A hub of creativity, the Sundance Film Festival features filmmakers who aren’t afraid to break new ground. While much attention is paid to how the stories unfold in front of the camera, filmmakers continue to innovate and push creative boundaries after filming wraps.
Adobe is proud to report that 21 films debuting at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival were cut with Adobe Premiere Pro CC, more than doubling the number of films edited on Premiere Pro from last year’s festival. The seamless integration with Adobe After Effects CC, as well as the native editing, speed, and affordability of Premiere Pro make it an ideal choice for both up-and-coming and experienced filmmakers.
“There’s been such a change in terms of how Adobe Premiere Pro CC is perceived between when I cut C.O.G. on Adobe Premiere Pro in 2012 and today,” says Kyle Patrick Alvarez, whose film The Stanford Prison Experiment will premiere at the festival. “It’s exciting to see that change. It was alien to cut on Adobe Premiere Pro CC two years ago, but today it’s fairly commonplace.”
Bill Roberts, senior director of product management for video at Adobe, applauds the filmmakers who have put in the hard work to make it to Sundance. “We are thrilled to provide tools that independent filmmakers use to bring their stories to the screen,” he says. “Adobe is committed to providing filmmakers with a tightly integrated set of creative tools that offer the most productive workflow regardless of how big or small their production budget is.”
Additionally, Adobe will be hosting a panel at the Sundance Film Festival discussing how technology is blurring the lines between indie and Hollywood filmmaking. The panel features Rob Legato (Misery Loves Comedy [Sundance Film Festival 2015], The Wolf of Wall Street, HUGO, AVATAR), Kyle Patrick Alvarez (The Stanford Prison Experiment [Sundance Film Festival 2015], C.O.G. [Sundance Film Festival 2013], Easier with Practice), and Dave Ginsberg, CTO of the Sundance Institute. Learn more about the panel and register to watch it streamed live online.
Below is a listing of the films edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CC that will premiere in Park City. In the lead up to the festival, we’ll be talking with many of the films’ directors and editors to learn about their projects and the role Adobe software played in bringing them to the big screen.
Misery Loves Comedy (Special Events) – Director: Kevin Pollak, Screenwriters: Kevin Pollak, John Varhous
Do you have to be miserable to be funny? Children cry, “Hey, look at me,” but who turns that into a profession? Over 50 funny people, like Tom Hanks, Larry David, Jimmy Fallon, Judd Apatow, and Amy Schumer share pain-filled insights from a life in pursuit of laughter. Cast: Tom Hanks, Larry David, Amy Schumer, Jimmy Fallon, Judd Apatow, Jim Gaffigan. World Premiere
The Stanford Prison Experiment (US Dramatic Competition) – Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott
Based on the actual events that took place in 1971, when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Advantageous (US Dramatic Competition) – Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang
In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
Being Evel (US Documentary Competition) – Director: Daniel Junge
Millions know the man, but few know his story. Academy Award-winner Daniel Junge (Saving Face) and actor/producer Johnny Knoxville take a candid look at American daredevil and icon Robert “Evel” Knievel while also reflecting on our voracious public appetite for heroes and spectacle.
Fresh Dressed (Documentary Premieres) – Director: Sacha Jenkins
The history of hip-hop fashion from its birth in the South Bronx to its rise as a billion-dollar global industry, Fresh Dressed is supported by rich archival materials, in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution, and the outsiders who study and admire them.
Things of the Aimless Wanderer (New Frontier) – Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza
A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
Cop Car (Park City at Midnight) – Director Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts
Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
Short Films:
Every Day, Director Gabe Spitzer
Followers, Director Tim Marshall
Greenland, Director Oren Gerner
Hotel 22, Director Elizabeth Lo
Making it in America, Director Joris Debeij
OM Rider, Director Takeshi Murata
Palm Rot, Director Ryan Gillis
Papa Machette, Director Jonathan David Kane
Russian Roulette, Director Ben Aston
Symphony no.42, Director Réka Bucsi
Storm hits jacket, Director Paul Cabon
The Sun Like a Big Dark Animal, Director Christina Felisgrau, Ronnie Rivera
The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul, Director Kitty Green
The Collectors: Beekeeper, Director Steven Cantor
The Sundance Film Festival takes place January 22 – February 1 in Park City Utah. Check the Sundance Film Festival website for the schedule and theatre listings.
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