Frozen River, King of Ping Pong, Man on Wire and Trouble the Water Earn Top Jury Prizes; Audience Favorites Feature Captain Abu Raed, Fields of Fuel, Man on Wire and The Wackness

Park City, UT–The jury and audience award-winners of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival were announced at the Festival’s closing Awards Ceremony hosted by William H. Macy in Park City, Utah. Films receiving jury awards were selected from the four feature-length Documentary and Dramatic competition categories by distinguished jurors. Films in these categories were also eligible for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Audience Awards as selected by Film Festival audiences. Highlights from the Awards Ceremony can be seen on the Sundance Channel, the Official Television Network of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, beginning Sunday, January 27 as well as on the Festival website, www.sundance.org/festival. more

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Andrew Herwitz, president of the The Film Sales Company, announced that the company has acquired worldwide (less UK) sales and US distribution rights to the documentary Derek. Directed by famed artist and filmmaker Issac Julien (Looking for Langston, Young Soul Rebels), the film was written and is narrated by 2007 Academy Award Nominee Tilda Swinton. Funded by Film London, Channel 4, MoMA and the Sundance Documentary Fund, the film was produced by Eliza Mellor and Colin MacCabe and executive produced by Swinton and James Mackay. more

AND ANNOUNCES NEW DIGITAL DEALS FOR DOWNLOADABLE FILMS

Press Release

Website Announces Digital Rights to 20 Highly Acclaimed Foreign Films from Pyramide International

Partners with FilmAid International

FilmCatcher.com, which aims to bring attention to the freshest cinema while highlighting excellent and often under-appreciated films, debuts at the Filmcatcher Cyber Lounge in Park City, UT during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Hosting a newly designed home page, new community functionality and deeper editorial coverage, Filmcatcher.com becomes the destination website for discovering, viewing and discussing smart films with smart people. The site is devoted to all aspects of American independent and foreign language film and serves as a place where people can congregate and communicate about the best of past and present films. Composed of an experienced team of veteran indie film players, Filmcatcher.com has secured its first ever digital distribution deals with Pyramide International and Originial Thinkers and has partnered with FilmAid International. The curated site offers exclusive editorial coverage of art house films, on-camera interviews with cutting-edge filmmakers and actors, in-depth festival coverage, insightful reviews, unique celebrity picks and profiles of the independent film community. more

Press Release

Park City, UT – Sundance Institute today announced the Sundance Creative Producing Initiative, a new Fellowship program for emerging American independent producers. The announcement was made today during the Producers Lunch at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Veteran film producer Paul Mezey (MARIA FULL OF GRACE, SUGAR) gave the keynote address at the event which was attended by more than 150 independent producers. more

Press Release

HBO Documentary Films has acquired all US domestic rights for ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED, a documentary about the legendary director whose reputation became forever tarnished after his public conviction of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The film is directed, written and produced by Marina Zenovich, executive produced by Steven Soderbergh and Randy Wooten and produced by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Lila Yacoub. ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED is in Documentary Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and is already a critics’ favorite. more

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SpeedGrade DI Goes to Sundance

Park City, Utah: January 21, 2008 … Captain Abu Raed, the first feature film entry from Jordan, will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2008. Written and directed by Amin Matalqa, Captain Abu Raed was shot on the ARRI D20 and finished with SpeedGrade DI. Read on at The Briefing Room

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SCREEN MEDIA FILMS AND THE CREATIVE COALITION LAUNCH THE SPOTLIGHT INITIATIVE

PARK CITY, UT (January 19, 2008) - The Creative Coalition, the leading social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community, will host cocktails, dining and entertainment to launch its Spotlight Initiative with Screen Media Films, a distributor of independent films. Read on at The Briefing Room

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Press Release

Sundance Institute announced the launch of DocSource, a new website designed to extend the Sundance Documentary Film Program’s support for contemporary social issue documentary storytellers into the virtual arena. The site launched today in conjunction with the 2008 Sundance Film Festival at www.sundance.org/docsource. The 2008 Sundance Film Festival runs January 17-27, 2008 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah. more

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Technicolor Provides Services for 15 Films Premiering at 2008 Sundance Film Festival

BURBANK, CA – (January 18, 2008) – Thomson announced that its Technicolor Services division provided services for 15 theatrical features premiering at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, which began Jan. 16 and continues through Jan. 24 in Park City, Utah. Sundance remains the preeminent showcase for independent filmmaking, bringing together a remarkable assemblage of films from around the world. Read on at The Briefing Room

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2008 Sundance Film Festival to Feature Works of Several Avid Customers

PARK CITY, Utah, January 17, 2008 – Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVID) today announced that a wide variety of independent filmmakers used Avid products to create films selected for this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which will take place in Park City, Utah, from Jan. 17 – 27. Avid will also host a series of stage presentations in the New Frontier on Main Street–with special guests including famed Director/Producer Doug Liman (The Bourne Ultimatum, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Swingers) and Editor Kevin Tent (Sideways), amongst others. Read on at The Briefing Room

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