The official deadline for submissions for the 2018 Sundance Film Festival is less than a month away, but the Sundance Institute made a number of unexpected summer announcements regarding the next edition of the fest.
First off, the studio unveiled a new logo for the festival (pictured above) which they note was designed with 15 students from the ArtCenter College of Art and Design in Pasadena. Hint, picking the students at Otis or CalArts might have been a better choice. The festival noted, “Their concept reflects the idea that the Festival is a ‘disruptive celebration of imperfection,’ using bold color and language to highlight the very human emotions we experience through storytelling. The entirely text-based campaign opens up interactivity with audiences, and the colors signify the heat the Festival brings to Winter.” That’s fine in theory, but in reality the logo feels like a step back with a late ’60s, early ’70s serif font (shudder) that feels more like an early Bernie Sanders campaign poster than a modern film festival logo. The festival has been working with the same graphic look for over a decade and while change is always good there is something to be said for keeping it somewhat classic let alone consistent.
Second, the Festival revealed that for the first time a “Festival Favorite” award will be handed out at the end of the event. The award will encompass all films at the festival as opposed to the long running Audience Awards for each section. It appears those Audience Awards for each section will still be handed out. The benefit of this award is that it allows for recognition for an out of competition title in the Premieres section. Notable films that have debuted at Sundance out of competition over the years include Oscar nominees “Brooklyn,” “Boyhood” and “The Kids Are All Right.”
Third, and perhaps most intriguing, the Festival has announced a new “Indie Episodic” section specifically for stories told in multiple installments. Episodic programming that has screened at Sundance in recent years includes “O.J.: Made in America,” “Transparent,” “Top of the Lake,” “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” “Animals,” “Gente-fied,” “The Chances” and “Strangers.” The addition of this section – which will likely have at least its own Audience Award – could increase the number of high profile series that debut or screen at the festival.
Fourth, the Institute announced the return of the “The New Climate” section. As noted in the festival’s release, “In 2017 the Festival hosted The New Climate strand of feature films, documentaries, Virtual Reality experiences and high-profile panels exploring the environment and climate change, and it will extend this strand through 2018.”
Notable films that screened at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival include “Call Me By Your Name,” “Patti Cake$,” “STEP,” “God’s Own Country,” “A Ghost Story,” “An Inconvenient Sequel,” “Beatriz at Dinner,” “The Big Sick” and “Mudbound.”
The 2018 Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan 18-28, 2018 in Park City, Utah.
