YOUTUBE EXPANDS PRESENCE AT 2017 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
Featuring First-Ever YouTube Red Original Film Premiere at Festival, Activations on Main Street & Programs with Sundance Institute
YouTube Returns as Official Sponsor of the Shorts Program
for the Fifth Consecutive Year
January 17, 2016 (San Bruno, CA) — YouTube expands its presence at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival with its biggest footprint to date to celebrate creative storytelling and fresh new voices. Anchored by the world premiere of This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous — the first YouTube Red Original film to premiere at the Festival as an official selection — activations this year also include YouTube’s return as the official sponsor of the Shorts Programs for the fifth consecutive year, the YouTube House on Main Street and other programming in collaboration with the Sundance Institute.
“YouTube is committed to actively supporting the work of risk-taking storytellers worldwide, and we’re incredibly proud that Sundance Film Festival audiences will be the first to watch Barbara Kopple’s searing vision of a courageous young woman with the world premiere of This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous,” said Danielle Tiedt, Chief Marketing Officer of YouTube. “Through our various activations, we hope to shine a spotlight on the Festival’s amazing storytellers and highlight how YouTube is a tremendous resource for the independent creative community.”
YouTube’s presence at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival is its largest to date and includes:
2017 Sundance Film Festival Documentary World Premiere – This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous
A YouTube Red Original film directed by two-time Oscar® award winner Barbara Kopple and executive produced by SelectNext, This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous portrays the intimate journey of Gigi Gorgeous (Gigi Loren Lazzarato). With never-before-seen personal footage, the film provides a raw and revealing look into a life that never compromises happiness, and spotlights a family’s unwavering and unconditional love for a child.
This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous World Premiere
Tuesday, January 24, 2017; 5:30pm
The Marc, Park City, UT
Additional screening dates/times available at: http://www.sundance.org/
YouTube Presents the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Shorts Program
For the fifth year in a row, YouTube presents the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Shorts program that showcases short-form independent cinema. As part of this sponsorship, YouTube will host the opening reception for the Festival Shorts Directors at the YouTube House on Main Street and present the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Short Awards on January 24, which will be live streamed on www.sundance.org.
Sundance Institute | YouTube Creators Intensive
Marking the second year of this program, a new class of YouTube creators has been selected to participate in this two-part program that begins on-site at the 2017 Sundance Feature Film Festival with the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter, followed by a 3-day workshop this spring at YouTube Space LA. With the Institute’s world-renowned Labs serving as a model that includes collaborating with some of Hollywood’s top writers and showrunners, this immersive experience is designed to support YouTube creators as they develop new series and films and participants are eligible for a first look deal with YouTube Red Originals. Creators selected for this year’s workshop include Thomas “TomSka” Ridgewell, T Pindell, Eric Ochoa, Brittany Furlan, Tre Melvin, Mikey Murphy, Natalie Tran, Meredith Foster , Jenn McAllister and Adrian Bliss.
Sundance Institute | YouTube New Voices Lab
For over thirty years, Sundance Institute has supported and championed many leading independent storytellers through their year-round Labs. The Sundance Institute | YouTube New Voices Lab continues for a second year and will take place November 9-11, 2017 at YouTube Space LA. Fellows who are accepted into the program will work with an accomplished group of creators, showrunners and episodic producers to develop scripted projects for digital platforms in an environment that encourages risk-taking, experimentation and innovation. Afterwards, Fellows will have access to Sundance Institute’s Alumni community, along with customized, year-round creative and strategic support. Applications open in February 2017. For more information, visit sundance.org/episodic
2017 Sundance Film Festival Hosted Presentation: YouTube and Using Your Platform for Change
Join YouTube stars Gigi Gorgeous, Tyler Oakley, along with Publisher of VICE Impact Katherine Keating and others for a discussion on how they are using their storytelling skills and multimedia platforms to advocate and affect change.
