybrid festival.

The festival in Park City, Utah, will go ahead with its virtual programming including films, events and live Q&a’s and runs January 27-February 6, 2022 – a week later than the original date to allow the festival team to plan for the transition.

“Although we are disappointed that we won’t be able to participate in the communal,...

As we look ahead to the new year, one of the first festivals of 2022 has unveiled its lineup. Slamdance Film Festival will return to both Park City, Utah for a physical festival from January 20-23, 2022, along with holding virtual screenings from January 20-30, 2022. With a lineup of 28 features, 79 shorts, and 7 episodes, the feature competition lineup was chosen from over 1,124 submissions.

“We are anti-algorithm. That’s always been true, but it’s more urgent than ever as we continue to celebrate truly unique voices that defy simple classification and transcend analytics,” said Slamdance President and co-founder Peter Baxter. “This year our programmers gravitated towards films that embody the true DIY spirit of guerrilla filmmaking and push the boundaries of what’s possible in storytelling. The Slamdance team is honored to introduce everyone of these storytellers, who are changing the media narrative and elevating the art form of independent film.”

See the lineup below.

The Slamdance Film Festival — this year a hybrid festival — announced today its full lineup of features and shorts that will comprise its 2022 edition. The festival will run live in Park City Utah, January 20 -23 and virtually January 20 – 30. The selection contains 13 world premieres, six North American and four U.S. reviews. All competition films are feature-length with budgets under $1 million and without U.S. distribution. “We are anti-algorithm,” said Slamdance President and co-founder Peter Baxter in a press release. “That’s always been true, but it’s more urgent than ever as we continue to celebrate […]

The post Slamdance Announces Its Full 2022 Lineup first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Slamdance has announced the full film lineup lineup for its 2022 edition, with a feature film competition that boasts 23 premieres, including 13 world premieres, six North American premieres, and four U.S. debuts.

The independent film festival, known for its “by filmmakers, for filmmakers” mentality, will showcase a total of 28 features, 79 shorts, and seven episodes during its 28th edition. Slamdance will be presented in a hybrid fashion, with a physical festival returning to Park City, Utah, from Jan. 20-23, bridged with an “accessible and robust” program of virtual screenings, running Jan. 20-30.

“We are anti-algorithm. That’s always been true, but it’s more urgent than ever as we continue to celebrate truly unique voices that defy simple classification and transcend analytics,” Peter Baxter, Slamdance president and co-founder, said in a statement announcing this year’s lineup.

“This year our programmers gravitated towards films that embody the true DIY spirit of guerrilla...

Neil Ferron’s horror script for “Fishmonger” took the Slamdance 2021 screenplay grand prize. “Fishmonger” is described as a supernatural dark comedy in which the titular vendor has to survive a sex pact with an ancient sea creature to save his mother’s soul from hell.

Other winners in the feature film, horror/thriller, TV pilot and shorts film categories were saluted during a livestreamed ceremony today co-presented by Writers Guild of America, West, and hosted by Slamdance alums Daniel Casey and Jessica Sinyard. In all, more than $16,000 was presented to winners across all categories.

“With over 5,000 submissions this year, it was a truly challenging task for our readers to whittle the competition down to these finalists, and our Grand Prize winner. We are not only inspired by our top 12 but also humbled by the many strong entries we received,” said Slamdance festival manager Adele Han Li.

The screenplay Mentorship Award...

Slamdance, the nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering filmmakers, announced a new film festival: Slamdance Miami, starting Oct. 23-30.

The festival will recognize emerging filmmakers from Central and South America, Florida and the Caribbean via an open-air, Covid-sensitve festival at the North Beach Bandshell in Miami, as well as on Slamdance’s virtual platform.

Slamdance Miami is a collaboration between Slamdance, its alumni and Miami’s arts leaders. The partnership has selected 18 films from filmmakers in nine countries representing the future of filmmaking from the Americas. The festival’s opening night film is “Malpaso,” directed by Héctor M. Valdez from the Dominican Republic.

“As an artist-led group, Slamdance is a community, a year round experience and a statement in which everyone is invited to take part,” said Slamdance co-founder and filmmaker Peter Baxter. “This much has shaped Slamdance Miami in our pursuit of supporting artists we believe are the future of filmmaking.

