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Tag: film festival

Sundance Is Moving: Independent Cinema Is Still Here

Posted on by Rachel Getts

Official Statement from Salt Lake Film Society on Utah’s Independent Film Future

Utah has long been a cornerstone of independent film—its breathtaking landscapes, robust nonprofit film organizations, deep production resources, and a century-long legacy of iconic films make it a powerhouse in the industry. From its stunning scenery to its strong infrastructure of nonprofit film organizations, skilled crews, extensive production resources, and even the potential of a new film studio by Kevin Costner, Utah continues to stand as a premier destination for filmmakers.

While Sundance’s decision may be disappointing to some, it does not change the fact that Utah remains home to one of the most passionate and engaged moviegoing communities in the nation. Salt Lake Film Society (Broadway Centre Cinemas and Historic Tower Theatre), along with Utah’s strong mid-sized cinema exhibitors and innovative nonprofit film organizations, continues to shape the national independent film scene. Utah thrives as a leader in film exhibition, preservation, and artistic innovation.

Salt Lake City, in particular, will remain a vibrant hub for cinema with Salt Lake Film Society’s annual film festivals, including Filmexico, Masima: Pacific Island Film Festival, Unstoppable: Differently Abled Film Festival, and Czech That Film. The state will continue to champion film culture, supporting historic venues like the 1928 Tower Theatre, currently undergoing a renovation to become an environmentally responsible cultural hub dedicated exclusively to film.

For those donors who once supported Sundance, there are many meaningful ways to continue investing in Utah’s film future. Organizations like Salt Lake Film Society, Utah Film Commission, Utah Film Center, and SpyHop Productions provide powerful platforms for independent voices, historic cinema preservation, accessibility advocacy, and environmental sustainability in film.

Salt Lake Film Society will continue to operate 365 days a year at Broadway Centre Cinemas and Tower Theatre to fuel dreams, spark community, and ignite conscience through film. Visit or support us at SLFStix.org.

Māsima: Pacific Islands Film Tour

Posted on by Rachel Getts

May 17 - May 23

Māsima Pass Available Now Here
Tickets Available Now
Virtually Available Now

Māsima: Pacific Islands Film Tour kicks off on Friday, May 17th, with an exciting lineup that highlights acclaimed filmmakers and emerging voices from the Pacific Islander community.

These films, touching on incredible stories of connection, traditions, resistance and much more, are curated and presented by Salt Lake Film Society, Utah Pacific Islands Knowledge 2 Action Resource and Utah Pacific Islands Film Series.

Māsima 2024 is part of our annual Cultural Tours, a decade long celebration of history, culture, diversity and heritage of Utah communities.

PANELS

Available Free May 17 - May 23

Panels Available Virtually Now
Māsima 2024 Panel Conversations: Guided by our amazing moderator, Kamaile Tripp-Harris, our Māsima 2024 panel conversations are a true celebration of Pacific Islanders diversity as well as educational experiences that help create awareness and cultural connections within Pasifika filmmakers all around the world.

These FREE pre-recorded panels will be available online soon. Available thru May 24.

Children of the Diaspora Shorts Program

Panelists:
Toa Takitini – Caitlin Head
Find Where I Belong – Kahu Kaiha
Teine – Giselle Ilaoa

Moderator: Kamaile Tripp

Join this group of three unapologetic filmmakers who discuss the fine balance between representing the diversity in Pasifika cultures and creating universally relatable films, while they remain authentic, honor their inspirations and confront their own believes and patterns.

Documentary Shorts Program

Panelists:
In Exile – Nathan Fitch
Islandtrification – Lani Cupchoy
Trenton: To The Moon & Back – Josh Leong
Ultimate Citizens – Francine Strickwerda

Moderator: Kamaile Tripp-Harris

A sneak peak on how these talented filmmakers engaged with such unique stories through the narrative of documentary and the challenges navigating representation, collaboration and community trust.

ADMISSIONS

INDIVIDUAL FILM TICKETS
$12 per film screening
 
PASSES
$60 All Access Pass includes access to all Māsima 2024 in person films and events.
 
All tickets and film passes are available at SLFStix.org.

FILM SCHEDULE

In theater screenings start Friday May 17.  Selected films are available virtually now.

Fri May 17

7 PM

Made in Utah Shorts Program: 

The Good Lie

9 min 13 sec

+

Pioneers of Aloha

11 min 11 sec

+

Adrift

4 min 57 sec

+

The Ali’i King

26 min 39 sec

Screening run time: 52 min.

