The Sundance Film Festival is an annual occurrence that draws the attention of sizable crowds, including many celebrities and VIPs around the globe.
Salt Lake Community College’s own Grand Theatre, located at South City Campus, will be hosting several of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival screenings this month.
“The Sundance Film Festival is an internationally renowned showcase for some of the finest films being made today. The Grand Theatre is centrally located, making it an easy venue for locals to experience the festival’s significant contributions to local, national, and world culture,” says Joe Killian, Operations Coordinator for the Grand Theatre. “We are the largest venue in the Salt Lake Valley, and the second largest in the Utah festival. We have ample free parking, and patrons can wait inside the building before their screening begins.”
Dean of Arts, Communication & Media, Richard Scott, used to “run” the Egyptian Theater in Park City before coming to SLCC. He along with then SLCC Vice-President, now President, Deneece Huftalin, collaborated the push for Sundance Film Festival to make use of the Grand Theatre’s large capacity.
According to Scott, Sundance Film Festival typically selects the films they predict will be more “popular” as the ones to be screened at the approximately 1,100 seat Grand Theatre.
There are several ways in which students can be involved with the festival. Such as volunteering. Scott hopes to expand and increase the level of educational programs surrounding the Sundance Film Festival. Although, a date is still to be determined, a collection of film shorts will be screened while school is in session. For individuals involved in the SLCC audio program, Dolby Digital will make an appearance. The Utah State Film Commission will also be present during one of the film screenings.
“We are excited to have them [Sundance Film Festival] again. We are hoping this will be a tradition for many years to come,” says Scott.
Sundance Film Festival 2016 dates are Jan. 21-31. Movies will be shown at SLCC on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The Grand Theatre is located at 1575 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT. The box office phone number is 801-957-3322. For further details, availability and pricing for packages, visit the Sundance Film Festival website: http://www.sundance.org.
