2011 Slamdance Film Festival feature documentary film Superheroes and award-winning short film Hello Caller will be going on tour as a part of the 2011 Slamdance On the Road theatrical showcase. The 2011 tour will launch in October at the IFC Center in New York and travel to 12 theaters across the US, Canada and Ireland. From the official press release:
In addition to its Video On Demand development, Slamdance has established a traveling theatrical showcase supported by the film festival organization and its filmmakers – Slamdance On The Road. This year Slamdance On The Road presents the award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary Superheroes directed by Michael Barnett. Superheroes is a profoundly funny, eccentric and inspiring film that chronicles the extraordinary lives of real-life superheroes as they take to the streets to protect and support their communities.
Eight months after the world premiere of Superheroes at the 2011 festival, the Slamdance team continues to demonstrate a commitment to their alumni. As director Michael Barnett puts it, “The tremendous exposure our film gained from Slamdance helped us sell Superheroes to HBO. Partnering with Slamdance for a theatrical release shows how forward thinking they really are. Slamdance is truly a festival that is ‘By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers.’”
The On The Road program will launch in October at the IFC Center in New York and travel to 12 theaters across the US, Canada and Ireland. In addition to screening in major cities, On The Road brings popular Slamdance films to audiences that otherwise would not have the opportunity to see them on the big screen. The 2011 venue slate will include several commercially renowned venues as well as micro cinemas like 14 Pews in Houston.
Each screening will begin with the award-winning short film Hello Caller about a suicidal woman who makes a call for help with unexpected and hilarious results. “We’re still in shock that Hello Caller is getting a theatrical release,” admits director Andrew Putschoegl. In his view, “Short films are hard enough to make, let alone find distribution. Slamdance has been a true partner in every sense of the word (well, not sexually…yet…) and we cannot imagine jumping off this cliff with anyone else.”
Slamdance President and Co-Founder Peter Baxter explains, “Slamdance has a proven track record of unearthing great films; yet the commercial challenges many of our alumni face post festival acclaim are harder than ever. This means we are compelled to develop a theatrical program beyond the festival as well as driven to help filmmakers find popular audiences. The standard of Slamdance films like Superheroes and Hello Caller deserve this much and we believe audiences will respond.” On The Road screenings will conclude with a Q & A with the filmmakers and real-life superheroes.
2011 Slamdance On the Road Tour Dates:
October 7-13 – New York, IFC Center
October 14 – Dublin, Ireland. Film Base
October 21-27 – Omaha, Nebraska. Film Streams
October 26 – Brunswick, Maine. Frontier
October 27 – Salt Lake City, Utah. Salt Lake Film Center
October 28-29 – Houston Texas. 14 Pews
* October 31 – November 3 – Seattle, Washington. Grand Illusion
November 1-2 – Jeneau, Alaska. Gold Town Nickelodeon
November 2 – Atlanta, Georgia. Plaza Theater
November 5 – Los Angeles, Downtown Independent
November 18-20 – Vancouver, Pacific Cinematheque
November 26 – Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Film Society
* Dates are subject to change.
