Michael McDonough on set shooting the 3D
film The Mortician. He is also a Gotham and Spirit
Awards nominee for best cinematography.
Jody Lee Lipes. Spirit Award Nominee Best
Cinematography for Tiny Furniture
This year line-up includes Vera Farmiga's directorial debut "Higher Ground" lensed by "Winter's Bone" cinematographer Matthew Mc Donough and T.S Durkin's "Martha Marcy May Marlene" lensed by "Tiny Furniture" cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes.
On Day One, the Festival will forego the convention of one opening night film and instead screen one narrative film and one documentary from both the U.S. and World Cinema competitions, as well as one shorts program.
John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival said, “The Festival is a challenge to narrowly define. It is all at once exciting, fun, crazy, engaging, visceral, and sometimes even painful. We can explain storylines, we can share what we know of each artist’s unique journey, but ultimately what we will experience for 10 days in January is different for each of us. It’s the spark from the filmmakers – their passion – that brings 200 unique worlds to life and, in turn, ignites the audience. The films, conversations, encounters are there to experience. And that’s what makes Sundance so magical.”
Trevor Groth, Director of Programming, “Knowing how difficult it is to get a film made anywhere, and given that the number of submissions was higher than ever, it is a testament to the passion and creativity of filmmakers everywhere that they are able to preserve and stay true to their vision. The caliber of films submitted this year was exceptional and made for exhilarating discussion among the programmers. Now that discussion gets turned over to the audience.”
Director of the Sundance Film Festival John Cooper (L)
and Sundance Institute President and Founder Robert Redford
speak onstage during the Opening Day Press Conference
at the Egyptian Theatre during the 2010 Sundance Film
Festival on January 21, 2010 in Park City, Utah.
Trevor Groth, Director of Programming, “Knowing how difficult it is to get a film made anywhere, and given that the number of submissions was higher than ever, it is a testament to the passion and creativity of filmmakers everywhere that they are able to preserve and stay true to their vision. The caliber of films submitted this year was exceptional and made for exhilarating discussion among the programmers. Now that discussion gets turned over to the audience.”
For the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, 115 feature-length films were selected, representing 28 countries by 40 first-time filmmakers, including 25 in competition. These films were selected from 3,812 feature-length film submissions composed of 1,943 U.S. and 1,869 international feature-length films. 92 films at the Festival will be world premieres. In a break with tradition, Festival Director John Cooper will Live-Chat with filmmakers, fans and press and answer questions about the announcement on Weds. Dec 1 at 1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT exclusively at http://www.sundance.org/live/.
Click here for a completed list of films selected for competition.
