The Slamdance Film Festival returns with its 28th edition in a hybrid format, running in-person Jan. 20-23, 2022, in its original home: Park City, Utah. A concurrent virtual edition of the festival will run from Jan. 20 to 30. CalArtian filmmakers are represented among numerous categories in the 2022 festival, ranging from breakout features to animated shorts.
Established in 1995, the annual independent film festival shines a light on emerging filmmakers. This year’s competition lineup was selected from 1,124 submissions, with entrants from every corner of the globe. See the CalArtians in the 2022 Slamdance lineup below:
Animation Shorts
“Charlotte” – (USA)
Director/Screenwriter: Zach Dorn (Film/Video MFA 20)
A pop song transforms the lives of an enigmatic folk singer and her family.
Cast: O-Lan Jones, Devin Schlatter, Phoebe Jane Hart, Chase Padgett, Michael Goldfried, Paul Strickland
“Dad Tax” – (USA) North American Premiere
Director/Screenwriter: Ida Lasic (Film/Video MFA 22)
An experimental tribute film to the artist’s relationship to their father and how they contradict each other and yet blend together.
“Somebody Take the Wheel” – (USA) US Premiere
Director: Kenzie Sutton (Film/Video MFA 22)
A monotonous cycle highlights the absurdity of everyday life.
Documentary Shorts
“My Parent, Neal” – (USA)
Director: Hannah Saidiner (Film/Video BFA 21)
An animated reflection on Hannah’s parent’s gender transition and the evolution of their relationship.
“Gladiolus” – (Iran) World Premiere
Director: Azadeh Navai (Film/Video MFA 05); Producer: Nathan Meier (Film/Video BFA 05)
An ode to a flower that once enjoyed prominence in Iranian culture, Gladiolus tells the story of its ubiquitous role in life’s important ceremonies and how it became a victim of its own popularity by the same nation.
Experimental Shorts
“Show Me Other Places” – (Sri Lanka, USA)
Director/Screenwriter/Producer: Rajee Samarasinghe (Film/Video MFA 16)
Navigating through a multitude of spaces from the natural world to man-made environments as well as virtual planes, traditional relationships between the creator, the tool, and the subject are questioned, shattered and reconstructed.
Cast: Delini Malka Samarasinghe
“Terrain Behind the Eyes” – (South Korea, USA)
Director: Sohee Kim (Art BFA 16)
Strata of landscape, of tactile terrains, flow in their own time creating a poetic and meditative space.
Breakouts
We Are Living Things – (USA, China, Italy) North American Premiere
Director: Antonio Tibaldi (Film/Video MFA 87); Screenwriters: Alex Lora, Tibaldi; Producers: Fan He, Andrew K. Li, Alex Lora, Antonio Tibaldi
Two immigrants living on the fringes of American society hit the road in search of the truth about a shared UFO abduction.
Cast: Jorge Antonio Guerrero, Xingchen Lyu, Zao Wang, O-Lan Jones, Paul Cooper, Manuel René Del Carmen Ordaz, Alfonso Rey, Allison Tibaldi
Department of Anarchy
“Return of the Action Man” – (USA)
Director/Screenwriter: Scott Peters (Film/Video MFA 11); Producers: Roy Chung, Ryan Chung, Michael Figge
A mild-mannered computer programer is spirited away to another world where he encounters a strange cult of religious zealots.
Cast: Shun Sakaguchi, Ronnie Clark (Theater MFA 96), Robert Brinkerhoff, Michael Figge, Brandon Corn, Larry Parrish
Unstoppable Shorts (Episodes)
“Hidden Kingdom” – (US, Colombia, Dominican Republic) World Premiere
Directors: Sunny Lee (Dance BFA 96, MFA 00), Jacqueline Davis; Producers: Emily Backerman
An unconventional and intimate documentary web series that explores the lives of 5 different New York dancers.
Cast: Karon “Robin” White, Smarlin Fabian, Yamini Kalluri, Kouadio Davis, Régine Bellinger
Check out the full festival lineup at the official Slamdance website. Note that masks and proof of vaccination are required at all in-person screenings and events.
As digital content and social media producer, Taya enjoys lifting up the stories and accomplishments of CalArts' students, alums, and faculty. She fancies herself a visual artist but is really more of an overzealous collector of art supplies.
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