JAN 405 - Sundance Film Festival: Cinema & Spirit

Dates: 

On-Campus: January 3rd - 17th: MTuWTh, 2:45 pm - 5:15 pm

Off-Campus: January 18th - 28th.

Instructors:  Virginia McCarthy & Norrie Palmer

Email: vsmccarthy@mac.com, npalmer@stmarys-ca.edu

Course Fee: $3400

*All expenses included: airfare, lodging, transportation, food, excursions, etc. Only remaining expenses will be souvenirs and food in airports. Travel shot costs will depend on individual insurance coverage.

Course Description: From humble beginnings in 1978, the Sundance Film Festival has become a major force within the film industry, now ranking among the top five film festivals worldwide. With a focus on emerging artists and independent cinema, Sundance has truly become a global phenomenon. For example, for the 2023 festival, 111 feature films representing 37 countries were selected from more than 4,000 submissions and screened with an in-person attendance of over 80,000 and 500,000 online views. Sundance is a big deal.

In this course, we will study the history of Sundance within the context of the evolution of American independent film. Our focus will be “Cinema and Spirit” and we’ll study films created by, for, and about those who have been and are marginally represented, stereotyped, and caricatured in mainstream movies: women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and diversely abled persons. We will analyze films on their own terms as well as through the dual lenses of film studies and theology/religion. From January 18 to January 28, students will attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the mountain resort town of Park City, Utah. All students interested in learning more about independent film and the film industry are welcome to this course.

Students who participate in this course will have one of the most memorable learning experiences of their lives and will be among the select few people in the world to attend the entire 10 days of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Students will leave the festival as Sundance pros with the knowledge and expertise to return to future festivals with friends and/or family and teach others how to Sundance!
 

From January 18 to January 28, students will attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. All students interested in learning more about independent film and the film industry are welcome to this course.

 

Prerequisites & Notes

• By permission of Instructor

Information Sessions:

 *Failure to attend Health & Safety Orientations will result in immediate drop from the course, and once registered all course fees are non-refundable. 

Credits: 3