December 19, 2013

BMI to Present 16th Annual Composer/Director Roundtable at 2014 Sundance Film Festival

Press Release

Los Angeles, December 19, 2013 – Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) and the Sundance Film Festival will present the 16th annual Composer/Director Roundtable and 12th annual Snowball during the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, on January 22, in Park City, Utah.

Entitled “Music & Film: The Creative Process,” BMI’s roundtable will take place on Wednesday, January 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Sundance House Presented by HP (638 Park Avenue -corner of Main Street and Heber Avenue). The conversation will be moderated by Doreen Ringer-Ross, BMI’s Vice President of Film/TV Relations. “Music & Film: The Creative Process” is a cornerstone event at the festival exploring the role of music in film. Focusing on the relationship between composer and director, participants will discuss what goes into creating a successful film score, the ingredients of an effective composer/director relationship, the Sundance Film Festival experience and more.

“We are proud to be so closely aligned with the Sundance Institute Film Music Program throughout the year,” said Ringer-Ross, “and we are committed to shining a light on our composers at the Sundance Film Festival because they provide an essential and deeply emotional element of filmmaking that is so subliminal that it often goes unnoticed and uncelebrated.” 

This year’s panelists include composer Craig Wedren and director David Wain of They Came Together; composer Blake Neely and directors Ryan White and Ben Cotner of The Case Against 8; composer T. Griffin and directors Ross Kauffman and Katy Chevigny of E-TEAM; composer Enis Rotthoff and director David Wnendt of Wetlands; composer Mark Orton and director Sydney Freeland of Drunktown’s Finest; composer Gary Lionelli of Last Days in Vietnam; composer Kathryn Bostic and director Justin Simien of Dear White People; composer John Dragonetti and director Brian Knappenberger of The Internet’s Own Boy, composer Keegan DeWitt and director Alex Ross Perry of Listen Up Phillip, Sundance Institute Composers Lab advisor Miriam Cutler and Director of the Sundance Institute Film Music Program Peter Golub.

The Snowball – also to be held on Wednesday, January 22, at the Sundance House Presented by HP – will feature a diverse lineup of talented BMI singer-songwriters (to be announced). The Snowball will begin at 8 p.m. and is open to Festival Credential holders. BMI has historically showcased a phenomenal mixture of buzzworthy and iconic artists at the Festival. Memorable performances have included Donovan, Rodriguez, David Poe, Allen Stone, Terence Blanchard, Keb’ Mo’, Michael Penn, Vanessa Carlton, Minnie Driver, Shelby Lynne, Alison Moorer, Dawes, Los Lobos, Cheap Trick, Devo, Beck, Joan Osborne, Adam Duritz, Death Cab for Cutie, Rosanne Cash, Robert Randolph, Brett Dennen, John Paul White, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Percy Sledge, Den Penn & Spooner Oldham, among others.

Both the Composer/Director Roundtable and Snowball exemplify BMI’s focus on nurturing and sustaining relationships with emerging and established composers. Our Film/TV department is proud of its long-standing relationship with the Sundance Film Festival, as well as Sundance Institute, to promote the value of music in film. As we continue these efforts, BMI’s innovation in the genre is unparalleled with an impressive roster of Film/TV composers that includes John Williams, Alan Silvestri, Danny Elfman, Rachel Portman, David Newman, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Newton Howard, Mark Mothersbaugh, Rolfe Kent and Alexandre Desplat.

For more information on BMI events at the Sundance Film Festival as well as on-site coverage of the Festival, visit www.bmi.com/sundance, follow @BMI on Twitter – hashtag #BMISundance – and stay connected through Facebook.

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Media Contacts:
Marlene Meraz, BMI
310.289.6325
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