Jason Blum, founder and CEO of horror film production company Blumhouse, first came to Sundance in 1992. That year Blum said he and Ethan Hawke nearly missed the screening for “Reality Bites” after their SUV got stuck in a snowbank.
“Sundance is a vital, vital part of the entertainment ecosystem and I think it’s undervalued in that way,” Blum said. “Without Sundance, the United States would not be where it is in entertainment, and I really think not enough people make that connection.”
Blum now sits on the Sundance board of trustees. He led a panel at the Filmmaker Lodge on Main Street Thursday morning to kick off the 40th edition of the festival.
Blum has had his own run of success at Sundance, most notably in 2017, when his company premiered “Get Out.”
“Before it screened here, all of us really didn’t know what we had,” Blum said. “We knew it was different. We knew it was special. But we had no idea what audiences would think about it. And the first-ever screening with a public audience was here at the library, and people went crazy… that’s what started the whole thing. That’s what gave all of us confidence.”
Blum also helped bring “Whiplash” to Sundance in 2014. The jazz drama starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons ranks No. 1 on Sundance’s top 10 list of festival films from the past 40 years.
Sundance Director of Programming Kim Yutani said 95% of this year’s program are world premieres. 80% of the films do not have distributors, setting the stage for potential acquisitions during the festival.
Sundance Film Festival Director Eugene Hernandez said he’s hopeful about the buyer’s market in Park City this year.
“In doing my own reporting the last few weeks talking to different buyers and sellers checking in about how things look, I hear an enthusiasm” Hernandez said. “Everyone I’ve talked to said they’re showing up looking to connect with and to consider films for distribution. We have a slate that is ready to meet its audience.”
Blum offered his own opinion.
“The market should be very, very healthy,” he said. “One of the positive things about the strike is that a lot of movies that might have struggled, shouldn’t because there’s so many holes in the release schedule. So I hope that a bunch of Sundance movies wind up in theaters quickly, in the next six months.”
Film premieres began throughout Park City Thursday afternoon with Sundance Institute’s major fundraising gala Thursday night at the DeJoria Center in Kamas. Christopher Nolan and Kristen Stewart are among the honorees.
Tune in for the Sundance Reel on KPCW. Our veteran crew of film industry insiders will bring fresh interviews with filmmakers, writers, directors and even Irish musicians. It’s weekdays from 9-10 a.m., and weekends from 10– 11 a.m. starting Jan. 19 to Jan. 26.
The Sundance Film Festival runs through Jan. 28 in Park City and Salt Lake City.
