The Slamdance Film Festival, now in its 14th year, has always prided itself on the eclectic, exciting, something-for-everyone mix of people, parties and events that it brings together every year in Park City. The 2008 Festival will remain true to that tradition, providing unique professional and social outlets for filmmakers, industry executives, the media, and the general public.



As always, Slamdance will run concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival, January 17-25, in Park City, Utah. Slamdance headquarters, box office and screening venues are all located at the Treasure Mountain Inn at 255 Main Street. For more information and for a complete listing of films in the Festival, log on to www.slamdance.com or call 323/466-1786. Festival passes and individual tickets are now on sale.



2008 PARTIES/EVENTS SCHEDULE



Thursday, January 17th

Slamdance Housewarming Party presented by Steaz Organic Beverages and Evil Twin Booking Agency

9:00 p.m., Star Bar (268 Main Street)



Featured performances include M1 of Dead Prez and Umi of P.O.W with an exclusive set by DJ Joro-Boro of WirelessFM and formerly of the Bulgarian Bar. For more information on artists go to: myspace.com/M1rbg, myspace.com/umisworld and joro-boro.com. Additional performances by Emcee Sick of Pseudo Slang (Fat Beats Records) - NY/Chi-based recording artist/vinyl enthusiast with a rare DJ set + live performance, and The Uprok Records DJs (Salt Lake City).



Evil Twin Booking Agency organizes university and non-traditional tours for speakers, films and artists. It's entertainment for people who think and act. Clients include Dead Prez, The Yes Men, Lost Film Fest, Joro-Boro, Greg Palast, Timothy Speed Levitch, Bernardine Dohrn of The Weather Underground, Who Killed The Electric Car?, Mark Achbar dir., The Corporation, Derrick Jensen, Ed Begley Jr., and many more. Contact Liz Cole or Scott Beibin. info@eviltwinbooking.org http://www.eviltwinbooking.org



Steaz Organic Beverages are delicious, fair-trade-certified and sweetened with organic raw cane juice. They are available at all Whole Foods Markets. The energy drinks are powered with Yerba Mate, Acai, Green Tea, and Guarana (Try a HIPPIE KICKER = Steaz Energy + vodka). The sparkling green teas come in a variety of flavors in both regular and diet.


Uprok Records is Utah's only retail store dedicated to everything hip hop. "From CDs and Vinyl Records to Spraypaint to Clothing, it’s the only stop you will have to make to know what's going on in town." Uprok is located at 342 S. State Street in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. http://www.myspace.com/uprokrecords

TICKET INFO: The event is free to Slamdance passholders. Pre-sale tickets are $25, which includes three sponsored drinks. All tickets are 21+ and ticket buyer will need to produce ID when picking up ticket at Slamdance will-call (255 Main Street). $25 tickets available at door for general admission, cash bar. 21+ only.



Saturday, January 19th-Thursday, January 24th



Happy Hours in the Lounge

Every day at 5:00 p.m., Slamdance Lounge in the Treasure Mountain Inn (255 Main Street)

Happy Hours are open to Slamdance passholders only, based on venue capacity, and are sponsored by Langley Productions, Current TV, MySpace, Focal Press and IndieWire.



Sunday, January 20th

Hot Tub Social sponsored by Parish

6:00pm, Treasure Mountain Inn Spa

Hosted by co-founder Dan Mirvish and East Coast Director Paul Rachman, the Hot Tub Social offers a chance for 2008 filmmakers to hold court with a variety of surprise alumni in the kind of personal environment Slamdance is known for; those not brave enough to get in the hot tub are welcome to take advantage of the heated benches.



Monday, January 21st

7th Annual Filmmaker Sled-Off sponsored by Parish

Meets at 4:00 p.m., Treasure Mountain Inn lobby

Marking the seventh year of outdoorsy competition, Slamdance filmmakers face off against each other and anyone else brave enough to participate in the annual Sled-Off. Slamdance co-founder Dan Mirvish began this illustrious sporting tradition; all interested participants must bring their own sled.



On January 21st, during Happy Hour in the Lounge, there will be a special performance by the Miss Gay America contestants from the documentary feature competition film Pageant.





