Slamdance Film Festival
An independent filmmaker-run festival held annually in January in Park City, Utah, concurrent with Sundance, celebrating truly independent and no-budget cinema by emerging filmmakers without industry support.
Overview
Slamdance Film Festival is the independently run, filmmaker-owned festival held simultaneously with Sundance in Park City, Utah each January. Founded in 1995 by a group of filmmakers whose work was rejected from Sundance, Slamdance operates on the principle that independent cinema should be supported, run, and governed by independent filmmakers rather than institutions.
Slamdance's founding story is its defining identity: rejected by the establishment, the founders created their own festival rather than capitulating. This ethos of self-sufficiency and defiance has been maintained through three decades of operation and attracts filmmakers who embrace the festival's anti-institutional spirit.
The festival screens films by first-time and emerging filmmakers who have made their work with minimal budgets and without significant industry support. Slamdance has screened early work by directors including Christopher Nolan, Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild), and other filmmakers who went on to significant careers.
Key Sections
- Narrative Feature Competition -- ultra-low-budget narrative features
- Documentary Feature Competition -- independently made documentaries
- Short Film Competition -- short films by emerging filmmakers
- Animation Competition -- animated short films
- Anarchy -- experimental and rule-breaking work
- Pilots -- short-format television and web series pilots
What Filmmakers Should Know
Slamdance accepts open submissions and prioritizes work by first-time filmmakers with no prior distribution, no cast over SAG minimum level, and minimal production resources. The festival's criteria are specifically designed to support films made without industry backing.
The Park City location during Sundance week creates unusual visibility for Slamdance films. Industry professionals, press, and buyers attending Sundance often visit Slamdance events, providing first-time filmmakers with access to industry attention that would otherwise be unavailable to no-budget work.
Major Awards
- Grand Jury Prize -- Best Narrative Feature
- Grand Jury Prize for Documentary
- Grand Jury Prize for Short Film
- Audience Award -- across categories
- Special Jury Prize
Festival History
Slamdance was founded in 1995 by filmmakers Dan Mirvish, Peter Baxter, Shane Kuhn, and Jon Fitzgerald after their films were rejected from Sundance. The founders rented a hotel room in Park City and ran their own competing festival. Slamdance has operated as a filmmaker-run nonprofit since then, maintaining its commitment to truly independent cinema.
See Also
For no-budget filmmaking strategies, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy.
