Sundance, Utah (December 22, 2011) -- This January, the best action sports filmmakers, iconic athletes, and culture enthusiasts will descend upon Salt Lake City for the 12th annual GoPro X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival. This year's event will run January 12-15, 2012 with screening and party headquarters at The Depot (13 North 4th West; 801-456-2800 www.depotslc.com).
Now in its 12th year, X-Dance has established itself as the premier action sports film festival in the world. Filmmakers and athletes from around the globe make the pilgrimage to Utah as representatives of this cutting-edge cinema. X-Dance has become the platform to showcase talent and continues to elevate the action sports culture in this annual celebration of the best of the best.
"With great enthusiasm, Salt Lake City welcomes back the GoPro X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival. Now in its 12th year, X-Dance has created a solid legacy as the premier action sports film festival. We are thrilled to have our city host this ongoing festival that celebrates the actions sports culture. Utah and the Salt Lake area are the perfect backdrop for X-Dance as it is a multisport and multi-season playground for top athletes and enthusiasts," exclaims Scott Beck, President & Chief Executive Officer of Visit Salt Lake.
Of the 100s of submissions, the top 30 accepted films were announced on Monday, December 19th. For a list of accepted films please go to www.x-dance.com. The screenings are open to the public. The producers, directors and many of the athletes will be on hand for Q&A sessions after the film screenings.
This year's line-up features incredible athletic talent like speed demon snowboarder Shaun Palmer, extreme skier Seth Morrison, aloha surfer Jamie O'Brien, snowboard medalist Scotty Lago, and downhill mountain biking madmen Gee Atherton and Sam Hill. Curt Morgan from Brain Farm, the director/producer of That's It, That's All, has a new epic film this year called The Art of FLIGHT that follows snowboarder Travis Rice around the globe as he conquers new terrain. The film's cinematography is mesmerizing, shot with a Phantom and a Cineflex, the same cameras used to shoot the Super Bowl and "Planet Earth." Top wakeboarder Danny Harf will also attend the festival to present his film, Defy. Legendary filmmaker Jack McCoy will also be at X-Dance with his film A Deeper Shade of Blue, which explores the roots and soul of surfing from the perspective of this legendary action sports filmmaker. McCoy has also put together a stunning music video called Blue Sway with Paul McCartney that will be screened as well. McCoy will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at X-Dance 2012.
"It truly is the best of action sports. Nowhere else will you find all of the top athletes and filmmakers under one roof," says surfing legend Laird Hamilton, a long-time X-Dance supporter.
With roots in the action sports world as well as the mainstream entertainment industry, no event on earth harnesses the creative energy of adrenaline culture like the X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival.
The 4-day festival includes:
• Screenings open to the Public of top action sports films from industry stalwarts like Brain Farm, Red Bull, TGR, Sweetgrass, Sherpas, Standard Films, and Jack McCoy, as well as noteworthy work by emerging talent and world premieres. Screenings run Thursday, January 12 through Saturday, January 14 and will occur at The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT; 801.355.5522. Films start at noon on Thursday and run through Saturday evening the 14th.
• Parking for The Depot screenings includes the Gateway Mall, parking lots or on street for a fee. Tickets are $8 per film, $5 for students. $15 for a day pass. $30 for a 3-day pass. $25 for students. Tickets available at SMITH TIX and The Depot Box Office. All ages!
• Swag Town: Attendees has access to action sports swag, the latest products and sampling from X-Dance's favorite action sports brands at a special area at The Depot for festival goers.
• Open forums for question and answer sessions after each screening with filmmakers and featured athletes.
• World Premieres like Miserable Champion, Shaun Palmer's new documentary by Brad Holmes with Standard Films; Jack McCoy's A Deeper Shade of Blue.
• Lifetime Achievement Award presented to legendary filmmaker Jack McCoy.
• Opening Party on Thursday, January 12 presented by Red Bull after The Art of FLIGHT screening. Live entertainment. Open to Public. Doors at 10 p.m. Tickets available at The Depot Box Office.
