Since 2005, Windrider Institute has been attending the Sundance Film Festival. During the festival, Windrider hosts a weeklong immersive Windrider Forum, which brings together filmmakers, film students and community impact leaders to watch and discuss the issues presented in these films.
Over the years, the Windrider Forum’s attendance grew and they became one of the largest ticket purchasers at Sundance!
The Windrider Forum at Sundance
Sundance Institute had started to hear more and more about Windrider from the filmmakers, actors, industry professionals and became intrigued with what they were doing.
Then, about a year and a half ago, Windrider and Sundance found each other. Sundance had been looking for ways to grow their community engagement and saw the Windrider Forum as a great example of how to curate films and guide a deeper conversation, especially around films important to their community.
As the Windrider Institute founders met with the Sundance Institute executive team, they pointed to the Windrider division of Windrider Bay Area, as they embody this very same ethos by taking the time to curate films that illuminate stories around topics important to our community.
Since then, Windrider and Sundance have been working together to have a community engaging impact beyond just the screening of a film.
In November 2018, as part of a pre-Sundance kickoff event, Windrider and Sundance co-hosted the screening and Windrider Forum Q&A of the film ‘Burden.’
Sundance/Windrider Community Engagement Screening
2019 Sundance Audience Award Winning film ‘Burden.’ Windrider CEO John Priddy with Filmmaker Andrew Heckler and Community leaders Rebeca Gonzales-Rocha and Emma Houston
‘Burden’ Director Andrew Heckler and Meredith Lavitt, Director of Sundance Ignite at Sundance Institute
Windrider CEO John Priddy with Reverend David Kennedy (played by Forrest Whitacre in ‘Burden’), Betsy Wallace Managing Director of the Sundance Institute and Ed Priddy Windrider Chairman and Co-Founder
Then during this year’s Sundance, they joined together in the screening and Q&A of the Sundance film ‘Clemency,’ which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize Award.
2019 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for the dramatic film went to ‘Clemency,’ Windrider CEO John Priddy with Director Chinonye Chukwu and Producer Bronwyn Cornelius for an extended Q&A at Sundance
Windrider CEO John Priddy with Managing Director of the Sundance Institute Betsy Wallace
Sundance Institute CEO & Executive Director Keri Putnam giving her opening remarks at the 2019 Windrider Forum
Windrider is excited to continue this partnership and looks forward to what is to come!
