Slamdance is celebrating its 28th year as the other film festival held in January in Park City. The festival is back for 2022 and will take place live from January 20-23, at its traditional home, the Treasure Mountain Inn on upper Main Street. The virtual festival will run January 20th to 30th.
Next month’s film lineup includes 28 features and 79 shorts. The feature films are virtually all premieres, and span the globe, including six North American entries.
Traditionally, Slamdance is lower-budget and lower profile than Sundance.
Organizers said that’s still the case. Following their usual format, the premieres are directorial debuts, which have no U.S. distribution, and were made for budgets under a million dollars.
The program was selected by a panel of Slamdance alumni. Counting both features and shorts, the group considered more than 8000 submissions.
In Slamdance's program of 10 narrative films, the protagonists are coping with, among other things, death, the existence of God and graduation from college. On the quirky side, the program also includes a film from Macedonia and Cyprus, entitled "Snow White Dies in the End."
In the documentary program, comprised of nine films, subjects include an underground dog shelter in Iran; a Polish mixed-martial-arts fighter competing in Vegas; and a Vermont farmer who dreams of driving dog sleds in Alaska.
Slamdance also features two special programs. The "Breakouts" section is devoted to filmmakers who are not making their debuts, but who demonstrate determined and original visions.
Also, the program "Unstoppable" highlights filmmakers dealing with disabilities.
For the live screenings and events, masks and proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required for attendees. Go to slamdance.com for more information.