Panel: YouTube and Using Your Platform for Change
Saturday, January 21, 2017; 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Cinetransformer Mobile Theater
5th Street (btwn Main Street and Swede Alley), Park City, UT
YouTube House on Main Street – Panels and Events
From January 19-24, the YouTube House on Main Street will be open daily for festival goers and offers a wide range of programming — some public and some for invitees only, including panels, receptions, fireside chats, screenings, private events featuring music performances from artists including R&B singer Kehlani, platinum-selling singer-songwriter gnash, singer-songwriter Molly Kate Kestner, and DJ Kiss, as well as public demos of Daydream, Google’s VR offering, featuring the YouTube VR app and more. Light refreshments will also be served throughout the day. Daydream demos will also be available in the New Frontier space.
YouTube House at Sundance
449 Main St, Park City, UT 84060
January 19-24, 2017
Note: Location is usually known as Robert Kelly Home and Interior Design
The current schedule will be available online at: yt.be/sundance2017
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Date |
Time |
Events |
|
Thursday, January 19 |
10:00am-2:00pm Evening |
Open House – featuring demos of Daydream, Open to the Public Official 2017 Sundance Film Festival Shorts Directors Reception, Invite Only |
|
Friday, January 20 |
10:00am-2:00pm 5:30-6:30pm Evening |
Open House – featuring demos of Daydream, Open to the Public Panel: Hosted by Variety: Made You Look: Storytelling in VR, Open to the Public Made You Look: Storytelling in VR VR provides new ways for filmmakers and YouTube creators to connect more closely with their fans, offering new perspectives on their worlds, passions and interests. Panelists include: Jonnie Ross, Chief Creative Officer of Mindshow; Paul Raphael, Lead Artist of Miyubi; Gus Sorola, Co-founder, Rooster Teeth; Jamie Byrne, Director of Creators and VR initiatives, YouTube. Moderated by Andrew Wallenstein, Co-Editor in Chief, Variety YouTube Music Showcase with gnash and Molly Kate Kestner, Invite Only |
|
Saturday, January 21 |
10:00am-12:30pm Afternoon Evening |
Open House – featuring demos of Daydream, Open to the Public Reception for Brands @ Sundance, Invite Only |
|
Sunday, January 22 |
10:00am-12:30pm 6:00pm – 8:00pm |
Open House – featuring demos of Daydream, Open to the Public A Conversation with Dan Harmon, Open to the Public Dan Harmon, the writer, producer, and hilarious mind behind Community, Rick & Morty, and Harmonquest, dishes on how he got his start in comedy and where he’s headed next (hint: YouTube Red). |
|
Monday, January 23 |
1:30pm-2:30pm 4:00pm-6:00pm Evening |
Panel: Documentary Storytelling and Social Change: A conversation with the cast and director of This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, Open to the Public Join transgender YouTube star Gigi Gorgeous and director Barbara Kopple, along with Gigi’s dad David Lazzarato, Tim Shey from YouTube Red Originals and Sarah McBride, Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign and a Trans Activist, as they talk about Gigi’s new film and the importance of documentary storytelling to educate audiences and impact social change. Panel: Hosted by The Wrap: How to Make Your Indie Rise in the Age of Digital, Open to the Public Independent film is more popular than ever, because now that all you need is an iPhone, anyone can make a feature. But formats are changing as quickly as the platforms that show them, and the savvy filmmaker needs to know the ins and outs of how to make, sell and distribute her film. Come hear from the experts in digital, including John Sloss, founder, Cinetic Media; Jay Cohen, Partner and Head of Film Finance and Distribution, The Gersh Agency; Matthew Rhodes, President, Rhodes Entertainment; Tim Shey, Head of Scripted, YouTube Red Originals and Oscar-winning documentarian, Barbara Kopple. Moderated by Sharon Waxman, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, The Wrap. Panel conducted in collaboration with UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television YouTube Event and Music Showcase, Invite Only |
|
Tuesday, January 24 |
10:00am-12:00pm 1:00pm-3:00pm Evening |
Open House – featuring demos of Daydream, Open to the Public Panel: Hosted by Mashable: New Voices in Comedy, Open to the Public If you haven’t heard the names Liza Koshy, Eva Gutowski, and Rhett & Link, you probably should have. These top YouTube creators, each with their own unique styles of comedy and a following in the millions, are shattering the mold of traditional comedy formats and redefining what it means to entertain…one upload at a time. Join these YouTube stars along with Ben Relles, Head of Comedy, YouTube Originals. Moderated by Josh Dickey, Entertainment Editor for Mashable. This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous World Premiere Party, Invite Only |
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