The Sundance Institute announced yesterday [Aug 22] it had renewed its affiliation with art house cinemas across the US to create specialised screening programmes of Sundance films for local audiences.

The Sundance Institute Art House Project pairs the Institute with arthouse theatres in 12 cities ranging from Orlando, Florida, to Nashville, Tennessee.

Each of the twelve theatres will be designated as a Sundance Institute Art House Project theatre and will design a customsed Sundance screening series for its local arthouse community.

As part of the project, film curators from these theatres are invited to attend the Sundance Film Festival and select the films for their local audiences.

This year, the local programmes will include a specially-selected series of short films from the 2007 Sundance Film Festival including Death To The Tinman by Ray Tintori, King by Caran Hartsfield, Salt Kiss by Fellpe Gamarano Barbosa, and Sophie Barthes' Happiness.

Some theatres will screen independent film classics that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as recent films from the festival.

Participating theatres will also have the opportunity to exhibit a special Sundance Institute trailer and have free access to the series of short artist interviews Live @ Sundance and Meet The Artists.