LOS ANGELES â€" The film festival arms race continues: Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute, having established an offshoot of its signature Utah event in London, now plans to expand into the movie capital.
Sundance said on Monday that it would present four days of screenings, parties and artist programs in Los Angeles from Aug. 8-11. Next Weekend, as this mini-festival has been christened, will focus on independent cinema that is particularly adventurous, the nonprofit organization said.
Film festivals have been on an expansion binge of late â€" although speculation that Sundance would come to Brooklyn proved unfounded. Last year came the inaugural Sundance London, which features rock concerts and films culled from Mr. Redford’s flagship festival in Prk City, Utah. The Tribeca Film Festival has expanded to Doha, Qatar, and aggressively pursued other offshoots.
Los Angeles already has a particularly crowded festival scene. LA Film Fest runs for 10 days in June. The popular Outfest, focused on gay and lesbian cinema, occupies a chunk of July. The American Film Institute operates a well-attended festival in early November.
What will Next Weekend bring to the party Sundance announced no specifics and it said to expect a programming announcement “this summer.†The selections will mostly include movies that have been featured in the Next section of Sundance’s primary festival.
That means boundary-pushing films from mostly first-time directors. “Escape From Tomorrow,†about a man’s mental disintegration during a trip to Walt Dis! ney World (filmed inside the theme park resort without permission), was one controversial picture shown as part of Sundance’s Next program in January.
Next Weekend will begin with an outdoor screening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which is adjacent to Paramount Pictures and operates a popular movie series in warmer months. Mr. Redford’s new Sundance Sunset Cinemas in West Hollywood, Calif., will serve as Next Weekend’s headquarters.