Tuesday, January 22nd

Film Commission Expo

1:00 p.m., Slamdance Lounge

Representatives from the Maryland, Tucson, Sedona, Mississippi, and Nevada Film Commissions will be on hand to discuss the shooting and production possibilities that their respective states/cities can offer to filmmakers. Free and open to all.



Tuesday, January 22nd

Screenplay Reading

2:30 p.m. Gallery Screening Room in the Treasure Mountain Inn

Reading of “Wonder Girls” by Anthony Meindl. “Wonder Girls” is the winner of the 12th Annual Slamdance Screenplay Competition. Free admission, open to all.



Wednesday, January 23rd

On January 23rd, during Happy Hour in the Lounge, Thunder from the documentary feature competition film Song Sung Blue will be entertaining Happy Hour attendees. Thunder is one half of the Milwaukee-based husband-and-wife singing duo Lightning & Thunder, who cover crooner Neil Diamond’s most popular tunes.



Friday, January 25th

Platinum Studios Presents the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival Closing Awards and Reception

9:00 p.m., Main Screening Room in the Treasure Mountain Inn

Announcement of 2008 award winners and closing remarks, mingling. Open to Slamdance passholders only.





2008 FIRESIDE CHATS SCHEDULE



The Fireside tradition started at Slamdance ’99 as a way for filmmakers to meet with other filmmakers and industry figures in an informal setting. To date, more than 200 speakers have participated. The Chats feature festival directors, producers, executives, musicians, distributors, technology gurus, and other movers and shakers in indie filmmaking. Chats run daily from 1:00-2:00 p.m. January 18th-24th in the Gallery Screening Room at the Treasure Mountain Inn. All Chats are moderated by Steve Montal except where noted below. Free admission.



Friday, January 18th

“Filmmakers on Filmmaking”

Sponsored by Kodak

Panelists include filmmakers with films in the 2008 Slamdance and Sundance film festivals. Discussion includes getting a film made, various new film production and post-production technologies, and how to get a film noticed. Moderated by Lorette Bayle, Kodak Account Executive: Independent Features, and independent filmmaker.



Saturday, January 19th

“Alternative Funding Methods for Indies”

Sponsored by Film Riot

Delve into alternative methods to raise money for indie films. Speak with filmmakers and Internet gurus who are using innovative techniques to take the guesswork out of funding indie films so that you can focus on your story and making the best film possible.



Sunday, January 20th

“Online Communities”

Sponsored by OurStage

Explore the developments in online distribution for indie filmmakers including building online communities and marketing with digital media. The discussion will also focus on the use of social networking sites to develop and promote independent film.



Monday, January 21st

“New Technologies and Online Distribution”

Sponsored by DivX

Learn about the latest developments in digital distribution and exhibition of independent films. Panelists include experts who will speak about new opportunities in areas such as digital distribution, mobile devices, wireless networks and online.



Tuesday, January 22nd

“The Art, Craft and Business of Screenwriting”

Sponsored by the Slamdance Screenplay Competition

Topics include how to work and communicate with producers, executives, agents and managers, how to fully develop material, the Writers Guild's protections and benefits for writers, the role of competitions and how past Slamdance competition winners got produced and screened as festival features.



Wednesday, January 23rd

“New Production Technologies”

Sponsored by Panasonic

Fall in love all over again with the latest technology for indie filmmaking. Spend time with HD gurus who have shot using different formats and equipment including the HVX200. A discussion of managing budgets and workflow for indie filmmakers will be included in this panel.





2008 SLAMDANCE JURY MEMBERS



Slamdance jury members for 2008 have been selected and are as follows:



Since 1983, Skizz Cyzyk has made more than 50 short films and videos, many having won awards and screened at festivals all over the world. He is the Founder/

Festival Director for MicroCineFest, the Programming Manager for the Maryland Film Festival, an advisory board member/juror for Alabama's Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, served ten years as technical supervisor/projectionist for the Atlanta Film Festival, and on juries at many other festivals. This is Skizz's 12th year as a Slamdance projectionist, fifth year on the Slamdance advisory board, and fourth non-consecutive year on the Slamdance jury. He also writes for music and film magazines, is on the Board of Directors for Maryland Lawyers for the Arts, plays drums in popular indie-rock band, The Jennifers, and has a solo ukulele act.