Event to run outdoors and on digital platform; ’Malpaso’ named opening selection.

Slamdance is launching a Miami off-shoot to showcase emerging filmmakers from Central and South America, the Caribbean and Florida that will run as a hybrid outdoor event this year from October 28-30.

The festival, which Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter, festival alumni and Miami arts leaders have been planning for three years, has been set up as an open air, “Covid-sensitive festival experience” at North Beach Bandshell in Miami, Florida, and will also play on Slamdance’s virtual platform.

The inaugural programme comprises 18 features and shorts from...

Participants must be fully vaccinated and will be required to show CDC vaccination card and picture ID.

Slamdance Film Festival 2021 grand jury winner Taipei Suicide Story and other fan favourites will be feted at an inaugural outdoor public showcase in California’s Joshua Tree from September 24-26.

Besides the major winner by Keff, the Slamdance Joshua Tree best of fest public event will also feature Justin Monroe’s audience award winner Holy Frit, Angela Wasko’s Workhouse Queen, End Of The Line: The Women Of Standing Rock by Shannon Kring, and short works from the inaugural Unstoppable programme created by filmmakers with disabilities.

Meagan Good, Karla Souza, Scott Adkins, Eric Lange, Zion Broadnax (Sydney to the Max), and Snoop Dogg have been added to the cast of Day Shift, the Netflix film which will mark the directorial debut of JJ Perry.

The new additions are joining previously announced stars Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Oliver Masucci, Steve Howey, and C.S. Lee.

Written by Tyler Tice with current revisions by Shay Hatten, the pic follows Foxx as a hard-working blue collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income, hunting and killing vampires...

After collaborating on a number of hit songs over the years, Snoop Dogg and Jamie Foxx are now teaming up for vampire-hunter film “Day Shift.”

Also joining the ensemble cast are Meagan Good and Karla Souza.

Foxx stars in the new Netflix movie as a hard working, blue collar dad who wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted 8-year-old daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income — hunting and killing vampires as part of an international union of vampire hunters.

J.J. Perry — known for his work as a second-unit director and stunt coordinator on films including “Fast 9,” “The Fate of the Furious,” “Bloodshot,” and the “John Wick” franchise — makes his directorial debut with the pic. “Day Shift” is written by Tyler Tice with current revisions by Shay Hatten.

Producers are Chad Stahelski (“John Wick” franchise) and Jason Spitz for 87Eleven Entertainment,...

Exclusive: Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Oliver Masucci, Steve Howey and C.S. Lee are set to join Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s Day Shift. J.J. Perry, best known for his work as a second unit director and stunt coordinator on films like The Fast and the Furious and Bloodshot, will make his directorial debut on the film.

Tyler Tice penned the script with current revisions by Shay Hatten. The film follows a hard-working blue-collar dad (Foxx) who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool-cleaning job is a front for his real source of income: hunting and killing vampires as part of an international union of vampire hunters.

Chad Stahelski and Jason Spitz will produce for 87Eleven Entertainment along with Shaun Redick & Yvette Yates Redick for Impossible Dream Entertainment. Foxx and Datari Turner will exec produce as will Peter Baxter.

The film “Taipei Suicide Story,” a drama about a “suicide hotel” in Taiwan, has won the top prize from the 2021 Slamdance Film Festival.

The film, written and directed by Keff, won the Narrative Grand Jury Prize Award as well as the Audience Award and the Acting Prize for the film’s star Tender Huang.

“Taipei Suicide Story” follows a receptionist at a suicide hotel who forms a fleeting friendship with a woman who can’t decide if she wants to live or die. The film was also a selection of Cannes 2020.

The Slamdance jurors described “Taipei Suicide Story” as a film that “is concise and emotionally effective as it portrays isolation with humanity and complex pathos.” The jury was composed of Carlos Aguilar, Kier-La Janisse and Jennifer Reeder, and the jury also gave an honorable mention to the film “A Family” directed by Jayden Stevens.

This year’s Slamdance was...

Exclusive: Tilane Jones, President of inclusive film collective Array, was honored with the Slamdance Founders Award on Saturday during a virtual presentation. The award is Slamdance’s highest accolade and Jones is the fifth recipient to receive the award. Previous winners include Chris Nolan, The Russo brothers and Steven Soderbergh.

