[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 18 (Thursday, February 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E169-E170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO THE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE AND SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 11, 2004

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival for the many 
contributions the Institute and Festival have made to the arts and art 
education. The Institute and Film Festival are world renowned and have 
expanded the appreciation of arts while also providing encouragement 
and new venues for emerging young talent. It is a cherished, exciting 
and vibrant part of the American arts and humanities landscape, and I 
hope it will continue to thrive for many years to come.
  Founded by actor and director Robert Redford in 1981, the Institute 
is dedicated to the development of artists of independent vision and 
the exhibition of their new work. The Institute nurtures emerging 
screenwriters and directors and provides a supportive environment to 
explore path-breaking and innovative themes. It is guided by the 
primary aim of supporting artists whose work reflects an original, 
compelling vision.
  Since its creation, the Sundance Institute has become most known for 
its annual film festivals in Park City, Utah. Over the years, the 
Festival has become one of the most prestigious and important of all 
film festivals. Its selections and award winners have achieved wide 
acclaim, notoriety and artistic prominence. As a result, the Festival's 
influence on filmmaking has been extensive.
  However, the Sundance Institute has become much more than a catalyst 
for the Film Festival. It has expanded its scope to include a range of 
programs all designed to promote innovative filmmaking. It provides 
workshops for screenwriters and filmmakers so that they can expand 
their thinking and hone their craft in a creative environment away from 
the pressures of the marketplace and with the guidance of respected, 
veteran filmmakers.
  It has also established a Native American Program which supports new 
work by both emerging and established Native writers, directors, and 
producers. The commitment of the Sundance Institute to supporting 
Native American cinema is woven throughout its history and resides 
side-by-side with its contributions to American cinema. Rooted in the 
recognition of a rich tradition of storytelling and artistic expression 
by Native Americans, the Institute's Native American Initiative is a 
means of supporting the development of Native filmmakers and exhibiting 
their work.
  Today, the Native American Initiative maintains its full commitment 
to Native cinema in a multi-tiered effort that tracks and provides 
support to two to four projects and four producers each year, as well 
as programming the Native Forum at the Sundance Film Festival. More 
recently, the Native American Initiative has broadened its efforts to 
scout for Native playwrights, music composers, and non-fiction arts 
writers to participate in the Institute's other developmental programs 
and to include indigenous artists from all of North America and the 
South Pacific in its initiative. At its core, the Native 
American Initiative supports the creative control of indigenous artists 
in filmmaking and other art forms supported by the Institute programs.

  The Institute also holds professional conferences for film producers 
focusing on the professional and business aspects of independent film 
production such as marketing, financing, and distribution. It also has 
a long history of supporting documentary filmmakers through a year-
round program which encourages the exploration of innovative nonfiction 
storytelling, and promotes the exhibition of documentary films to a 
broader audience. And it supports the growth of a more thoughtful and 
incisive body of writing about the arts through its screenwriting 
program. Now in its second year, the Program offers writers of creative 
nonfiction the opportunity to immerse themselves in Sundance Labs in 
the U.S. and abroad, and at the Sundance Film Festival, in order to 
more deeply understand and articulate the nature of the creative 
process in a range of art forms.
  When choosing Fellows for its programs and films for the Festival, 
the Institute is committed to encouraging the recognition of diverse 
voices--Native American, African American, Asian, Latino, and women 
filmmakers, among others. The films and plays developed or premiered by 
Sundance over the past two

[[Page E170]]

decades reflect the diversity of American culture and have been seen by 
millions of people. In all of its work, Sundance embraces the values of 
independence and community.
  The Sundance Institute is not just about making films--although that 
is clearly its primary focus. It also is about nourishing the artistic 
process and defending free artistic expression. There are many talented 
voices and visionaries in America from all cultures, ethnic backgrounds 
and walks of life. The Sundance Institute provides a wonderful haven 
for these talents.
  For all of these important contributions, I ask my colleagues to join 
me in acknowledging the Sundance Institute for keeping filmmaking and 
the arts exciting and vibrant and for providing an opportunity for 
Americans from all walks of life to participate in our film heritage.

                          ____________________