A still from "Skywalkers: A Love Story" by Jeff Zimbalist, an official selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute

PARK CITY, Utah — Join the Sundance Institute July 17-21 for their Sundance Film Festival: Local Lens screenings and events.

“Local Lens is something we have been doing for a really long time, I think for about 20 years. It’s changed over time, but the base concept remains that it is free screenings to our Utah audiences and that it is a way for us to give back to the community there,” said Basil Tsiokos, senior programmer at Sundance Film Festival. “We try within nine titles to pick some that reflect overall what we do and connect to the audience… Music documentaries usually do well in an outdoor setting. ENO is a very creative documentary…it’s ultimately a film about a musician, about the creative process and has such great clips about David Bowie and U2.”

Schedule

Park City locations include The Ray Theatre and City Park, and Salt Lake County locations include Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre, Broadway Centre Cinemas, and Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City, as well as Megaplex Theatres at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City.

Filmmaking Deep Dive

Local Utah filmmakers have the opportunity to participate in a “Filmmaking Deep Dive” event led by programmers from the Sundance Film Festival. Building on the success of their pitch event last summer, the Sundance Institute is delighted to offer filmmakers seeking project feedback an opportunity to connect with fellow creatives, gain invaluable insights, and for a selection to pitch their projects to a panel of experts.

Artist Event – Filmmaking Deep Dive: Honing Your Pitch With Industry Insights
July 20 at 10 a.m. at Megaplex Theatres at Valley Fair Mall, 3620 S. 2400 W., West Valley City, UT 84119

This event is geared toward fiction or nonfiction directors, producers, editors, and other artists but is also open to the general public upon RSVP. The Filmmaking Deep Dive event offers an opportunity for filmmakers of all levels to learn about the pitching process, connect with fellow creatives, obtain invaluable insights, and for a select number to have the chance to pitch their projects to a panel of experts. The panel will include Layla writer-director Amrou Al-Kadhi, producer Mali Elfman, and producer Donna Gruneich. In addition to the pitching session, there will be a discussion offering best practices for a creative pitch led by Basil Tsiokos (Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival) and a Q & A with Eugene Hernandez (Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming) and Basil Tsiokos, followed by casual networking with attendees. If interested in being considered for the pitching session, please provide information about your project when registering for the event.

Audience Choice Screening Winner

Local Lens is part of Sundance Institute’s rich history in Utah, supporting engaging new stories and groundbreaking independent artists by bringing audiences together. A few months ago, Utahns were invited to vote for the movie for the Audience Choice Screening. The winner is “20 Feet from Stardom,” directed by Morgan Neville. It premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and later won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It will be shown outdoors at the Gallivan Center on the final day of Local Lens.

July 21 at 9:15 p.m. 20 Feet from Stardom at Gallivan Center – Outdoor Screening, 239 S. Main St. Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Get your free tickets now

Reserve your screenings now. Be sure to check out titles featuring Aubrey Plaza, musician Brian Eno, Joan Chen, Maddie Ziegler, Meghann Fahy, Melissa Barrera, and more, in addition to breakout directing and performances from films that were discovered and premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, which celebrated the 40th edition held in Utah.