The Founders Award is given to an individual that supports the filmmaker community of Slamdance well into their careers.

“Tilane has helped our community of artists grow through recognizing talent, launching and sustaining careers,” said Peter Baxter, President and co-founder of Slamdance. “We recognize she has worked tirelessly, with great dedication to nurture emerging artists who become the next generation of filmmakers. We want to thank Tilane and her company Array for her ongoing support of these artists, inspiration and being part of Slamdance’s community. For these reasons, we are honored to present Tilane Jones with Slamdance’s Founders Award.

More than just about any existing film festival, Slamdance was started with an eye toward inclusion. In the case of the Park City festival, which was founded as a more freewheeling alternative to Sundance back in 1995, that sense of inclusion largely pertained to the filmmakers themselves: first-timers, experimentalists and enterprising directors without much in the way of resources to have their films shown in a proper theatrical environment. For Slamdance’s president and co-founder Peter Baxter, however, the ongoing pandemic provided an opportunity to consider how its open-door policy ought to work both ways.

“Independent film should be seen as inclusive, but in a lot of ways it’s been very exclusive,” Baxter says. “You look at film festivals, you look at Park City — you’re in a privileged situation if you’re able to go to Park City and experience Sundance and Slamdance. The travel, accommodations, time away from...

Isaac Photo: Courtesy of Tallinn Black Nights The Slamdance Film Festival has announced its full line-up of 25 features and 107 shorts. The festival, which usually happens alongside Sundance in January, has moved to February this year and will run from the 12th to 25th.

While most of the screenings will be via a virtual platform, the festiva lhas announced it will also include an invite-only Joshua Tree retreat focused on safely bringing the Slamdance community together timed to the opening festival dates and a series of public drive-in screenings (still subject to ongoing Covid safety protocols and quarantine).

An new programme, Unstoppable, has also been announced, which aims to showcase the work of creators with disabilities.

Festival president and co-founder Peter Baxter said: “Our theme this year was inspired by the incredible resilience and creativity evidenced by our community and our team over the past few unprecedented months. The shared journey ahead for Slamdance’s filmmakers,...

The 2021 Slamdance Film Festival will go virtual this year for its 27th edition. On Monday, the event unveiled its full lineup of features, shorts and episodics, including a brand new program dedicated to showcasing creators with disabilities.

Next year’s Slamdance will run Feb. 12-25, and the full festival — including all films, panels and Q&As — will be available online. Additionally, festival passes will be available for free until Dec. 31 and for $10 thereafter until the end of the festival.

Slamdance will also host a two-night drive-in event in Joshua Tree, Calif. on Feb. 13 and 14, as well as a closing night screening at a Los Angeles drive-in on Feb. 25.

Slamdance’s newest program is called “Unstoppable,” and it will feature 22 short films from up-and-coming disabled filmmakers, or ones that feature actors with disabilities or highlight the conversation of disabilities in today’s world. “Unstoppable” is entirely programmed by disabled artists, and...

Like all festivals, the Slamdance Film Festival is set to shift to a hybrid fest for its 27th edition — but it isn’t holding back on its programming as it will feature 20 feature film premieres while highlighting diverse voices and accessibility. With the theme “Greenlight Yourself,” the indie-driven fest will also launch a new program titled Unstoppable, a showcase for creators with disabilities.

The fest will run February 12-25, 2021 with all films, Q&As and panels available virtually via Slamdance.com, AppleTV, Roku, Firestick, and YouTube. In addition, there will be a two-night drive-in presentation in Joshua Tree, CA open to the public on February 13-14 as well as the closing-night screening at a Los Angeles drive-in on February 25.

“Our theme this year was inspired by the incredible resilience and creativity evidenced by our community and our team over the past few unprecedented months,” said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter.

The Slamdance Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of 25 features along with 107 shorts and episodics for the mostly virtual 27th edition of the festival — a number that equals previous editions of the festival.

