Support for independent storytelling has always been the driving force of Sundance Institute. This year the Institute is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival by collecting anecdotes and memories from the people who know the most about what the Festival means. Only those who have been to the Sundance Film Festival can truly convey the true spirit of Sundance which is why the Institute is asking those who have been there to share their Sundance stories. When Robert Redford founded Sundance Institute 28 years ago he could not have realized that it would have such a deep impact on so many independent filmmakers. When the Institute took over the Film Festival in 1985 no one could have imagined what a vital platform for independent storytelling it would become. Its programs have helped some of the world's most talented artists realize their visions and get their work out to a much wider audience than they might have reached otherwise. And being part of the action in Park City Utah has now been a formative experience for more than two generations of people who count themselves as creators and stewards of the best in independent cinema. Some examples of what participants are asked to write about include how it felt when introducing their first film to a theatre full of film lovers what the Sundance Film Festival meant to them over the past 25 years favorite Festival memory and what they think Sundance means for American film. Wading through the ten feet of snow that fell in '96 or joining the Hustle and Flow cast in singing Proud Mary after the film's premiere in 2007 are the types of memories expected to be shared. Sundance’s Web site will begin accepting stories in December. The collected stories anecdotes and memories about the Festival will be built into an interactive timepiece —an exploration of what the Sundance Film Festival has meant to people who love independent film. Some of the most interesting memories come from the filmmakers who have been encouraged to grow and develop in the unique creative environment that is Sundance. The Sundance Film Festival http://festival.sundance.org/2009
