See free shorts at Sundance series Saturday

The 2009 Sundance Institute Film Series continues Saturday, April 4, with two free programs of short movies, including works that were directed by such Sundance Film Festival alums as Jared Hess ("Napoleon Dynamite") and Joshua Leonard ("The Blair Witch Project").

The programs, which begin at 5 and 8 p.m. at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. Broadway (300 South), feature short films that were chosen by Sundance festival programmers Trevor Groth and Todd Luoto. Both those men, as well as some of the filmmakers, will be at the theater for a "Meet the Filmmakers" reception at 4:30 p.m. and a panel discussion ("Short Films — Big Impact") at 6:30 p.m.

Groth described the program as being the works of "artists whose films are a labor of love crafted with their own sweat and moxie, whatever the cost."

"We are thrilled to be hosting this very special evening recreating what is truly best and unique about the Sundance festival experience," Groth continued. "The audience will be able to engage in direct dialogue with gifted filmmakers whose works illustrate the incredible creativity, depth, innovation and emotion possible in short filmmaking. It is by no means a formal event, but hopefully an entertaining and inspiring one."

Leonard's piece is titled "The Youth in Us," while Hess's short is still untitled.

Other directors whose works will be shown are Destin Daniel Cretton ("Short Term 12"), Jesse Epstein (another untitled piece), Sam Green ("Pie Fight '69"), Andrew Okpeaha MacLean ("On the Ice"), Jenni Olson ("575 Castro St."), David & Nathan Zellner ("Foxy" and "The Weight of the World"), and Olivia Silver ("Little Canyon").

Shorts Program I (5 p.m.) runs approximately 70 minutes, while Shorts Program II (8 p.m.) is approximately 90 minutes long. Most of the films have not been rated, though some may feature some PG-13 or R-rated content.

For more information on the 2009 Sundance Institute Film Series, browse www.sundance.org.

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com