2009 Sundance Film Festival

Since 1985, Sundance has been a place and time for stories. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival commemorated the 25th Festival with a celebration of original storytelling and our rich history of independent film. As part of "From the Collection," a joint film archive between Sundance Institute and UCLA, Steven Soderbergh returned to the Festival to screen SEX, LIES, AND, VIDEOTAPE, which received the Dramatic Audience Award 20 years prior. Among the 218 total films screening this year, Sundance welcomed 42 first-time feature filmmakers. The promise of short films as a vital form was especially apparent when nine filmmakers that premiered feature films this year had previously screened shorts in past Festivals. Some of the innovative stories that premiered this year in the Dramatic Competition included, SIN NOMBRE, MARY AND MAX, and PUSH:BASED ON THE NOVEL BY SAPPHIRE, as well as the Documentaries WE LIVE IN PUBLIC, AFGHAN STAR, and THE COVE. The Festival website continued to offer live videos from the streets of Park City, coverage of film Q and A's, the awards ceremonies, interviews with filmmakers, actors, artists, and more to bring the Festival to audiences all over the globe.