The Sundance Film Festival was set up almost 30 years ago by Robert Redford who aimed to shed light on struggling, talented filmmakers. After 27 successful years in Utah, the Sundance Film Festival came to London last year and tomorrow it returns for a second outing. Instead of the traditional 7-day festival as seen in the States, Sundance London will run from the 25th to the 28th April, and yesterday we were treated to a press conference with Robert Redford and John Cooper answering questions about their return and the independent film scene in general.
Taking place at the O2 in Greenwich, the setting is very different from what is expected from an independent film festival, and this is partially due to the music element which has been added to Sundance in London. Redford explained that over the last few years the relationship between music and film has grown much stronger, and as the two are almost inseparable, Sundance now entails both music and film. Speaking honestly about the film industry, Redford admitted it is in an, “Unhealthy state” but he remains humble and claims that Sundance’s return to London is simply the result of being asked to come back, though no official announcement has been made in regards to next summer.
One journalist in the audience asked Robert to comment on the government cuts which are taking place in the UK. Emphasising the importance in bringing to light the benefits of art and the money the film industry brings in, he went on to offer his opinion that:
“When you have an extremely conservative political body that seems threatened by film and sees art as threatening, then the argument comes up that it [the art] is a trivial pursuit.”
Sundance London starts today at The O2 in Greenwich and ends on the 28th April. In addition to film screenings and musical performances, there will be other events and special Sundance tents throughout the centre, you can check out what to catch on their website. Checkout our reviews and extensive coverage of the festival here.
