Slamdance announces 2007 features competition and special programs

The 2007 Slamdance Film Festival shattered all previous submission records, receiving over 3,600 submissions for less than 100 slots, a milestone that catapults the movie showcase into one of the largest film festivals in the world.

Celebrating its 13th year, Slamdance's mission is to nurture, support and showcase truly independent works, having established a unique reputation for premiering new films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets.

The Opening Night Gala film is the comedy "Weirdsville," starring Scott Speedman ("Underworld," "Felicity," "XXX 2"), Wes Bentley ("American Beauty," "Ghostrider," "Four Feathers"), Taryn Manning ("Hustle and Flow," "8 Mile," "Cold Mountain"), Greg Bryk ("A History of Violence," "Shoot em Up"), Matt Frewer ("Max Headroom," "Dawn of the Dead") and Maggie Castle ("Beach Girls"). It's the story of two junkies on the run from a satanic cult, a cabal of midget knights, a vengeful drug dealer, and a mouse, in a little town called Weirdsville, directed by Allan Moyle.

As always, the Slamdance Film Festival will run concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 18-27, 2007 in Park City. Slamdance and the box-office will be headquartered and its films will screen at the Treasure Mountain Inn, 255 Main Street, atop of the hill.

The Best of Slamdance will take place on Jan. 27th at the Regency Theatre, 602 E. 500 South in Salt Lake City. For more information and for a complete listing of films in the Festival, log on to www.Slamdance.com or call 323-466-1786. Festival passes are now on sale and individual tickets go on sale Dec. 10. Special ticket packages are also available.

All 2007 Festival tickets and passes will be available for purchase online (slamdance.com/2007/festival/tickets.asp). Each online ticket purchase helps support people in need, close to home. A percentage of proceeds from each Slamdance ticket purchase will go to the Utah Food Bank, serving the community that has supported the Slamdance Film Festival for the last 13 years.

Slamdance has four programming committees: Narrative Features, Documentaries, Special Screenings and Shorts, which will be announced at a later date.

Narrative Feature Competition

• "American Fork," World Premiere (2007, 94 min., USA), Directed by Chris Bowman. The life and times of Tracy Orbison, a grocery clerk with the mind of a dreamer, the soul of a poet and the body of a really fat man.

• "American Zombie," World Premiere (2007, 90 min., USA), Directed by Grace Lee. Two filmmakers team up to document a group of zombies in Los Angeles and their struggle to gain acceptance in the human community.