Wichita to be part of ‘grand partnership’ for 2021 Sundance Film Festival

This summer, Sundance Film Festival announced a new idea that festival director Tabitha Jackson called “a grand partnership of communities” that will host films for the 2021 festival.

Now, it looks like Wichita will be a part of that.

No one with Utah-based Sundance or Wichita’s mama.film microcinema is commenting yet, but there is material circulating around the community about festival sponsorships through mama.film. The material, which explains several sponsorship levels, says mama.film is a partner hub for the festival.

So far, fewer than 30 cities have been invited to be partner hubs.

In her June 29 announcement about 2021 plans, Jackson quoted something that actor and Sundance founder Robert Redford said to her:

“I invite you to think not just outside the box, but as if the box never existed.”

She said it was liberating.

“Although this planning had started as a response to an economic downturn and global health crisis, it became an opportunity for creative and expansive thinking,” Jackson said in her announcement.

While the in-person festival will still happen in Utah, there will be various ways for others to participate online and through events at individual hubs.

In the Wichita hub, screenings will happen at mama.film, which is at the Lux downtown, the Wichita Art Museum and Groover Labs. There will be about 100 seats — socially distanced — per screening.

Also, local artists and Wichita-themed cultural experiences will be featured, both in person and on screen, at the venues.

There likely will be an official announcement about plans before the end of the year. Look for more details then.

This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 11:05 AM.