8 PM

Cast and Crew Q&A

Sat May 18

7 PM

Documentaries Shorts Program:

Hounga’ia – Be Grateful

3 min 57 sec

+

Ultimate Citizens

39 min

+

Trenton: To The Moon & Back

17 min

+

Islandtrification

8 min 35 sec

+

In Exile 10 min

+

Kava ‘o Aotearoa

8 min 45 sec

+

Son of Samoa

11 min

Screening run time: 1 hr 38 min.

Sun May 19

7 PM

Children of the Diaspora Shorts Program:

Toa Takitini

11 min 53 sec

+

Teine

11 min

+

Find Where I Belong

13 min 43 sec

+

Hafekasi 

16 min

Screening run time: 52 min 36 sec

Mon May 20

7 PM

Feature in Focus:

Sir Sofele

1 hr 18 min

Screening run time: 1 hr 18 min.

Tues May 21

7 PM

History and Myths Program:

Kūkini

26 min 01 sec

+

Tala

51 min 45 sec

Screening run time: 1 hr 18 min.

Wed May 22

7 PM

Island Humor Shorts Program:

Jone Wise

22 min 27 sec

+

The Good Thief

4 min 58 sec

+

Ripe For Change

11 min 49 sec

7:40 PM

Pacific Possibilities Shorts Program:

Vakaraitaka

14 min 34 sec

+

Crying on the I-5

13 min 24 sec

+

Kai Hali’a (Sea of Memory)

8 min 30 sec 

Screening run time: 1 hr 17 min

Thurs May 23

7 PM

Feature in Focus:

Pacific Mother  

1 hr 30 min

Screening run time: 1 hr 30 min.

8:30 PM

In-person Panel Conversation

 

FILMS AND SHORTS

Listed alphabetical by title.  

ADRIFT

FRIDAY, MAY 17 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF MADE IN UTAH SHORTS PROGRAM ON FRIDAY MAY 17

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18
5 min | 2023 | USA | Not Rated | English | Short
Directed by Kā’eo Drumright
After a late night out, a young Tongan man finds connection in an unexpected place.

CRYING ON THE I-5

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 | 7:40 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF PACIFIC POSSIBILITIES PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY MAY 22

Tickets Available Here

13 min | 2024 | USA | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Jacob Cruz-Rine

After the death of his grandmother, a young Chamoru man ruminates on regrets he has, the relationship he had with his grandmother, and the love he has for his family.

FIND WHERE I BELONG

SUNDAY, MAY 19 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF CHILDREN OF THE DIASPORA SHORTS PROGRAM ON SUNDAY MAY 19

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

14 min | 2023 | New Zealand | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Kahu Kaiha

Life on the streets of New Zealand for two homeless men: John, the older man, seems to like this life and to be at home here. Elvis, the Marquesan, dreams of returning to his island. Good relations and understanding v. confrontation, separation and mutual aid…

HAFEKASI

SUNDAY, MAY 19 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF CHILDREN OF THE DIASPORA SHORTS PROGRAM ON SUNDAY MAY 19

Tickets Available Here

16 min | 2023 | Australia | Not Rated | English, Tongan | Short

Directed by Annelise Hickey

A 10 year old girl begins to realise she’s different to her single, white mum and family. Mother and daughter navigate identity and belonging in ’90s Melbourne suburbia.

HOUNGA'IA - BE GRATEFUL

SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7 PM
WILL SCREEN AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM ON SATURDAY MAY 18
Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18
4 min | 2023 | New Zealand | Not Rated | Tongan | Short
Directed by Mele Tupou
It takes a village to raise a child, let alone one living with a disability. Mele show’s us how Haloti’s village wraps around him in support.

IN EXILE

SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM ON SATURDAY MAY 18

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

10 min | 2023 | USA | Not Rated | English, Marshallese | Short

Directed by Nathan Fitch

IN EXILE is a short film that explores the US nuclear legacy in the Pacific through the lens of members of the Marshallese community in Springdale Arkansas who gather each year to commemorate the bombing of Bikini Atoll in 1946.

ISLANDTRIFICATION

SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7 PM
WILL SCREEN AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM ON SATURDAY MAY 18
Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

8 min | 2023 | USA | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Lani Cupchoy

Islandtrification documents the journey of Kānaka Maoli families resisting predatory gentrification on Maui, Hawaii, which has a deep history of displacing locals due to economic development-agribusiness and remains the prime spot for the world elite to build their multimillion-dollar estates.

JONE WISE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF ISLAND HUMOR PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY MAY 22

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

22 min | 2023 | Fiji | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Tumeli Tuqota

When someone steals his precious flip flops, Jone Wise must return to his old ways of Grog Combat and battle his way through adversity, tribulation and high tide takis to retrieve what is rightfully his.

