The films, which premiered in 1998 and 1995 respectively, are the first titles announced for the upcoming festival. Both received their world premieres at Sundance — “SLAM” premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section and won the Grand Jury Prize, while “The Doom Generation” premiered in the festival’s Premieres section. Both screenings will take place as part of the festival’s From the Collection section, which is dedicated to rescreening notable titles that previously played at Sundance. Each screening will be followed by a panel and discussions with the filmmakers, the details of which will be announced at a later date.
“Before we announce the full slate for the upcoming festival, we are taking a moment to honor our past in anticipation of what is to come,” Kim Yutani, Sundance’s director of programming, said in a statement. “Sundance has always been a place for discovery, inspired conversations, and critical reflection, all thanks to the independent storytellers we are so fortunate to encounter each year. These screenings are our opportunity to present newly restored films from the collection, reemphasize our commitment to artists throughout their careers, and find new ways to recontextualize the work that has shaped the heritage of Sundance through a modern perspective.”
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Directed by Marc Levin, “SLAM” stars Saul Williams, who co-wrote the script with Levin, as a young Black slam poetry performer imprisoned for a petty drug charge in D.C., where he uses his art to survive. Bonz Malone, Beau Sia, Sonja Sohn and Saul Williams also star in the film. The 25th-anniversary screening features a digital restoration created in collaboration between Sundance Institute, the Academy Film Archive, the UCLA Film & Television Archive, and Lionsgate.
“The Doom Generation” is directed by Gregg Araki, and is the second in his informal “Teenage Apocalypse” trilogy. The movie follows two teenage delinquents (played by Rose McGowan and James Duval) who pick up a violent drifter (Johnathon Schaech) and take a crime-filled road trip across America. The screening will present the original unedited film that premiered at Sundance in 1995 before it was edited for its theatrical release. The film was also remastered in 4K by Strand Releasing.
The 2023 Sundance Festival takes place from January 19 to January 29, 2023, in Park City, Salt Lake City. In addition, the festival will host online screenings from January 24 through 29. Tickets for the festival will go on sale to the public on October 17.
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