Music Takes Center Stage at 2014 Sundance Film Festival

‘A Celebration of Music in Film’ Event on January 19 Headlined by Talent from
Low Down: A tribute to jazz legend Joe Albany featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, composer Ohad Talmor with a reading by Elle Fanning; The Fela! Band and Rae Spoon Also to Perform

Belle & Sebastian set for Festival’s Music Café on January 20,
presented by Airbnb and Sundance Institute

Park City, UT — Sundance Institute has highlighted the roster of music performances to take place at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, including talent from Low Down – featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, composer Ohad Talmor and and a reading by Elle Fanning – who will perform at the ‘A Celebration of Music in Film’ event on January 19, 8:00 p.m. MT, at Sundance House Presented by HP at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Also at the event will be The Fela! Band, performing music from the film Finding Fela, which honors the music of legend Fela Kuti, creator of Afrobeat music, and critically acclaimed artist Rae Spoon from the documentary-musical My Prairie Home. The event is hosted by the Sundance Institute Film Music Program.

Peter Golub, Director of the Sundance Institute Film Music Program and producer of ‘A Celebration of Music in Film,’ said, “All year round we work with composers and filmmakers, giving them a chance to think, experiment, and work with mentors on what happens when one puts film and music together. Our Sunday night ‘Celebration’ puts a spotlight on the crucial role that music plays in filmmaking by presenting the most exciting music from this year’s slate of films.”

Tracy McKnight, music supervisor and co-programmer of ‘A Celebration of Music in Film,’ said, “We’re thrilled to be showcasing such an incredible line up of talent for our 15th anniversary show! From jazz to afrobeat to singer/songwriters, all of the music featured in each of these amazing films is an incredible part of our evening. We could not be more excited and honored to give music the center stage on this special night.”

The event is open to all Festival credential holders (21 and older); A limited number of spots on the guest list will be given away via Twitter @sundancefestnow.

Festival’s Music Café and Airbnb to Host Belle & Sebastian on January 20
Indie pop act Belle & Sebastian will play a live show on Monday, January 20 at 9:30 p.m. at the Festival’s Music Café, in connection with band member Stuart Murdoch’s film God Help The Girl, which will have its world premiere at the 2014 Festival. The concert is presented by Festival sponsor Airbnb and Sundance Institute, and the after-party and DJ set will be held at the Airbnb Haus.

Murdoch said, “On behalf of the group and myself, I’d like to say how excited we are to be playing a short concert at the bequest of the Sundance Film Festival. In Park City, in Utah, in the snow. Did i say how excited we were? I’m like, vibrating.”

The musical starring Emily Browning, Olly Alexander and Hannah Murray, was written and directed by Murdoch and produced by Barry Mendel. The other members of Belle & Sebastian assisted in making the music and film in various capacities. Tickets and more info can be obtained by emailing [email protected].

Additional Music Programming by ASCAP, KCRW and BMI
Additional musical components of the Festival include daytime performances programmed by ASCAP (Jan 17-24) and three nights (January 17-19) of live musical performances hosted again by LA public radio station KCRW, and presented by Acura, at the Festival’s Music Café. BMI will also host a roundtable discussion about “Music & Film: The Creative Process,” (January 22, 11:00 a.m. MT at Sundance House Presented by HP) as well as their annual Music Showcase: BMI Snowball Produced by BMI (January 22, 8:00 p.m. MT at Sundance House Presented by HP).

Sundance Institute Film Music Program
With the goal of nurturing the development of music in film, the Film Music Program connects composers and directors, giving them first-hand experience of the collaborative process. At the Sundance Film Festival, the program raises the profile of music in film through a series of concerts and panels. Year round, whether through international collaborations or through direct consultations with filmmakers, the Film Music Program is committed to enhancing the role of music in film. The Film Music Program is made possible by generous support from Time Warner Foundation and The Film Music Foundation. www.sundance.org/filmmusic

The Sundance Film Festival®
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Little Miss Sunshine, An Education, sex, lies, and videotape, Reservoir Dogs, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2014 Festival sponsors to date include: Presenting Sponsors – HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase Sapphire Preferred®; Leadership Sponsors – Airbnb, DIRECTV, Entertainment Weekly, LensCrafters, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and YouTube; Sustaining Sponsors – Adobe, Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Brita® FilterForGood®, in partnership with Nalgene®, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Ketel One Vodka, L’Oréal Paris, MorningStar Farms®, Omnicom, Quaker Oats Company, Stella Artois® and Time Warner Inc. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a global, nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to nurturing artistic expression in film and theater, and to supporting intercultural dialogue between artists and audiences. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to unite, inform and inspire, regardless of geo-political, social, religious or cultural differences. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival and its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.