KAI HALI'A (SEA OF MEMORY)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 | 7:40 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF PACIFIC POSSIBILITIES PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY MAY 22

Tickets Available Here

8 min | 2023 | USA | Not Rated | English, Hawaiian | Short

Directed by Angelique Kalani Axelrode

In the abstract realm of memory, a diasporic Kānaka struggles to connect with their family and lover. By engaging with their moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy) and calling on their kūpuna (ancestors) and ke kai (ocean), they are able to reconnect to themselves. Seeing memory as an intricate ʻupena (net) of both intangible and tangible threads of reality, intertwined with visceral feelings that intimately connect us with our kūpuna (ancestors) and the ʻāina (land), the art of remembering brings us back to our core.

KAVA 'O AOTEAROA

SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM ON SATURDAY MAY 18

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

9 min | 2022 | New Zealand | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Joshua Baker

A collective of Pasifika cultural guardians reactivate the ancient Tu’i Tonga kava ceremony for contemporary use in Aotearoa-New Zealand in a way that honours tangata whenua (indigenous people).

KŪKINI

TUESDAY, MAY 21 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF HISTORY AND MYTHS PROGRAM ON TUESDAY MAY 21

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

26 min | 2023 | USA | Not Rated | Hawaiian(‘olelo Hawai‘i) | Short

Directed by Mitchel Merrick

In 1790 Hawaiʻi, an elite warrior must leave his family behind when sent on a deadly mission to report on the bloody war waged by Kamehameha against Maui. When captured by the enemy, he is miraculously saved by someone who has a message for him of their own.

PACIFIC MOTHER

THURSDAY, MAY 23 | 7:00 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF FEATURE FOCUS ON THURSDAY MAY 23

Tickets Available Here

2023 | Hawai’i, New Zealand, Polynesia, Micronesia, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Okinawa | Not Rated | English, Hawaiian | Feature

Directed by Katherine McRae, Migawa Ozawa

When freedivers Sachiko Fukumoto and William Trubridge were denied the natural water-birth they wanted in Okinawa, they traveled to New Zealand where they were supported in their choice. Now Sachiko seeks out three other mothers around the Pacific and discovers they face similar battles and have been cut off from the maternity traditions of their past. Sachiko becomes convinced that when mothers are supported emotionally, physically and culturally, they are more likely to have a positive birth experience, wherever it takes place. Aware of the importance of the ocean in all aspects of their lives, these Pacific women link the protection of our oceans with the protection of their children and seek a future where we live in harmony with nature. As Sachiko and William prepare for the birth of their second child, they are determined to show their daughter that supporting parents’ birth choice grows healthier babies, families and communities.

PIONEERS OF ALOHA

FRIDAY, MAY 17 | 7 PM
WILL SCREEN AS PART OF MADE IN UTAH SHORTS PROGRAM ON FRIDAY MAY 17
Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18
11 min | 2024 | USA | Not Rated | English | Short
In Skull Valley, Utah, a former settlement of Hawaiian LDS pioneers stands preserved as a memorial and gathering place. The women of this community are dedicated to preserving its unique history and dispelling lingering myths. The land holds a captivating story, attracting Polynesian pioneers over a century ago and paving the way for a fast-growing community.

RIPE FOR CHANGE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF ISLAND HUMOR PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY MAY 22

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

12 min | 2024 | Australia | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Alisha Joy Higgins

“In the quirky world of ‘Ripe for Change,’ a group of diverse individuals find themselves entangled in a series of bizarre body swaps after indulging in a mysterious fruit at a remote market stall. As they navigate this hilariously twisted dark comedy adventure, one of them becomes increasingly suspicious of whether this phenomenon is just a bizarre side effect of the weed they smoked earlier or something much fruitier. Fueled by curiosity and comedy, ‘Ripe for Change’ is a zany journey that unravels the mysteries behind these extraordinary body transformations and leaves the audience questioning the true cause.”

SIR SOFELE

MONDAY, MAY 20 | 7 PM

Tickets Available Here

78 min | 2022 | Kingdom of Tonga | Not Rated | English, Tongan | Feature

Directed by Neka ‘Aipolo

Experience the story of the Polynesian composer knighted by Pope John Paul II in a feature length documentary that follows his life, music and the peoples impacted along the way.

SON OF SAMOA

SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM ON SATURDAY MAY 18

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

11 min | 2023 | New Zealand | Not Rated | English, Samoan | Short

Directed by Laman Time

Son of Samoa takes you through the journey of Tatau. Identity is explored in a way physically, spiritually and mentally that most have not endured. In this short documentary director Laman discusses his disconnection from family, community and wavering relationship with himself with supporting voices, Tamoko/Tufuga artist Inia Taylor, speaks on the importance of belonging and how to navigate that through cultural traditions. Bonni Tamati, a Pacific art advocate also expresses her love for self-discovery and how love within oneself can help spread love around you. This is a story of hope, a story shared for all, a story of self-love.

