Sundance ties with Shine Group

It is the first commission for Shine’s youth arm – which was launched last year but has yet to be named. 

Run in partnership with youth outreach agency Livity, the unit aims to give 10 young producers from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to become professional producers through a one-year apprentice.

Ben Hall, managing director of the scheme, described it as “a wonderful first commercial commission for the team.”

Sundance founder Robert Redford added: “Sundance Channel continues to provide a platform for emerging talent. It’s also exciting that young artists will become involved in the first Sundance London festival and that their work will be seen on the network internationally.”

The content will appear on the Sundance Channel in Asia and Europe on 5-6 May, the weekend after the festival takes place. Alongside the original packages, the channel will premiere select titles from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

The films are California Solo, by US writer/director Marshall Lewy and starring Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting); Father’s Chair (A Cadeira do Pai) from director Luciano Moura; and L, directed by Babis Makridis.

Sundance London takes place 26-29 April at the O2, and will feature the UK premieres of films from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, which took place in January in Utah.

Daily live music performances, discussions, panels and other public events will take place throughout the four-day festival.

This article was first published in Broadcast