Amy Dotson is the Producer and Managing Director of Programming for IFP, a 30-year old not-for-profit membership and advocacy organization that supports and serves the independent film community by connecting creative talent and the film industry. Prior to IFP, Amy worked with producer Fred Berner, as well as at Curious Pictures and Miramax Films, where her responsibilities included a wide variety of production, development, administrative and business affairs duties, as well as extensive script and book coverage. Amy is currently producing her first feature documentary with director Brad Beesley on the women of the Oklahoma State Prison Rodeo.

A graduate of Florida State University's Film School, Erik Jambor was inspired by a Slamdance screening of Hard Core Logo in 1997 to create a film festival in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. He co-founded the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival there in 1999 and served as its Director through 2006, developing a festival that rapidly became a filmmaker favorite and helped to grow the region's independent film scene. Most recently, Erik was Executive Director of the 2007 BendFilm Festival in Bend, Oregon, creating a program that included what Shawn Levy of The Oregonian called "the best crop of fictional features yet to screen at BendFilm." Erik has served on film festival juries including Atlanta, Nashville and SXSW. This is his first year as a juror at Slamdance.

Laurie Koh is a San Francisco-based writer, editor, and filmmaker. She is Associate Editor of Film Arts, the magazine of San Francisco's Film Arts Foundation, and has also worked as Copy Chief of Girlfriends magazine and Calendar Listings Assistant for leading alt weekly the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Her short documentary Sisterz of the Underground: Extra Credit (2003) has screened around the Bay Area and her short narrative Between the Lines (2005) has screened at film festivals including the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, Boston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and Inside/Out Toronto Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Currently she is a member of the shorts screening committee for the 2008 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

Leah Meyerhoff is a Student Academy Award-nominated filmmaker currently pursuing an MFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her short film Twitch (Slamdance 2005 honorable mention) has screened in over 200 film festivals, won a dozen international awards, and was picked up for distribution by IFC. Leah has since completed several music videos, including Team Queen, a Planet Out finalist currently airing on LOGO, and Eternal Flame, which was recently picked up by MTV Europe. Leah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art-Semiotics from Brown University. Leah is currently in development on her first feature film Unicorns, a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriting Labs.



Sara Pollack is the Manager of Film and Animation at YouTube. Sara is working to ensure that YouTube remains an integral part of the changing landscape of independent film distribution by helping filmmakers reach and engage with their audiences directly. Prior to joining YouTube, Sara was a Production Executive at Big Beach, an independent film production and finance company, where she worked on both feature and documentary films. Before Big Beach, Sara worked at Miramax Films. Sara received her B.A. in English Literature from Brown University.



Todd Rohal wrote and directed The Guatemalan Handshake, which premiered at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival where it won the festival’s Special Jury Prize. The film went on to screen at over 30 international film festivals, winning awards for Best Feature at the Arizona International Film Festival and awards for Best Direction, Screenplay and a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast Performances at the 2006 Torino International Film Festival. Todd was an accomplished short filmmaker before making The Guatemalan Handshake and also worked as a designer and producer for DVDs. Todd was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” in 2006.



Most recently, Michael Skolnik directed Without the King, a documentary film about the last ruling monarch in Africa, King Mswati III of Swaziland. The film premiered at the 2007 Full Frame Film Festival and was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the 2007 HotDocs Film Festival. In 2006, Michael co-directed Lockdown USA, and in 2004, made his feature film directorial debut with the award winning On the Outs. Currently, Michael is in post production for a film he is co-directing about Grammy Award winning artist, Wyclef Jean’s quest to bring peace to his homeland, Haiti.



David Wilson is a documentary filmmaker and the co-founder of the True/False Film Fest, programming and overseeing the Midwestern event now entering its fifth year and considered the snot-nosed punk – with impeccable taste – of the international docfest demimonde, highlighting innovative work with a cinematic scope, creative takes on contemporary currents, and most of all work that provokes dialogue about its subject and discussion of the documentary form itself.



Celebrating its 14th year, Slamdance continues to be the pre-eminent film festival whose sole mission is to nurture, support and showcase truly independent works, having established a unique reputation for premiering new films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets.

Slamdance 2008 is presented by KODAK. Additional sponsors include the Maryland Film Office, Langley Productions, OurStage, Current TV, Dos Equis, Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, Doc Martens, B-Side, XMission, Jagermeister, FIJI, Zodiac Vodka, Wimbledon Wines and Southwest Airlines.