TALA

TUESDAY, MAY 21 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF HISTORY AND MYTHS PROGRAM ON TUESDAY MAY 21

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

51 min | 2022 | USA | Not Rated | English, Samoan | Feature

Directed by Milton Randell Kaka

A young samoan family has just found a new religion, the villages aren’t to pleased so a few men go to the family’s house and take the 5 month old baby. The family faces a tragedy which the mother struggles with for years. Years later the man responsible for taking baby Tala comes to ask for forgiveness from the family. Based on a true story.

TEINE

SUNDAY, MAY 19 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF CHILDREN OF THE DIASPORA SHORTS PROGRAM ON SUNDAY MAY 19

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

11 min | 2023 | New Zealand | Not Rated | English, Samoan | Short

Directed by Giselle Ilaoa

A poignant story of a dutiful eldest daughter within a Samoan household and her internal struggle of the weight of her responsibilities and expectations from her family, as well as, trying to maintain a grasp on her own aspirations in life.

THE ALI'I KING

FRIDAY, MAY 17 | 7 PM
WILL SCREEN AS PART OF MADE IN UTAH SHORTS PROGRAM ON FRIDAY MAY 17
Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

26 min | 2024 | USA | Not Rated | English, German, Hawaiian(‘olelo Hawai‘i) | Short

Directed by Christine Kunewa Walker

Set in the 1960’s, a Mormon family of Hawaiian German immigrants embark on a road trip through the Utah desert to attend the opening of Tikiland, a new Disneyland attraction. Along the way, family tensions heat up as the road to “the happiest place on earth” leads to painful revelations about the cultural and emotional complexities that jeopardize the family dynamic.

THE GOOD LIE

FRIDAY, MAY 17 | 7 PM
WILL SCREEN AS PART OF MADE IN UTAH SHORTS PROGRAM ON FRIDAY MAY 17
Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18
9 min | 2023 | USA | Not Rated | English | Short
Directed by Aarron Reupena
A burglar stumbles upon a house with a dead body inside, but what seems to be an easy target soon turns into something much more meaningful.

THE GOOD THIEF

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF ISLAND HUMOR PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY MAY 22

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

5 min | 2023 | New Zealand | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Marius Leituala

TOA TAKITINI

SUNDAY, MAY 19 | 7 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF CHILDREN OF THE DIASPORA SHORTS PROGRAM ON SUNDAY MAY 19

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

12 min | 2023 | New Zealand | Not Rated | English, Maori | Short

Directed by Caitlin Head

Two siblings find themselves in their fathers room a year after his drowning. Stuck there by Hine-nui-te-pō (the Goddess of Death), the two must face their traumas of his death, grief and mend their broken relationship.

TRENTON: TO THE MOON AND BACK

SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7 PM
WILL SCREEN AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM ON SATURDAY MAY 18
Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

17 min | 2022 | USA | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Josh Leong

Two indigenous brothers from the Solomon Islands escape a cult posing as a leadership training organization, finding refuge in a small, conservative town in rural Georgia.

ULTIMATE CITIZENS

SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7 PM
WILL SCREEN AS PART OF DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM ON SATURDAY MAY 18
Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

39 min | 2023 | USA | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Francine Strickwerda

In ULTIMATE CITIZENS, Jamshid is an Iranian who came to study in 1970’s America, and due to the Revolution, never went “home.” As a guidance counselor in Seattle Public Schools, Jamshid’s best work takes place out of the building and on a playing field with “his kids,” the children of refugees and immigrants. Their parents are in the grips of their own struggles to make a living and a home in a strange land. Mr. Jamshid is the charismatic, fiery, funny human with a Frisbee in hand, who is the first to show that “love wins” on the field, off the field, at home with family, or boldly forging a new community, in a new country – one kid, chicken, extreme mile and friend at a time.

VAKARAITAKA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 | 7:40 PM

WILL SCREEN AS PART OF PACIFIC POSSIBILITIES PROGRAM ON WEDNESDAY MAY 22

Tickets Available Here
Virtually Available Here Starting May 18

14 min | 2022 | Fiji | Not Rated | English | Short

Directed by Fenton Bose Lutunatabua

The recent swells of climate activism in the Pacific are inherently linked with the deep connections of past and future generations. Rising up to physical and existential struggles requires tapping into ancestral wisdom that can further strengthen our existing bonds with one another. In this four-part cinematic poem, Fijian storyteller Fenton Lutunatabua utilizes landscape, dance, and language to call people into this work, as well as offer a balm to the losses faced.

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