• X-Dance Awards Ceremony and Closing Party will be held on Sunday, January 15 at The Depot at 7pm. Industry stars and celebrities join bands and DJs to celebrate the best in action sports filmmaking, while the extraordinary VJ, transforms the enormous room into a mesmerizing, wall-to-wall montage of action sports imagery. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Ticket info: www.x-dance.com.
Overviews of Some Accepted Films:
The Art of FLIGHT
A new breed of action sports film comes to life as Red Bull Media House, in association with Brain Farm Digital Cinema, present The Art of FLIGHT, a Curt Morgan film. Equal parts action and adventure mix with the inevitable drama encountered along the way. Two years in the making, The Art of FLIGHT gives iconic snowboarder Travis Rice and friends the opportunity to redefine what is possible in the mountains. Experience the highs, as new tricks are landed and new zones opened, alongside the lows, where avalanches, accidents and wrong-turns strike. For the first time, viewers join in the sometimes successful, often trying quest to open up new, unexplored mountains in remote corners of the world. Same team that created the award-winning film That's It That's All which won three categories (Best Film, Best Cinematography and Best Athlete) at X-Dance 2009.
Solitaire
A powerful backcountry skiing, snowboarding and telemark film filmed in the High Andes with a soulful soundtrack and poetic narrative. Directed by Nick Waggoner (who won Emerging Director at X-Dance 2010) of Sweetgrass Productions, also responsible for Signatures, which won Best Cinematography at X-Dance in 2010.
Boardroom
BoardRoom is a feature length documentary by German director Markus Davids, SOC, featuring the legends of early surfboard shaping. A special group of innovative and progressive surfboard manufacturers were looking for a better way to build lighter surfboards, when the common surfboard weighed in at more than 50 pounds. With the invention of polyurethane during the World War II, it became a popular and accessible material for this generation of surfboard shapers who had been using redwood and balsa wood. The evolution of the surfboard and materials was at hand and surfing was never the same. BoardRoom pays homage to the men who created the boards and also shaped this industry.
Walls of Perception
In this multidisciplinary film by Poor Boyz Productions, seven different surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding Oxbow team riders break down the stereotypical walls of the surf industry proving that there is no wrong way to ride a wave. Filming locations include Hawaii and the Marshall Islands with waterman Matt Meola dispelling the notion that windsurfing and surfing should be segregated and SUP champion Kai Lenny charging 40-foot faces at Pe'ahi.
The Deeper Shade of Blue
Legendary filmmaker Jack McCoy explores the soul, ancient lore and joy of surfing in his latest film. Deemed surfing's "poetic wizard emeritus of the cinema," McCoy's film tells the story of the evolution of modern surf culture in eleven chapters that explore the dreamers, the pipe masters, the innovators, and creators of the compelling culture.
If interested in speaking with filmmakers directly please contact Ann Wycoff. 310-291-1255
SPONSORS:
Now in its 12th year, the X-Dance festival has become the focal point for the action sports creative community. We are pleased to announce our 2012 sponsors.
GoPro
Visit Salt Lake
Salt Lake Downtown Alliance
Red Bull
Mirror Films
Wandermelon.com
Cristaux International
Trailers for "Must See" X-Dance Films:
The Art of Flight: Brainfarm Prods
All. I. Can. : Sherpas Prods
Solitare: Sweetgrass Prods
Drop, My Life Downhill: Orangefist Prods
Frontier, River Roots Prods.
3 Minute Gaps: Clay Porter Director
Boardroom, Markus Davids Director
Walls of Perception, Poor Boyz Prods.
About X-Dance: Launched in 2001 with the support of major sponsors, X-Dance has grown to become the premier action sports film festival in the world. While the films and the athletes change from year to year, the mission of X-Dance remains constant: To nurture the growth of action sports filmmaking and to honor achievement on both sides of the camera. X-Dance will always recognize innovative work that pushes the limits of style and narrative.
Media: For more info please contact Ann Wycoff: 310-291-1255; awyc@aol.com