The opening night film, which will screen at a drive-in in Joshua Tree on Feb. 13, is the world premiere of “No Trace” (Nulle Trace) from Canadian director and screenwriter Simon Lavoie. Taking place in a near future, the film follows a callous smuggler hardened by life who guides a pious young woman and her child across the border to safety, unaware that their destinies are inescapably linked in an inhospitable land.

The festival will close with the world premiere screening of “18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story” at a Los Angeles drive-in on Feb. 25. The feature documentary by Stephen DeBro is the story of Los Angeles told through the prism of a historic fight palace and Aileen Eaton,...

Virtual festival runs February 12-25, 2021, includes 107 shorts, episodics.

Canadian drama No Trace and documentary 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story bookend a 25-strong feature line-up at the upcoming virtual Slamdance Film Festival 2021, which is also unveiling a new section for creators with disabilities.

The festival runs from February 12-25, 2021, and includes 107 shorts and episodics.

All films, Q&a’s and panels will be available on Slamdance.com, and select platforms. The opening and closing night screenings take place at drive-ins at Joshua Tree and Los Angeles, respectively, and there are public, two-night drive-in screenings in Joshua Tree on February 13 and...

Jamie Foxx is reteaming with Netflix after having recently starred in the streamer’s Project Power to headline another movie exclusive to the platform, this one a comedy in which he plays a vampire hunter.

Day Shift, as the film is titled, will see Oscar-winning actor and box office draw Foxx as its star. However, the director’s chair will be occupied by an untested talent in J.J. Perry, a second unit and stunt coordinator from major films such as Fast & Furious 9, The Fate of the Furious, Bloodshot and the John Wick franchise. Perry will work off a script by burgeoning screenwriter Tyler Tice that was revised by Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum). Pertinent to the former credit, Chad Stahelski, who directed the John Wick films, is serving as a producer here.

Foxx’s starring role in Day Shift is being officially described as “a hard working,...

Jamie Foxx will star in and executive produce “Day Shift” for Netflix, the streamer announced on Tuesday.

JJ Perry, a second unit director and stunt coordinator whose credits include “Fast & Furious 9,” “The Fate of the Furious” and the “John Wick” franchise, will make his directorial debut with “Day Shift.”

Tyler Tice wrote the screenplay, with current revisions by Shay Hatten (“John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum”). Producers are Chad Strahelski (“John Wick”) and Jason Spitz for 87Eleven Entertainment, and Shaun Redick (“Get Out”) and Yvette Yates Redick for Impossible Dream Entertainment. Foxx is executive producing alongside producing partner Datari Turner and Peter Baxter.

In “Day Shift,” Foxx stars as a hard-working, blue-collar dad who wants to provide for his 8-year-old daughter — but his regular job cleaning pools in the San Fernando Valley is just a front for his real source of income: hunting and killing vampires.

The deal extends...

Jamie Foxx is back at Netflix with Day Shift, a vampire hunter feature which is being directed by first-time feature director JJ Perry. John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski and Jason Spitz are producing for 87Eleven Entertainment along with Shaun Redick (BlackKklansman) and Yvette Yates Redick (Malicious) for Impossible Dream Entertainment.

Foxx, who also serves as an executive producer, will star as a hard-working blue-collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted 8-year old daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income, hunting and killing vampires.

Tyler Tice penned the original script, which was discovered by the Impossible Dream team when Tice won the Slamdance Writing Competition Grand Prize. The current revisions are by Shay Hatten, the screenwriter behind John Wick: Chapter 3, and the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4 as well as Zack Snyder...

Jamie Foxx is starring in and executive producing the Netflix vampire comedy “Day Shift,” with JJ Perry making his directorial debut.

Foxx will portray a hard working, blue collar dad who wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted 8-year-old daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income — hunting and killing vampires. The script is written by Tyler Tice with current revisions by Shay Hatten (“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum”).

Producers are Chad Stahelski (“John Wick” franchise) and Jason Spitz for 87Eleven Entertainment; Shaun Redick (“Get Out”) and Yvette Yates Redick for Impossible Dream Entertainment. Foxx is executive producing with Datari Turner and Peter Baxter.

Foxx won a best actor Oscar for “Ray” and was nominated in the supporting actor category for “Collateral.” He also starred in the legal drama “Just Mercy” and nabbed the supporting actor trophy at...